IT’S been 26 years, but there isn’t a day that goes by that Johnny Marr isn’t asked about whether The Smiths will reform.

It’s safe to say he’s not hugely forward when it comes to discussing the subject.

I’d inadvertently had prior experience of this a decade earlier when interviewing Peter Buck from REM. This will take some explaining, so please bear with me.

During my transatlantic phone interview with the American musician, talk turned to The Smiths and by pure coincidence Salford-born Johnny happened to be passing and was thrust on the phone to me.

I was now unexpectedly speaking to one of the most iconic indie guitarists and songwriters of a generation. Sensing a scoop and giddy with excitement, I embarked down the well-trodden path of enquiry as to whether The Smiths would be making a return.

How soon is now I asked and Johnny politely humoured me for five minutes before handing me back to Peter Buck. What a charming man I thought for the next 10 years.

Interviewing Johnny Marr last month I got a very different version of events.

“I remember that. You don’t think it’s everyday that I’m hanging out with a member of REM and he puts me on the phone to a journalist. We were in Portland, Oregon, and I was walking down the street and bumped into him and he said to me check this out. At the time I wasn’t too pleased, as I couldn’t even see a friend without talking to him about The Smiths,” says Johnny.

Speaking to him again is a real pleasure as Johnny is genuinely upbeat, interesting and with his feet firmly on the ground. After years playing in some of the world’s most important bands, Johnny has blossomed as a solo artist.

His first true solo album, The Messenger came out last year with the follow up Playland released last month.

After a long period of working with other people – The The, Electronic, Modest Mouse and The Cribs – Marr’s now entering a new, assured phase of life, and with it comes a sense of urgency that’s rare for someone at his stage in a career.

Johnny brings his new tour to the O2 Academy Bournemouth on Monday night, something that is much to his delight.

“Playing every day is something that I like. The prospect of going on another UK tour is exciting. I’m into performing more than ever. I have a love and respect for it that I perhaps didn’t always have.

“A lot of my time was taken up obsessing over records in the studio. Touring used to be more of the domain of the frontman, so perhaps that’s why I like it so much because I’m fronting it,” added Johnny, 50.

Playland, his second solo album very much sounds like a man hitting his stride. There’s no massive change in direction from its predecessor, but the ideas are better executed, the songs sharper and more emphasis on capturing the live energy of his shows.

“The audience know what I’m about and they know that I like them. The shows have started to turn into a marathon love-fest with some flash guitar playing and new and old songs thrown in.

“I’m happy to see everyone’s faces at the end of the show. If they’re not looking worn out, then I don’t feel like I’ve done my job properly.”

Playland itself is a play on the English translation of Dutch cultural theorist Johan Huizinga’s 1938 book Homo Ludens – man the player, or playing man. No one could accuse Marr of just trotting these songs out; he’s an avid reader and pored over every lyric.

According to Johnny, money and geography are an ever-present theme on Playland.

“I like being in towns and cities, I grew up in the city. I felt like I’m part of society while making this record and not locking myself away in a womb like atmosphere like The Smiths like to do now and again.”

Johnny added: “I wanted to make assumptions about why we chase the things we do and the results of that. The tensions and stresses of affording the latest mobile phone are the reasons we need escape in the first place. I heard someone say that the new iWatch was sexy the other day, I then wondered about what that person’s life must be like.”

Of course, while a member of The Smiths, he never had to worry about being the frontman – that was taken care of by the endlessly watchable and flamboyant Morrissey. Again, in Electronic, the duo he formed with New Order’s Bernard Sumner, singing duties were covered.

“In particular, the melodies on Playland go for it a bit more than they did, which comes with playing live for 18 months as we have done.

“I don’t know if I am a better singer, but I am interested in the melodies getting a bit more out there, and it’s really great fronting a high-energy band. That’s where I see this going in the future.”

Talking of the future, he’s confident he’ll keep up the work rate, with almost constant touring interspersed with writing and recording sessions, until he’s ready to do it all over again, with perhaps some soundtrack work – he worked with Hans Zimmer on the scores for Inception and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – thrown in for good measure.

“I’ve come this far,” says Marr. “I imagine now I’ll just carry on doing what I’m doing.”

• Johnny Marr plays the O2 Academy Bournemouth on Monday night.