GLENN Tilbrook is one of the founding members and lead singer of legendary British band Squeeze. With songwriting partner Chris Difford, they had great chart success with their unique brand of kitchen sink pop, scoring hits like Up The Junction, Pulling Mussells (From The Shell), Cool For Cats and many more. After two break ups, the past decade has seen Squeeze make an unlikely comeback with two critically acclaimed albums in Cradle To The Grave and The Knowledge, sold our tours, and multiple festival headline billings up and down the country.

Squeeze’s demise in 1998 saw Glenn embark on a solo career which continues alongside his work with the now reformed band and the UK's live circuit is frequently enriched by Tilbrook the troubadour, whether he be leafing through his own plentiful back pages or dashing off impromptu audience requests ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Tony Orlando and Dawn, and all points in-between.

“I’ve been doing solo tours for the last 18 years or so, and it’s been great fun," says Glenn, who plays Chester Live Rooms in November. "When I started it was becoming clear that the old music business model of record companies was a thing of the past, for me, and it was time to do things under my own steam. And to be honest, I’ve never been happier. You may not have the major sales of the old days, but what you’re doing is so much more gratifying."

Glenn's latest tour will see the 61-year-old Londoner promoting awareness and encouraging donations to The Trussell Trust, the charity that supports a network of foodbanks around the UK. At all venues there will be food drop points and collection boxes, and Glenn will also be donating all profits from his merchandise, including an exclusive four track EP, to the organisation.

“It is shameful that in the 21st century there are people that can’t afford to put food on the table," he says. "Anyone, from any walk of life, can fall upon dire times, and I hope that by doing this tour it will remind people that there is a very real need.

"Most of us can do something to help - be it giving some food or a little money – and I hope people coming to the shows are inspired to donate.”

Born August 31, 1957, in Woolwich, Glenn studied guitar and piano from the age of six onward and at 13, he made his public debut at a local talent show.

"I was relatively poor growing up and experienced the stigma attached to having free school meals," he says. "I know that sometimes my mum would go without so I could have food so I can empathise with those struggling today from my own experience.

"The Trussell Trust and everyone who is volunteering for them are doing such an amazing job. It's really about me thinking 'I'm a musician - what can I do?' It's small scale but this is something I can do."

While Squeeze could never be described as a 'political' band, Glenn has always had social consciousness rooted deeply within his musical performance. A few years ago he famously changed the lyrics to Squeeze's Cradle to the Grave live on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show which featured then Prime Minister David Cameron as guest, to: “there are some here who are hell bent, on the destruction of the welfare state.”

"I've never been viral before," he laughs about the experience. "It was quite amazing that this arc of attention suddenly engulfed me for a few weeks. People would stop me in the street and they weren't people who were Squeeze fans.

"It hit a nerve with a lot of people and I'm glad I did it because it wasn't planned, but when I heard what he was talking about and the lack of understanding and compassion about people who live on sink estates I knew I had to say something.

"I grew up on a council estate and I'm very proud to have experienced that community and togetherness which a generation or two before was not available to kids like me."

Songs from The Knowledge, such as A&E and Rough Ride, also tackle social inequality in the UK, but Glenn is honest about his political past despite the working-class humour in songs like Up The Junction and Cool For Cats.

"I have to be honest and say I haven't always felt like this," he says. "Chris was so clever to write the lyrics to a song like Up The Junction which was his distillation of watching different people in different situations - it was fictional and yet it rings very true and I'm very proud of that song.

"It directly referred to someone falling between the cracks which anyone can do through a set of circumstances like losing your job or your marriage going wrong."

Released in 2015, Cradle to the Grave debuted at number 12 on the UK Albums Chart, making it the band's highest-charting album. Around the same time, the band also contributed music to Cradle To Grave, a BBC series based on Danny Baker's autobiography Going to Sea in a Sieve, covering Baker's life in south London during the 1970s.

"The last few years have been amazing," admits Glenn. "I spent the ten years previous thinking we'd had our moment and it was great and I was happy with that.

"I was back to playing clubs and I was absolutely fine with it and felt lucky to still have a career. But then to get the opportunities we did....we are headlining festivals again and played some amazing shows this summer - we're probably selling more tickets now than we've ever done before - its brilliant."

The reasons behind Squeeze's resurgence are obvious to Glenn who was determined the band wouldn't just join the nostalgia circuit like so many of their contemporaries.

