June 11, 2010 11:00

Kele Okereke: Bloc Party's future is uncertain

Singer explains he'll have a big decision to make next year

Photo Gallery: Bloc Party
Photo: Dean Chalkley

Kele Okereke has admitted the future of Bloc Party is uncertain as he gears up to release his first solo album.

The singer returns with 'The Boxer' on June 21 while his main band take a year off, although he admitted to NME there is no timetable for his band's reformation.

"Who knows how we'll feel about anything in a year's time?" Okereke admitted to NME. "I'm not very good at restarting things in my personal life – like if I break up with someone, I tend to close the door.

"So I was always worried about this, about how I'd feel about reintegrating, but it isn't just my decision. They [his bandmates] all have lives so we need to address it in a year's time. We'll see."

Okereke added that he missed his bandmates socially, before explaining why he felt the need to do a solo album.

"It feels like a new start," he said of 'The Boxer'. "It is me, it's my name. I was responsible for all the musical and artistic decisions in making this record. It wasn't a band. So it is me, yeah. This is the most me for sure."

For the full cover story interview, including why Okereke is set to quit Britain following David Cameron becoming Prime Minister, get this week's issue of NME, on UK newsstands now.

Head to NME.COM/kele for more videos, interviews, blogs and more, plus watch a new video interview with the Bloc Party frontman on the right now.