TORONTO — After dumping his Tea Party bandmates and fleeing to the Irish countryside, Jeff Martin returned to the Canadian music scene this week armed with a solo album and some new friends.

Citing creative differences, Martin parted ways with the rock band last fall after nine albums and 15 years together.

"We were a band of brothers,'' Martin said in an interview at a downtown coffee shop. "After 15 years we just naturally started to drift apart. The three of us wanted different things.''

Martin returned to Toronto for Canadian Music Week to launch his new solo career to industry executives, music journalists and fans.

He formed the Tea Party with bassist Stuart Chatwood and drummer Jeff Burrows in 1990. They were best known for their eastern-influenced rock songs, which included Sister Awake and Heaven Coming Down.

"It wasn't an amiable breakup whatsoever, but time heals all and eventually I look forward to maybe someday us being friends again. As far as a music future is concerned, it's right there,'' he said, pointing to Page & Plant drummer Michael Lee seated across the table.

Lee said he was thrilled to work with Martin, saying they share the same opinions on music, religion and politics.

"This is the new (Led) Zeppelin. I don't mind saying it,'' gushed Lee, an Englishman who's currently based in Dubai.

"I don't have to sell this as the next best thing 'cuz I know it is.''

Martin knew Lee from his Tea Party days when the band opened for Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.

Recorded over eight days last December in Ireland, Exile and the Kingdom has Martin returning to his early days when he was belting out blues-rock at bars in Windsor, Ont.

But the music won't be too startling for Martin loyalists, as his deep tenor is intact, and he's kept the exotic influences using percussionist Ritesh Das of the Toronto Tabla Ensemble.

"With the last two Tea Party records . . . the pressure from the record companies for the band to be more commercial, we started to lose our soul. This record is packed full of soul,'' said the still-brawny Martin, who was set to perform the new material for the first time at a concert Friday night.

"If you're truly a lover of music and not one of these people who listen to music because of fashion, this is the real deal.''

The album will be released April 11 in Canada. It includes The World Is Calling _ essentially an open letter to U.S. President George W. Bush -- and Daystar, a tender love song dedicated to his year-old son Django.

Martin says he was keen to explore the human soul in this album and leave the brooding behind.

"This whole combination of family, friends . . . what it's done for me is reborn me. I got off the drugs. My mind is focused on family, friends, music -- that's it,'' said Martin, now a permanent resident of Ireland.

"As opposed to the Tea Party's music which was really dark and introspective, this record is just packed full of joy and love. You actually hear sunlight.''

But he's eager to add that he hasn't completely softened.

"I haven't lost my edge,'' he said.

Martin plans to tour the new album this summer. He's also starting another project with Lee. He's been asked to write lyrics to about 16 songs that Lee wrote with Jimmy Page a couple of years ago.