Ben Ottewell, The Duchess, York, March 3

If you have ever wished over more than a decade of subsequent Gomez recordings to hear rather more of big Ben, then rejoice at the news that he will be releasing his debut solo album on March 7 on Eat Sleep Records.

He is not leaving Gomez – more of that later – but his focus in late February and early March will be on Shapes & Shadows, whose songs can be heard on his first solo headline tour at the Duchess on York on Thursday.

It really will be solo, “just me and the acoustic guitar”, says Ben. “I think I played York that way a couple of years ago, and on this tour I’ve done just one show so far… in New York, at the Mercury Lounge, which was a great night. They were a very attentive crowd.”

He wrote the album’s nine songs the same way, just Ben and his guitar, going on to record them at The Chalet in Los Angeles, following tour commitments in late 2009.

“I just felt that I’d been in the band for 12 years now, and you build up songs that are not right for Gomez or a full band or which are more personal, and some of those have been rattling around my brain for those 12 years,” says Ben, explaining why he finally put those songs to tape.

“The timing was purely down to people and circumstances. I met Will [his co-producer Will Golden] on the road and he’d worked on Ian’s solo album [Ian being Gomez’s Ian Ball].

“He’s someone I trust and he has a great ear and it seemed like the perfect fit, so what I did was tag the recording on to the end of a Gomez American tour.”

For the recordings Ben was joined not only by Will on bass, but also the likes of Michael Jerome on drums, Phil Kronengold on piano and Oliver Krauss on strings.

“Michael was new to me, but he plays for Richard Thompson, so you can’t get a better recommendation than that; Phil had worked with Gomez, and the other guy who was so important was Ollie for his string arrangements,” says Ben.

“He’s British, but we met him when he was playing cello in a band who were supporting Gomez in America, and he’s done string arrangements for Gomez ever since. You basically don’t have to instruct him; you just say, ‘What you got?’.”

The album’s title – named after the opening track – reflects the subject matter on Shapes & Shadows.

“There’s a load of tunes about recollections: the ghosts that inhabit you from your past life,” says Ben. “That’s a strong theme, although there are lots of songs about relationships too.”

He had drawn on influences such as Nick Drake, John Martyn and early Paul Simon, as well as Led Zeppelin, The Red House Painters and John Lee Hooker’s Alive album, when he first sat down with long-time friend Sam Genders to collaborate on ideas for the album.

“Sam and I grew up together in a little village called Bonsall in Derbyshire and have been friends since childhood,” says Ben.

“I love his songwriting, the stuff he did with Tunng and The Accidental, particularly lyrically. We’ve wanted to do this sort of thing for a while now and, having grown up together, there’s a strong theme of looking back and recollecting.”

Inevitably, the chance to record a solo record has been a breath of fresh air for Ben.

“Anything you do by yourself is liberating. Basically you get to call the shots. There’s pressure there but a real sense of freedom and achievement too,” he says. “It’s turned out exactly how I wanted. It’s serendipity; the right people at the right time.”

Nevertheless, Gomez will remain his bread and butter, he says.

“We’ve just finished the next Gomez record – it’s out in June on the same label as my album – and I think it’s important for the band to keep writing, especially at this time, to keep things alive and to flex your muscles, though I’m sure there’ll be another solo album to come.”

Ben Ottewell plays new songs and Gomez classics at The Duchess, York, on Thursday, supported by The Robot Heart and Ryan Spendlove. Tickets: £12 on 0844 477 1000 or £14 on the door.