While most international music legends choose to swan around in massive cribs on the California coast, this particular erudite elder statesman of rock is happy with a modest home in Lyme Regis – complete with a potting shed, dried flowers in the kitchen and mugs with cats on.

Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan – co-writer of anthemic hit Smoke On The Water and seller of more than one hundred million records – has called Dorset his home for the past 18 years and fully intends to stay.

“There is something very magical about this place,” he says.

“There are farmers, fishermen, artists, shopkeepers... people from all walks of life. And everyone seems comfortable here.

“I’m always here for Christmas and it’s somewhere I love to come back to between touring.”

The 67-year-old has a lot to talk about. He’s just about to go on a world tour (with a smattering of UK dates in October), as well as promoting Deep Purple’s first studio album in seven years.

Such a hiatus led to the album’s name: Now What?!

“It’s from the idea of being a bit grumpy,” says Ian.

“After seven years of blissful touring we were prodded and pushed from all directions to record something new.

“The phone would ring and it would be ‘NOW what??’ And then sitting in the pub one day we said ‘we really must’.

Whispers are that it’s Deep Purple’s best work in 30 years.

“We have had some very positive, very lovely reactions to Now What?! It is different, there is a freshness to it,” says Gillan.

“Everyone gets trapped with the same clothes or haircut.

“Even if you’re not the same person people will perceive you as if you haven’t changed. We had to shake things up again.”

Produced by rock heavyweight Bob Ezrin, the album has no musical rules.

“We play as we feel,” he says.

All the songs are inspired by everyday events.

“There’s one about rip-off bankers and Roger (Glover) thought it was about his ex-wife.”

The track Vincent Price is an homage to the horror film legend.

“We always keep politics and religion out of our themes because as a band we are politically and theologically opposite.”

When I suggest that Out of Hand has a Bond theme-esque quality, Gillan’s voice raises a pitch in excitement. “Ooh, a Bond theme. Now there’s a thought. Would you have a word?

“But yes, I can understand why you say that. We have put in lots of key changes and drama.

“First and foremost we have always been an instrumental band... but with a singer.

“We put the music first and not the song.”

Despite the fresh twists, fans won’t be spared the Deep Purple integrity found in such classic albums as In Rock and Machine Head.

“We had to think about what we used to do. Our old albums had tracks six or seven minutes long.

“The producer said don’t be limited by time. Don’t limit yourselves to three minutes just to get played on the radio.

“But then we’ve never tried to please everyone. We were hopeless at trying to be commercial.”

Gillan describes Deep Purple’s current incarnation of Don Airey, Roger Glover, Ian Paice and Steve Morse as being “in great shape at the moment. We’re hot right now.”

While keyboardist Jon Lord had retired from the band 10 years earlier, his death after suffering a bout of pancreatic cancer last year was poignant.

“We always stayed in touch and he was a wonderful dinner guest,” says Ian.

“We were saddened by his death but we were kind of expecting it.

“After the news came, we had a quiet hour. Then one by one the anecdotes started coming and all the humour and suddenly, whoosh, his spirit invaded the room.”

Gillan penned the words ‘souls having touched are forever entwined’ in the new track Above And Beyond as a homage to his former band member.

“And the sound in it... all the big chords... are reminiscent of Jon’s work.”

The singer is never far from pen and paper and he has been working on a book called Wessex for the past 14 years. It involves four counties in the south west of England and their declaration of independence from Westminster and Brussels. New systems are in place. Police, traffic lines and traffic lights are all gone.

Spies and special forces are trying to invade the country, and certain landmarks in the south are secret headquarters.

“Writing a book is so much more than I imagined. It’s a full-on project with sub-plots and twists.

“I wish I’d never mentioned it!”

Yet there’s no escaping that the Wessex area, in particular West Dorset, means a great deal to this legend of the rock world.

“This place has given me a lot. A lot.

“People call it the base chakra of England.

“My meditation is walking the coast every day.

“After the tour I’m looking forward to being back home and having some real ale.

“Ultimately, I want to end my days here.”

  • Deep Purple’s new album Now What?! is available now