Take That's Mark Owen on music, motivation and avoiding the nostalgia circuit

Singer talks to The National about band's longevity ahead of their Abu Dhabi show

Take That trio Howard Donald, Gary Barlow and Mark Owen will be performing at Etihad Arena on Friday as This Life on Tour comes to Abu Dhabi. EPA

Take That are still driven more by craft than commerce, according to Mark Owen.

Painstaking preparation goes into each tour and album. The dedication of each band member, says Owen, is what has kept them relevant for more than three decades.

Ironically, this realisation was reached during their nine-year hiatus, which ended in 2005. The group initially disbanded due to creative differences and fatigue. Looking back, Owen believes they eventually understood that the only way forward was to rediscover how to be a band again.

It meant Gary Barlow – responsible for writing Take That’s biggest hits, Back for Good and Never Forget among others – sharing duties with fellow members Owen and Howard Donald. Former bandmate Robbie Williams, who first left the group in 1995, rejoined in 2010 but has not appeared in any album or concert since. Jason Orange departed in 2014.

“It was important that we wrote together, so everyone had a voice and could express themselves,” Owen tells The National ahead of the band's performance at Abu Dhabi's Etihad Park on Friday. “Since then, the music has always led the way for us. The songs tell us where to go and we follow that journey. We don’t really plan where we’re going. We go into the studio and see what forms.

“That’s why we are still forging our own path and not ending up in the nostalgia circuit. It is our dedication to songwriting. We serve the song, rather than trying to find a song that fits a particular style from a previous era.”

The approach is evident in Take That's latest album, This Life, released last year. It is a late-career gem defined by some unexpected twists. Jettisoning the peppy, synth-fuelled dance pop of previous albums III and Wonderland, the new collection has the kind of earthy and rustic songwriting that echoes Americana music from the 1970s.

Owen says it’s down to the band recording most of the album in the historic RCA Studio A in Nashville, which has hosted artists from Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn to the Beach Boys.

“Many of the songs we recorded there were done all on analogue,” he recalls. “There was a lot of air, a lot of space for things to saturate and become part of the atmosphere. The whole experience was wonderful for us as a band. The songs feel very airy. The guitars breathe and it sounds like we’re just having a good time. The vibe of the studio influenced that and allowed everything to sound natural and let each vocal take its course.”

This is apparent in The Champion, where Owen delivers a rare lead vocal. Carried by gentle piano and rootsy guitar, it speaks of a former athlete trying to find new meaning in their life.

“The lyrics came to me because I did have time to reflect on life,” Owen says. “We hadn't been in the studio together for five years before making the album, so a lot of things happened in our lives over that time. Now that we are in our fifties, we have been able to tap into that bit of reflection. Allowing each other the space to express and communicate these feelings, without any pressure on how the song should sound or how long it is, was really nice.”

Since becoming an arena act early in their career, Take That have been renowned for their meticulous live shows. From the aerial performances and suspended 60-foot mechanical elephant of the 2009 Circus Tour to the giant robot named Om standing over the stage during the 2011 futuristic Progress Tour, each full-scale production was anchored by a solid concept.

Their latest This Life on Tour production leans into the nostalgia of the current album, drawing inspiration from the golden age of cinema and early Hollywood glamour.

“We wanted to make it feel a little otherworldly,” Owen explains. “We were looking at some of the old classic movies, like the 1950s films. We were referencing some of the old Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire movies, looking back on early cinema and how they performed. We were definitely referencing some of those old classics.

“The shows have always been a big part of what we do. Now, it is for us as a band and the audience. It keeps it interesting because every tour comes with new challenges. Initially, it was probably more for the audience, but now it’s also for us as individuals.”

The Abu Dhabi show this week should also reaffirm to the band why they will continue for some time yet. “When we were young, we were massively inspired by people like Madonna and Prince. Each tour they did came with a headline and told a story,” says Owen. “We learnt from that early on that this is the kind of band we want to be and we look forward to playing to our fans all over the world and telling our own story.”

Take That perform at Etihad Park, Abu Dhabi, on Friday. Doors open 6pm; tickets from Dh299