Rob Thomas struggled with his ego while reunited with Matchbox Twenty

Singer ROB THOMAS struggled to reunite with his bandmates in MATCHBOX TWENTY after launching a successful solo career - because sharing the spotlight felt like a "demotion".

The Push hitmakers went on hiatus in 2008 after wrapping a massive world tour, giving the frontman time to achieve greatness on his own.

However, when the group recently decided to get back in the studio to record its latest release North, Thomas admits he had a hard time bottling his ego in order to share the songwriting duties with his pals.

He tells the New York Post, "I have to admit that after all these years of success as a songwriter, going into this album and writing songs with the rest of the band felt like a demotion. If I hadn't done my solo albums and had the opportunity to write for other people, I'm not sure I would have accepted the situation."

But Thomas is glad he gave drummer Paul Doucette and bassist Brian Yale a chance to prove themselves because their new single, She's So Mean, has already proved to be a big hit.

He adds, "I think Paul and Brian definitely stepped up their game this time around... I don't want to sound like an a** when I say this but now I feel like we can write songs (as a band) that are on par with the songs that I have written in the past."