Dave Rowntree is set to publish his first photography book this September, offering a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse into Blur’s early days.
No One You Know: Dave Rowntree’s Early Blur Photos will be released on 9th September 2025 through independent publisher Hero, with editing by Miranda Sawyer.
The 200+ page hardback collects candid shots taken on Rowntree’s Olympus OM-10, capturing the moments between the milestones – hotel rooms, tour vans, downtime between gigs.
“They are of us hanging out, relaxing, travelling, eating, and especially in the early days, drinking,” Rowntree writes. “They are snapshots of what life in Blur was really like… when the TV cameras and tape recorders were turned off.”
The photos span the band’s formative years, before fam fully took hold, and paint a picture of a group still figuring things out but clearly on the verge of something big. “Obviously there isn’t much of the band actually working, because then I would have been working too,” Rowntree adds.
The book will be available in a standard and artist’s edition (which includes postcard prints). You can pre-order it now here. Rowntree is set to appear at Rough Trade Denmark Street on 10th September for a signing event.
Alongside his work as Blur’s drummer, Rowntree has had a varied career in animation, politics, law and soundtrack composition. His solo debut Radio Songs was released in 2023 on Cooking Vinyl.
Editors’ Picks
- Blur
- Blur Photography
- Britpop
- Dave Rowntree
- Early Blur Photos
- Hero Books
- Miranda Sawyer
- No One You Know
- Radio Songs
- Rough Trade
