Q. Hello Tim! How are you?
A. Very well thanks. I did a huge walk around Bangkok this afternoon and my feet are aching.
Q. Where are you right now?
A. I'm on the plane flying home from Thailand. We'll be at home for a few days and then off to Beirut and into the European tour.
Q. So, you've been out in Asia for 10 days now, how's it all going?
A. It has been a really great tour. Everyone has been very welcoming and friendly. I also feel like I've been able to see a bit more of some of the cities we've visited than usual. We have met some interesting people and had some great times.
Q. How have the shows been so far?
A. The crowds have been great and I think we have played really well. They've been big shows too, which makes us feel pretty special. We've also thrown in some songs we haven't played for a while, like The Lovers Are Losing and Snowed Under, which keeps us on our toes.
Q. The crowds look great from Richard's photos.
A. Yes they've been incredibly enthusiastic, a lot of smiling faces and some very loud singing along…!
Q. With a show every other day and quite large distances between them, presumably you're spending quite a lot of time travelling?
A. The travelling has definitely been intense. A lot of flying and a lot of time spent in vans to and from airports and venues. Jakarta has the most mental traffic we've experienced so far...!
Q. What do you tend to do while you're on planes?
A. I usually read - I've just finished Tropic of Capricorn by Henry Miller, and have moved on to Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. If the flight's a bit longer I might get stuck into a bit of Modern Family or Mad Men.
Q. You're also visiting some places that Keane haven't been before - have you been able to do any sightseeing?
A. I've done plenty of sightseeing, or at least managed to get a taste of something cultural, in most places. That has been really brilliant actually, because it's frustrating when you go somewhere exciting and exotic and leave without feeling you've seen anything apart from the hotel and the venue. We did karaoke in Taipei, experienced Gangnam Style first-hand in Seoul, ate a lot of sushi at the restaurant which inspired the big fight scene in Kill Bill in Tokyo, had an ice-cold jacuzzi in Jakarta (OK, that was just me), and visited the Grand Palace and took a long boat along the river in Bangkok. Among many other things. It has been a lot of fun.
Q. When you get back, you only have a couple of weeks before the European tour starts. What will you do during that time off?
A. I think it's six days until we fly to Beirut, so there's not a lot of time. I'll mainly be dealing with a big pile of laundry from this tour, and doing exciting things like going to the dentist. Wish me luck.
Q. And presumably you're looking forward to the European dates and rounding off the year with the UK arena tour?
A. Yes, it's pretty much our busiest year ever I think. These few months are particularly intense, in the best possible way. I feel like we're having fun and playing really well, so it's great to be busy right up until Christmas. The European tour is easily the most extensive we've ever done, with a lot of new places, and it will be a real treat to be back in arenas in the UK playing the Strangeland songs.