HIS STORY Andy Burrows, 35, musician

I first met Tom at Glastonbury 2005 when Razorlight headlined the Other Stage and Editors were also playing. I’d been a close friend of his girlfriend, Edith Bowman, for a couple of years, and she introduced us. He was unfazed by the world that he found himself in as a new pop star, and I loved that. A lot of people are very nice to you when you’re part of something that everybody knows about. He was one of the few people I met at the start of his career who was just very genuine.

In those early days of our respective bands we were all living around Camden. Tom and I spent a lot of time in the pub talking about the most mundane stuff but also about how surreal it was doing what we were doing – going from very empty venues to gigs suddenly being packed and you’re on the radio. It was one of those friendships where it felt like we were old school chums.

We had kids at the same time and there was something incredible about having a best mate about to become a dad, too. Editors were playing before Razorlight one night and I remember watching Tom on stage and getting emotional about it. There was a lot of frightened chuckling going on together when it got close to fatherdom. It was actually quite calm when it happened. We were able to continue hanging out in the same way and also with our kids. Our families get on and we’ve been on holidays together.

He’s a very grounded human being which is refreshing with rock stars. He’s a lot calmer than I am. Even though he’s younger than me, he’s been very older-brotherly. I always suspect that Tom just thinks I’m a complete total nervous loon that he humours. I think he’s one of the dearest friends I’ve ever had.

HIS STORY Tom Smith, 33, musician

The first time we met, Razorlight had just done one of the biggest gigs of their career but Andy seemed more interested in how my gig had gone. I’d recently moved to London and all my friends were my girlfriend’s mates so it was nice to meet somebody male to have a beer with.

Andy’s got a positivity and a welcomeness in the way he is with people that I don’t seem to have. Anybody can meet him and he will give them time.

We often have a moan/laugh over a pint about the backstage things that people don’t see, and other musicians and people that we meet. I can’t have those conversations with other mates who don’t do what we do. I spend so much time with my band and we are all very close but having another friend outside that circle is important. When I’m not on tour a lot of friends that we hang out with now are other parents from school, and Andy’s not that either.

He often tells me he found my calmness towards becoming a dad helped him. Andy, bless him, is emotionally less secure than I am and that’s part of his charm. He helped me out, too. Before my first son was born, I did a gig supporting Razorlight. They were flying back to London on their own plane after the show. We were doing the long drive back with the baby arriving imminently. Thanks to Andy I got a lift back on their plane.

Over the last few years we’ve been making music together. When you work with a friend there’s a worry it won’t work out and it could affect your friendship. But it’s brought us closer than ever.

Andy Burrows’s album Fall Together Again is out now. The new single See A Girl is released on 24 November