It’s been months since I last saw Beardy (Paul Beard, keyboard). These days he seems to spend more time in LA than he does in London. But I caught up with him at a studio in Notting Hill.

After a handful of signature mojitos in the local Mexican, I plucked up the courage to ask him if he remembered the band’s initial reaction when they heard that Peter Hardy – a bloke almost twice their age – was going to tour with James Blunt and writing a book about him and the band.

Paul: “Well I think firstly everybody panicked, but having read the book I was thrilled that there is a document of the adventure that we had.

“It’s a sweet and genuine account of what life on the road with James can really be like. And also I’ve really enjoyed hearing how you related to it, having had similar adventures to it in the past with Janis Joplin and in your life as a journalist as well.”

Peter: “I’ve seen a few comments on the web from fans that it can’t be a great book if it’s not written by James himself?”

Paul: “I think that the fact that you’ve known his family for a long time and known James since he was very small adds a completely different angle to it.

“And what I really enjoyed about it also was that it wasn’t just about James. It was about your life and how James’ adventure had parallels with experiences that you’d had in the past.

“For me it was insight not only into James’ career and experiences, but also it gave me more of an inside track on what you were about.

“For someone I consider to be a good friend that’s always a fascinating read.”

Peter: “It’s been a busy year for everyone since the last tour ended in Athens back in March 2009 and you all went your separate ways and your individual careers have gone in different directions. So what was it like to get together again to record the new album?”

Paul: “When we started playing the songs you realized that we still had something that I think you can only have if you spend years on the road together.

“I don’t have any siblings, but it’s probably the closest thing I’ve got to having a brother in James – and the band. When the five of us get together and play music, there’s something special there.”

Peter: “To spend that amount of time together on the tour bus you must have a kind of special rapport. It’s kind of crowded, isn’t it?”

Paul: “It’s crowded, but I think if you’re always looking for the best in people, you keep it on a positive aspect, and that was there again instantly as soon as we got in the room together.

Peter: “So are fans going to enjoy the new album?”

Paul: “I think they’re going to love it, yeah. I think it’s definitely an evolution of what James does. I mean, I haven’t heard the finished record. I’ve only actually heard what we recorded. I was thrilled with it. There’s some really sort of heart-felt songs. There’s definitely some stuff that has more in common with 1973 – more sort of dance-able kind of stuff. But then there’s some really tender moments as well”.

Peter: Since the end of the All The Lost Souls tour you’ve been working with other artists including Leona Lewis and Robbie Williams – and you’re now Rob’s musical director and you’ve just been to the wedding in California?”

Paul: “That’s right. We got invited to a 20-years-in-the-music-business party that Rob was throwing – and it turned out to be his wedding. We had a great day there. It was quite a bash!”

Peter: “Coming up on September 12^th you’ve got the Help for Heroes concert at Twickenham with Rob and James both performing. How will you manage that?”

Paul: “It’s going to be quite a complicated build-up to that because James will want to rehearse and Rob is rehearsing too, but I think, so far as it stands, we’ve figured out a way of doing it.”

Peter: “So you sort of move from one keyboard to the other?”

Paul: “Basically I’m going to be Rick Wakeman, yeah. I’m just going to have a big keyboard at the back. I think it’s going to be Help For Heroes featuring Paul Beard! Actually, Karl is doing it as well. He’s playing for Rob and for James.”

Peter: “After the new album comes out at the beginning of November I should imagine that there will be a world tour starting next year. Will you, Karl and the rest of the band be taking part?”

Paul: “I should imagine that 2011 will be the return of the Blunt Boys. In as far as I know we’ll all be there and the latest I’ve heard is that there might be a new member of the band…”

Is this true? Who could he be?

Read Different Country, Same State… he, or maybe she (!), is in the book…