When Gavin Rossdale's band Bush finally called it a day years ago, the singer was at a crossroads of sorts.

The musician, perhaps better known these days as the husband to No Doubt and solo pop star Gwen Stefani, opted to start another band called Institute after Bush disbanded.

But Rossdale doesn't have fond memories of that particular experience.

"It's a shame because there were so many songs on that band's record," Rossdale says from a promotional stop in Toronto. "That's the closest I've been to a prostitute."

Fortunately, Rossdale has put that group behind him and is back with a new solo album WANDERlust.

The album came out last month but was ready roughly eight months ago.

"There's always such a delay and it's a slow process moving the machine," he says.

"That's just the turnaround, the monolithic way of record labels. I kind of have a stupid faith in them."

A BAND PERSON

Rossdale, 42, says he found it difficult becoming a solo act after being in Bush for so long.

"I don't really like it when people go solo," he says. "I'm a natural band person. (Guitarist) Thurston Moore out of Sonic Youth is weird. And yet I was forced to do it. If you want to keep making music and you feel an affinity for singing, writing and playing, you have to do what you do."

The album, produced by Bob Rock, includes songs such as Forever May You Run as well as Can't Stop the World, the latter featuring Stefani.

"She helped me write that song," Rossdale says. "I hear what she does but I like keeping stuff away (from her) and just throwing it on in the car and saying, 'What?' So this one came up and she wanted to sing on it. And any husband knows you don't step in the way of your wife. I wasn't going to do that."

Rossdale also wasn't going to wait around before hitting the road in support of his new album.

While he's already played a few European festivals, he says the connection with longtime fans has been rewarding.

"I've met many people who are not psychotic, that's too strong, but they have such a sense of relief that I'm playing again and what it means to them," he says. "And it's so beautiful.

"It takes a lot to figure out what to do after a big band. People don't prepare you for that ascendency but they also don't prepare you for that descent. At least with the ascendency you've got fake friends. But on the way down it's like, 'Wow!'"

And while Rossdale will spend part of the year on tour, he's also making a Canadian television appearance tonight as part of the Canadian Idol competition.

Rossdale says that much like Queen's Roger Taylor and Brian May last year, he was a bit hesitant about accepting the offer to help the remaining contestants.

"It's a bit of a weird one but I just thought that it was something that would be disgruntling about turning it down, something about being stuck in the past," he says. "I think they're all innocent, they're all musicians and they just want to sing well. That was refreshing because I was a bit concerned they'd be more worried about the consequences of selling records like celebrity and fame."