HE MAY have been writing songs for the best part of 35 years, but Glenn Tilbrook doesn't believe his standard is lowering.

In fact, he says Pandemonium Ensues, the latest offering from his Glenn Tilbrook & The Fluffers, is the best thing he's ever done.

"It's crammed full of really short, brilliant songs, played amazingly. It is, honestly. I can't fault it!" he adds, with a look that implies he's not exaggerating for comic effect.

"We got a really posh bloke in to mix it as well," says the Squeeze founder. "Bob Clearmountain finished the album off, and he's worked with anyone who's anyone, including The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Rufus Wainwright, Roxy Music and Bruce Springsteen.

"As you may be aware, it's been some time since I troubled the charts, but the fact I can get people like Bob to work with me is a testament to the fact that they love what I do, and that not everything revolves around money.

"There are some still some good people out there."

Songwriting has been a major priority throughout his career, from forming Squeeze in south-east London with old friends Jools Holland and Chris Difford in 1974, through to his solo work and numerous recordings with other artists.

His biggest successes have been with the likes of Cool For Cats, Up The Junction, Pulling Mussels From A Shell, Is That Love, Black Coffee In Bed and Labelled With Love.

Johnny Depp is a fan and appears on the latest Fluffers album. They first met at a gig.

"That was a bit weird," says Glenn. "I'd never met him before, but he said he's a big fan and has been for a long while, so he and Vanessa Paradis came out to see me. They're amazingly big stars and very nice, ordinary, lovely people.

"I can't imagine being someone like Johnny; he's uber-famous, and also someone whose work I've admired for a long time, so to find out he feels the same way about my stuff is very nice.

"He's a very good guitarist, but he doesn't play on the album, he narrates the final track, Too Close To The Sun.

"I did suggest that he and Vanessa might like to sing on the record together, but I had this instrumental song that needed narration, so he did that and I did the duet with Vanessa on another song called Interest & Love.

"Her voice is amazing. The tone of it is just incredible, she sounds like she's been speeded up. It's a lovely quality."

He has been with The Fluffers for the past four years, but still performs as a solo artist and is relaxed about the idea of having to go it alone. "One of the things I've learned is to never impose anything on anyone. I was devastated when Jools first left Squeeze in 1980. I didn't understand how anyone would ever want to leave, or understand that he might want to write his own stuff, but I learned you can't make people do things."

For now though, he's completely focused on his forthcoming tour.

"I'm looking forward to it so much," he says, adding that, apart from his guitars, there's only one thing he'll be taking with him on the road...

"The Good Pub Guide! When I'm touring, and in my normal life as well, I try to make no plans, but I do like to make sure I have a good lunch every day, usually from somewhere in the guide, en route to the next venue. It's a strategy the band especially love when they're with me.

"I must've eaten at most of the Good Pub Guide's County Dining Pub Of The Year winners over the years. I can't recommend a pub, just get the book, it's so reliable."

Glenn may enjoy the snug comfort of an old-fashioned watering hole, but when it comes to recording, he's keen to extol the virtues of the latest technology.

"I've embraced the digital age completely," he admits. "I like the sound of analogue tape, it's undeniably better than digital, but it's too expensive and difficult to work with.

"Digital does me fine. Another thing is how easily you can move recordings around. We were up at Bob Clearmountain's place finishing the album, right by the sea in Los Angeles, and I'd forgotten to bring some tracks, but was able to ask Chris, the guy who works at my studio back in England, to e-mail them over, and there they were. What's not to love about that?

"If that'd been tape, you'd have had to get a courier and send it over where it might have been lost, and if it didn't, it would take three days to get there."

Once his solo tour is over Glenn's attention could turn to a new Squeeze album. Three members of the band – Glenn, along with fellow founder Chris Difford and bassist John Bentley, who joined in 1980 – reunited in 2007 for a series of live shows last year.

Initially, Glenn didn't want to record any new material.

"It's absolutely pointless making it unless we make something better than anything we've ever done – and that's what I'm aiming for."