"I put it very strongly this time around that if we made another record it had to be a brilliant record,"he laughs. "I didn't just want to tread water and we didn't do that with Cradle to the Grave or The Knowledge and they're two albums I'm really proud of. "They're full of songs like we've not written before and the band itself is great. We all pay attention, we're all into it and we all give it all we can give."

Glenn's latest solo tour starts this week and sees him travelling the length and breadth of the country right up until the end of the November collecting food as he goes. With Squeeze showing no sign of quitting ("I'm meeting with Chris next week to figure out what we're going to do next," he says), the singer-songwriter is adamant a life on the road is all he ever wanted.

"There's not much I don't know about Great Britain and I love most places and getting out and exploring," he adds.

"When I was a kid I lived in this block of flats and at the bottom of the block lived this guy who was in a band called Gerry Shephard who went on to be in the Glitter Band. He was always really nice to me because every time I used to see their van pull up and see them loading all the gear I used to watch and hope they'd say 'we need a ten-year-old guitarist in our band'.

"I've always wanted to do this and I'm lucky I still have a passion for it - I'm so grateful it's how I earn my living."

Glenn Tilbrook plays Chester Live Rooms on Wednesday November 7. For more info and tickets go to www.seetickets.com

A list of items in a typical food parcel are: cereal, soup, pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes/pasta sauce, lentils, beans and pulses, tinned meat, tinned vegetables, tea/coffee, tinned fruit, biscuits, UHT milk and fruit juice. If possible audience members are asked to check with local foodbanks to see what supplies are currently needed.

in some of their finest form, with two critically acclaimed albums in ‘Cradle To The Grave’ and ‘ The Knowlegde’, sold our tours, and multiple festival headline billings up and down the country.

The Trussell Trust and everyone who is volunteering for them are doing such an amazing job. It's bizarre in 2018 in this country that we are in a situation where people cannot afford to put food on the table.

It's just wrong which is about as political as I'll get on that.

I admire hat they're doing - I was relatively poor growing and experienced the stigma attached to having free school meals. I know that sometimes my mum would go without so I could have food so I can empathise from my own experience.

It's really about me thinking 'I'm a musician - what can I do?' - it's small scale but this is something I can do.

I've never been viral before - it was quite amazing that this arc of attention suddenly engulfed me for a few weeks. People would stop me in the street and not people who were Squeeze fans - it hit a nerve with a lot of people and I'm glad I did it because it wasn't planned. When I heard what he was talking about and the lack of understanding and compassion about people who live n sink estates. I grew up on a council estate and I'm very proud to have experienced that community and togetherness which a generation or two before was not available.

I have to be honest and say I haven't always felt like this. Chris was so clever to write a song like Up The Junction which was the distallation of watching different people in people in differrnt situations - it was fictional and yet rngs vry true. It directly referrred to someone falling between the cracks - anyone can do that through a set of circumstances like losing your job or your marriage going wrong. It can push you into a situation which you never anticipated and had no plan for. I#m very proud of that song.

Glenn's latest solo tour

I was sniffy about it but only because we weren't asked to be involved. I felt snubbed! I think we were experiencing the first of many dips in our career around then. Anyone who does anything for any cause - I don't think many popel were involved for the worng reasons.

It;s been amazing. I spent the ten years previous thinking e'd had or moment and t was great and I was happy with that. I was back to playing clubs and I was absolutely fine with and felt lucky to have a career. To get the opportunities we did - we are headlining festivals again and played some amazing shows this summer - we're probably selling more tickets now than we've ever done before - its brilliant.

I think one thing I was very strong this time around that if we made another record it had to be a brilliant recor. I ddnt just want to tread water. We did that with Cradle to the Grave and then we did it agan with The Knowledge and they're two albums I'm really proud of. They're full of songs like what we've no written before and the band tself id great. We all pay attention, we're all into and we all give it all we can give.

For a while we were going through the motions but it quickly turns into something that isn't great.

It worked out well - we'd recorded it and I thought it might worl well for Danny's thing - he was like that 'that's it! That's the title!"

I really enjoy it - it's just getting out there and playing

When I was a kid I lived in this block of flats and there were three blocks side by side. In the bottom of the block was this guy who was in a band called John Sheppard who went on to be in the Glitter Band. He was always really nice to me because every time I used to see their van pull up and see them loading all the gear I used t watch and hop they'd say 'we need a ten-yea-old guitarist in our band'. I've always wanted to do this and I'm lucky I still have a passion for it - I'm so grateful it's how I earn my living.

There's not much I don't know about Great Britian and I love most places and getting out and exploring.

I'm meeting with Chris next week to figure ut what we're going to do next