SIXTEEN years since their first album The Good Will Out rocketed into the charts and Embrace are back and ready to rock.

The Come Back to What You Know stars may have taken a hiatus in recent years but they have never been far apart playing wacky secret gigs in quarries, stately homes, even in a boxing ring, and have spent the past four years working on a new album.

Drummer Mike Heaton told the Gazette: “After we did the 2006 World Cup song it all got a bit much so we decided to take a break. And we kind of stretched that out.

“It was the first time for 12 years we got to get away and have a bit of a breather. But we have unfinished business here.

“We never talked about splitting up although people thought we had.”

Mike, who also manages his own band and runs a drumming school in North Yorkshire, added: “The new album is our best yet. We have been busy making it for the past four-and-a-half years but it didn’t matter how long it took.”

He said the band had around 70 or 80 ideas for self-titled album, which was released in April.

“We’re very proud of it,” added Mike. “It is still what we are about with great lyrics, great melodies and a great chorus but it has a new element which we needed to move forward.

“And it is amazing that we still all feel as energetic as we always have. I have been involved in a lot of young bands and I think that has energised me personally.

“We have never been quick with our albums. We have taken breaks and done it at our own pace and that is the reason we are still around and have the energy.”

The band launch a nine-date tour on Friday, May 9 in Liverpool and come to Bristol’s O2 Academy on Tuesday, May 13.

Mike said the gigs would be a mix of new and old material.

“It will be a lot of the new album and the best stuff from every single album,” he said. “Quarters is our new song but we still really love some of our old material, my favourites are Ashes and All You Good People.”

Embrace also play T in the Park this summer before going to Japan and the US in the autumn.

Teasing that new material will follow, Mike said: “It won’t be another seven-year gap put it that way. We still have a lot of ideas.

“We want to get out and play this album to as many people but we will probably do another album relatively quickly.”