Blur’s Dave Rowntree announces new photography book of band’s early days
Blur drummer Dave Rowntree has announced details of his new photography book, No One You Know: Dave Rowntree’s Early Blur Photos, set for release on September 9th, 2025.
The new book, edited by Miranda Sawyer, is set to be published through the independent publisher Hero. Rowntree’s focus on their early years comes after the documentary Blur: To The End, released in 2024, depicted the tale of Blur’s most recent chapter. Additionally, bassist Alex James reflected on the beautiful 12-month period in his book Over the Rainbow: Tales from an Unexpected Year.
The book’s description says it is a “fly-on-the-wall glimpse into the earliest years of Blur from a man who saw it all, heard it all, and lived out every moment of it. The book captures the excitement of a young band in their infancy, becoming a global concern. No pressures, no expectations, just four men having the time of their lives as the road opens out before them, all seen behind the eyes of their drummer, and the lens of his Olympus OM-10.”
These photos, which capture the beginning of Blur’s journey before they captured the hearts of the nation, have never been seen before. Dave Rowntree’s Early Blur Photos also marks his first photography book.
Rowntree explains: “The pictures I took are of a band right at the start of their career. They’re of what we did between the gigs, interviews and photo sessions. They are of us hanging out, relaxing, travelling, eating, and especially in the early days, drinking. They are snapshots of what life in Blur was really like in the first few years when the TV cameras and tape recorders were turned off.
He continues: “Obviously there isn’t much of the band actually working, because then I would have been working too. This is everything else.”
Dave Rowntree’s Early Blur Photos is set for release on September 9th, 2025. He is also set to deliver a signing event at Rough Trade on Denmark Street on September 10th, 2025.
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