"This record is a little different for me," says The Jayhawks' front man, Gary Louris, introducing his debut solo recording.

Released on the Rykodisc label earlier this year, Vagabonds is a search for something to believe in at the age of 53.

"On this set of songs, there's an element of searching or yearning for an answer of some kind and looking at yourself at a certain age and realising, God, I still haven't figured all this out at all'," says Louris, who began his career in Minneapolis indie combo Safety Last before co-founding alt.country forefathers The Jayhawks with Mark Olson more than 20 years ago and later branching out into Golden Smog.

"When you're younger, you think you're going to figure it out. When you're older, you think, I'm nearer the end and I still haven't got the answers'. Sometimes it can freak you out wondering why you're doing what you're doing or why we bump into each other or who ends up with who.

"But music is the one thing where I think I can give something to others. Personally I wish I could give more in terms of money or time, but music is the one thing where I have influence and it can be pretty humbling. You think, this is why I chose this or it chose me and I have a purpose'."

Did music choose you, Gary? "I believe it did. You look back and you think, this is what always came easiest to me' and I really believe I was meant to do this," he says.

At the time of this interview, in late-April, Louris was planning to play solo, albeit with the possibility of being joined by Son Volt's Jim Boquist, on a seven-date British tour that arrives in York on Thursday.

"Why solo? Money makes your mind up," he says. "I'm not completely starting over but working my way into the mind of the public again, though it's not step one as I did a full-band tour in America, with members of Vetiver and Eric Heywood, the pedal-steel guitarist from Ray LaMontagne's band.

"But here in Britain, I'm thinking of playing solo; it's something of a challenge and something I've not done enough. It suits me and my singing, as it allows me to use the subtlety in my voice - I was probably the worst offender with my voice in Jayhawks shows as I just couldn't turn the guitar down.

"In York it'll most likely be just me and an acoustic guitar, just me in the singer-songwriter role; I haven't got the confidence yet to play the piano live."

When performing solo, will Louris be tempted to chat more to his audience? "Well, people like that. There are people who talk too much and some who don't talk at all, but I'm never gonna talk more than I play. I'll fill in some details, but hopefully I'll not have too much stage patter - I can get a little chatty, and my wife will tell you, you can't shut me up."

Louris's set list will draw upon his back catalogue as well as his new work. "I wrestle with it sometimes, but I'm trying not to confuse people, so I'll put the emphasis on the new stuff but there'll be Jayhawks and Golden Smog songs too that won't have been heard played this way before," he says.

He is savouring the freedom of travelling the solo path. "I just like the feeling of being able to go anywhere and not worry about how to transport eight people. I have the freedom to travel anywhere, whether it's York or Australia.

"It's by necessity that I'm touring this way but it's good for me musically, and I think I was maybe scared of doing it when I was younger. There's a certain distance where you can have safety in numbers in a band with a loud guitar, and even now I couldn't imagine being a stand-up, but I've gotten more comfortable and enjoy going out there on my own. I'm 53, so I'd better be comfortable with my own skin!"

Vagabonds may well signal the final curtain for The Jayhawks, or maybe not. "The thoughts are that it's closed down, though I don't feel like I have to speak for myself on how I might feel in five years.

"Sometimes a musician needs a change of scenery to stop himself from going mad. After 20 years in a band little things can start driving you crazy; it's just part of being with someone all that time. Sometimes you just need a break."

  • Gary Louris plays Fibbers, York, on Thursday; tickets £9 in advance, £11 on the door.