MYSTERY JETS - MYSTERY JETS: HENRY QUITTING TOURING WAS A MUTUAL PLAN

Mystery Jets have explained that the decision for the band's elder statesman Henry Harrison to stop touring was a mutual one.

As the band's chief lyricist on their first album, Henry had been viewed as the guiding force behind the band, despite his son Blaine taking the lead on vocals.

While some saw the father-son partnership as a gimmick, the 60s-tinged rock of their debut Making Dens revealed Henry's musical influence, but with Blaine and the rest of the band desiring a more pop sound for their second album, Henry's departure from the band was announced last year.

However, speaking to inthenews.co.uk, Blaine explained that while his father is no longer part of the live shows, "he still plays in recordings with us, he still writes with us, that hasn't changed".

He added: "He's sad that he doesn't get to tour as much but he's very understanding that this band can't stay the same for the sake of trying to hold an image.

"He always said that he knew there would come a point when we'd make the break and actually, it was relatively painless, because that connection is still there creatively."

The Mystery Jets frontman also denied that a desire to tour without his father was influenced by a wish for greater freedom on the road, away from the watchful eye of a parent, saying: "Me and my dad never really had that kind of relationship where I would have needed to rebel or go off the rails.

"He's a very liberal guy, he's always been a musician and artist, so he's never created any need to rebel," Blaine continued.

"It only really came to a point in the last year or so where we've all grown up and we've got ideas in our own heads that we want to express now."

Mystery Jets' second album Twenty One is out now.