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Pete Townshend is touring again, and the Who are back in North America for a 17-date run that wrapped up in New Orleans last week. This time around, the iconic guitarist said life on the road can be a lonely existence at his age. “I feel grateful,” he added of playing to audiences one last time, but admitted he was already taking stock of what comes next for him and Roger Daltrey.

“It can be lonely. I’ve thought, ‘Well, this is my job, I’m happy to have the work, but I prefer to be doing something else,’” Townshend said, in an interview with Mojo. “Then I think, ‘Well, I’m 80 years old. Why shouldn’t I revel in it? Why shouldn’t I celebrate?”

The musician’s comments reflect a newfound appreciation for touring in the twilight of his years, tempered by what feels like an inescapable exhaustion. Townshend now views The Who from a different perspective, decades after he and Daltrey stormed onto the British rock scene. “It’s a brand rather than a band,” he said. “Roger and I have a duty to the music, the history, the Who family, which is sold in huge numbers, huge brands. The Who [still] sells records. The Moon and Entwistle families have become millionaires. There’s also something more. The art, the creative work, is when we perform it. We’re celebrating. We’re a Who tribute band.”

The musician’s comments about the late Who drummer Keith Moon and his longtime bandmate, John Entwistle, who died in 2002, have proven to be prescient. Townshend has maintained that the physical rigors of stage work have led to philosophical questions about his and Daltrey’s personal lives. “It does whet an appetite to think about how we should bow out in our personal lives — what we do with our families and our friends and everything else at this age,” he continued. “We’re lucky to be alive. I’m looking forward to playing. Roger likes to throw wild cards out sometimes in the set, and we have learned and rehearsed a few songs that we don’t always play.”

The posthumous success of the Who’s music and career longevity have been a relief, but also a stark reminder of the toll taken over 50 years on stage. The concert appearances have also lent a new appreciation for rarely played songs. Even in their 80s, the excitement of live performance has not dulled for Townshend, who said learning unreleased material and staging experimental setlists have renewed the energy of concerts.

Roger Daltrey Opens Up About Health and Touring Plans With The Who

As with Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey’s assessment of the situation has been both more rewarding and emotionally charged. At the beginning of the year, during the Teenage Cancer Trust charity event in London with the Who, he gave his fans a sobering update on his health. “Fortunately, I still have my voice, because then I’ll have a full Tommy,” he said during a pause before launching into “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” “I’ll be deaf, dumb, and blind as well. That’s the plan,” he said, to wild cheers.

Referencing the story of the title character from The Who’s 1969 rock opera, Daltrey was reciting the popular line. But he added that at the time, it also felt like a final statement to their fans who had followed their music over the decades. “This is certainly the last time you will see us on tour,” Daltrey said in an interview this month with The Times. “It’s grueling.”

Daltrey also opened up about what life will be like after the tour. Looking back at the band’s golden years, the singer reflected on how the years of performing The Who’s songs, sometimes multiple times per week, have proven difficult on his body, particularly when compared to other performers. “In the days when I was singing Who songs for three hours a night, six nights a week, I was working harder than most footballers,” Daltrey said. “It’s been a great life, but it takes a toll.”

The singer said he’s not sure if they will return for one-off concerts. “As to whether we’ll play [one-off] concerts again, I don’t know. The Who to me is very perplexing,” Daltrey admitted. He noted the idea of the band mirrored their position as an institution, a celebration of nostalgia and, for some, a band with continued relevance.

But the singer was sure about one thing. “My voice is still as good as ever,” Daltrey said. For those worried whether Daltrey still had the energy and power to deliver on stage, this was as reassuring a statement as one could hope for.