THE idea of speaking to an artist on the phone is usually to help them promote a show or an album.

With modern day troubadour Martin Stephenson, who is returning to Darwen Library Theatre with a solo show next week, all that is just a secondary consideration.

He’s just someone you can chat to knowing that the next 20 minutes are going to be funny, thought-provoking and just hugely enjoyable.

Martin’s history is well known among music lovers. With his band the Daintees in the 1980s he was seen as music’s next boy wonder but just turned his back on fame and money, not feeling comfortable with the politics in the music business.

Since then he has continued to plough his own highly creative furrow both as a solo artist and more recently with the reformed Daintees. The band toured last year marking the 30th anniversary of their debut album Boat to Bolivia.

For Martin, it’s all about the spirit to be found in the music.

“Some musicians, even if they are really good, aren’t that much fun you know,” he said. “Some others are a joy to play with.

“I love sitting with middle aged guys with beards who know three chords. You can play loads of stuff with just three chords and there’s no ego there.

“To me that was the genius of the Daintees but people saw it as being weak. We would never have been a big band in the Eighties because we weren’t carrying the right energy, we weren’t out to make a name for ourselves.

“I’m glad that we were there though because there are a lot of students who have grandkids now and they never forget the love we shared with them.”

Martin cites the case of a young fan in Preston who was too young to get into a Daintees gig.

“I sneaked him in and got him a pint and sat with him until we went on stage and he couldn’t believe it and he fell in love with the band,” he said.

“I never saw him again until three years ago. Andrew who books all my gigs said I’d met a friend of his when he was a kid and it was the same person.

“It turned out he had become a music lawyer and at the time I was trying to get all my music back from the major labels and that same kid I’d bought a pint all those years ago became my lawyer and got me my songs back.

“It just shows you never know what might happen.”

Our conversation veers back and forth from a recent skiffle album Martin has recorded complete with daughter Phoebe on guitar - “she plays a really good guitar, she’s a joy to share music with” - to the fact my accent is very similar to Martin’s neighbour in Scotland, Steve the Beekeeper.

He could have told me all about a new Daintees album due for release later this year or the solo shows he’s performed in people’s living rooms but instead preferred just to have a chat about random things which interested him - and that’s why an evening with Martin is always a show to treasure.

Martin Stephenson, Darwen Library Theatre, Thursday, July 13. Details from 0844 847 1664 or www.darwenlibrarytheatre.com