Ryan Tedder was away so long his kids didn't recognise him

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OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder says at one point he was working so much his kids didn't recognise him.

The group have recently returned from hiatus with new single 'Rescue Me' and the 39-year-old frontman - who has four-year-old Miles and eight-year-old Copeland with wife Genevieve - admitted one of the biggest reasons for their two-year break was he completely "unravelled" after hitting a wall due to spending so much time on the road away from his family.

Speaking to Wonderland Magazine, he said: "We've taken the last two years off and that was largely due in part to me. After we hit the 10th year and our last album, it basically led to my completely unravelling.

"I think it's a testimony to the guys in the band that they were totally cool and understanding with me pulling the plug on an album and a tour. I hit a wall.

"My kids didn't recognise me at this point. Out of a 10 year period, I think we were physically away for seven years, and we were touring like a bunch of single guys without families. And yet at this point we were all married at this point with kids on the way. "

"Most bands would break up at this point or go their own separate way, but we wanted to stay together and now it's time to get back on the saddle."

Ryan took just a few minutes to pen 'Rescue Me' and he thinks that was proof the band - which also includes Zach Filkins, Drew Brown, Brent Kutzle, and Eddie Fisher - needed to record and release the track.

He said: "Very excited, we haven't dropped a new song in a long time...I started writing and I started writing the lyrics and it was all less than 5 minutes. It came out in one fail swoop. And that's kind of the universe telling you that this song needs to exist."