CHATTING to Super Furry Animals mainman Gruff Rhys you are instantly reminded of why the maverick Welshman’s quirky music has fostered such a cult following.

While it’s not a typical interview, to say the least, Gruff’s easygoing and down-to-earth nature makes you realise why he is such a popular character and has been in high demand as a collaborator with other artists.

With the Furries on hiatus, the Welsh superstar has been busy finding other outlets for his creativity; producing solo albums, working with other artists, creating his own art installation, making films and even curating his own computer game – Whale Trail – released in conjunction with his double A-side single, Space Dust #2/Whale Trail.

As you would imagine the game, which is available from October 20 on the iPhone and iPad, tasks players with piloting a Whale through a psychedelic sky collecting colours and points.

Gruff recently returned to Yorkshire to support the Kaiser Chiefs at their flamboyant Kirkstall Abbey homecoming gig.

“It was a beautiful setting and people gave me a good listen, I was really happy,” he says.

Now he is back on tour with gigs tonight at the Central Methodist Hall in Manchester and at Middlesbrough’s Crypt on Sunday, before rounding off the tour with a trio of gigs down south.

With the tour almost over, Gruff said he had enjoyed doing his solo thing but was looking forward to getting back in the studio.

He said: “It’s been good doing different things and just having a musical adventure.

“This is the last tour for a while though, I’ve been touring for about a year. I’m gonna calm down a bit and try and write some new material.”

Having collaborated with De La Soul for the new Gorillaz album and worked with Danger Mouse and Mogwai, the Cardiff-based musician is starting to build up a reputation.

But Gruff said his new found propensity to help others wasn’t something he had set out to build up.

He said: “Collaborations usually happen by chance. I don’t often seek out people to work with or anything.

“It’s something that happens. I suppose it’s been happening a bit more frequently in recent years. I’ve been helping a few people out with their records recently.

“I got to do a song with the Lovely Eggs in Manchester, that was really good. I helped them do a single that’s coming out in December – they’re amazing lyrics.”

As for the future of the Super Furry Animals; worry not.

Gruff said: “We all live still within a square mile here in Cardiff. We’re all pretty busy for at least a year or two, we’ve all got quite a lot going on.

“We’re on holiday at the moment but it’s inevitable we need to make our 10th album.”