Jimi Goodwin, plus brothers Jez and Andy Williams, sprung from Manchester’s club scene in the 1990s as ravers Sub Sub before turning their hands to indie.

The multi-talented trio eschewed the traditional songwriting formula for their majestic debut album as Doves, Lost Souls. Three more followed, including two UK number ones, before they took a break after 2009’s Kingdom Of Rust.

Goodwin, whose vocals glued Doves’ singular sound together, is still sick of sameness.

He’s named his solo debut record Odludek after the Polish word for pilgrim or loner, reflecting his quest for new musical avenues. He says his one-off record made in 2011 for a documentary film about the effect of birds on people freed his creativity further.

“Doing The Bird Effect got me writing without any pop structure. I’ve never wanted to be a verse chorus, verse chorus, here’s the middle-eight writer. Those kinds of songs are not exciting to me.

“So, in my way, I’ve f***** up with the formula again. I wanted a cut-and-paste hip hop-esque feel to Odludek. That is what I always love in my own music collection. Whether anyone else hears that I don’t know. But I wanted to bring in all the elements of records I love.”

Closer Panic Tree is a rootsy, upbeat folk number with fairground pianos. Lonely At The Drop’s driving drums and heavy guitar remind of Doves. Live Like A River is a bass-heavy dance groove and Man V Dingo is a hotch-potch of cabaret and ’90s dance, all bounding bottom-end and giddyup drums.

“Before putting a record together you always wonder if the collection of songs are gonna fit,” explains Goodwin.

“But to be honest, compiling with Doves was so f****** democratic.

“Jez and Andy are like my brothers but we took so much time making sure we were happy.

“With this one every time Dan [Austin] and I had a recording session we would bounce them off and listen to them in the car on the way home and know straight away.

“I knew the opener was going to be Terracotta Warrior and Panic Tree was a great way to end. All I had to do then was fill in the sandwich in between.”

Sounds like a Spinal Tap quote, he jokes, speaking from Cheshire. When he stops halfway through a sentence because he’s just spotted a bullfinch, things get really Spinal Tap.

“I’m not a twitcher. I am a bird-watcher in the sense you can’t help looking to the sky to see what’s about. I do go through phases where I will go with friends who are really into it but to me it’s about walking in nature and seeing what you come across.”

Once a year Goodwin and his Mancunian friends – Elbow’s Guy Garvey (a co-writer on three Odludek tracks), DJ Marc Riley and I Am Kloot’s Pete Jobson – head out on a road trip to take in nature. Last year they went whale watching off the west coast of Ireland.

“It’s wonderful to get out with mates, but it’s certainly not strippers and underpants around your ankles on toilets.”

The booze doesn’t flow either, reveals Goodwin, who’s had issues with the drink. He recounts them on confessional Oh Whiskey!

“I’m trying to learn temperance,” he confesses. “One thing about writing this record is I realised I didn’t need stimulants. It used to be a bottle of wine in the vocal booth, but I never bought into the idea of being a crazy opium-eating artist.

“I want to crush that myth, the Winehouse and Doherty idea. Ideas don’t come from being out of it. You can do things on your own.”

  • Jimi Goodwin, East Wing, Brighton Centre, King’s Road, Thursday, May 8, 9.15pm
  • The Great Escape weekend passes SOLD OUT. Limited day tickets and bundle deals for Example, Thursday, May 8, and Wild Beasts, Friday, May 9, available from www.greatescapefestival.com