It's the words that every music fan dreads… a favourite band announcing an “indefinite hiatus”. An all-out split can be mourned, but a hiatus – the possibility that new material might, or might not, see the light of day in years to come – can be a hard pill to swallow.

So it was, after announcing their hiatus online and playing a final gig at the Pavilion Theatre in 2007, Brighton-based band Electrelane bid farewell. Lovers of literate indie music tinged with kraut-pop were left sobbing into their Nietzsche.

Guitarist Mia Clarke and drummer Emma Gaze moved to Chicago and LA respectively, whilst singer Verity Susman and bassist Ros Murray headed to university.

“The thing was, we’d been doing the band since 1998, and we just felt tired,” laughs Clarke.

“We were doing very long tours and we spent so much time and energy on the band that other areas of our lives were neglected. We weren’t getting pleasure out of touring, so it seemed like a natural time to end.”

It seemed the band – whose four critically acclaimed albums Rock It To The Moon, The Power Out, Axes and No Shouts, No Calls had led to support slots alongside Arcade Fire and an almost permanent globe-trekking tour – really were calling it a day.

Until, that is, rumours and hints on Twitter culminated in a message appearing on the band’s dormant website in February, announcing they were back for a series of gigs and festivals across the summer.

“We were always emailing each other regularly, but somebody at some point said ‘What do you think about the idea of doing something again?’ I think we just missed playing Electrelane music and each other,” Clarke says.

“The main issue was that we’re all spread out around the world. We hadn’t all been in the same room since our last show, so meeting them all again was exciting and bizarre.

“Luckily we got straight back into the old ways. We’re even rehearsing in the same building in Brighton that we used to rehearse in.”

However, Clarke – who currently splits her time between writing a weekly music column for Time Out and studying – admits being nervous ahead of meeting up with the girls.

“I was trying to brush up on all the songs at home in front of my stereo, just playing guitar, but it’s not the same as being in the room with everybody. I think we were all pleasantly surprised that once we started playing together the old energy came back and muscle memory kicks in really quickly,” she laughs.

“Luckily, I have played shows with another band, but I really want the reunion to live up to other people’s expectations.”

Her other band – a side-project Clarke describes as allowing her to keep a toe in the music scene – is Follows, an experimental outfit of genteel beats and gospel melodies that sees Clarke take centre stage as guitarist and singer.

She’s also busy writing. Having co-edited The Art Of Touring; a collection of photographs, art and musings about life on the road from more than 50 artists including Devendra Banhart and Explosions In The Sky, Clarke intends to spend some of these dates editing her debut novel. For now, however, it’s all about Electrelane.

“The main thing for us is to play with each other again. Go on this tour and see how we feel. We’ve had light-hearted discussions about whether or not we’d like to make another album – everyone seems pretty enthusiastic – but it’s more about how than when,” she says.

And although the band are currently spread across the world, Brighton, it seems, will always remain special.

“Brighton is home, for sure. I was thinking about that last show – if anyone had said in four years we’d be back, playing around the corner, I wouldn’t have believed it,” she laughs.

“It’s so crazy that we’re going to be doing this big tour, and then I arrive back in Chicago the day before my semester starts, so I’ll be in a classroom again with all the 18-year-olds. It’s like a different life.”

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