GLASWEGIAN brothers Pat and Greg Kane have been creating their indie-jazz for more or less 30 years now.

“The first thing Greg and I do when we check into hotels nowadays is say to the receptionist, ‘Can you make sure that our rooms are as far away from each other as possible,” jokes Hue and Cry’s frontman Pat.

“We spend an awful lot of time together, and he says I listen to the TV really loud.

“I also do my vocal warm-ups early in the morning, so we do need a bit of space.”

A third brother, Gary John, is the touring bassist for The Proclaimers.

“He sometimes comes along with us, but three brothers on the road can get a bit much sometimes,” adds Pat. “After all this time, though, we still get along very well indeed and we all know how lucky we are to have brothers who share the same passion for music.”

Pat chats away on a crackly telephone line about the 1980s pop soul phenomenon of Hue And Cry, who landed smashes with singles Labour of Love, Violently and Looking for Linda.

“They were unbelievable times, and it all seemed to happen so fast for us.

“We sold about a million records between 1987 and 1992, and maybe another 50 to 100,000 after that, so there are a lot of fans to get back to still out there, who are interested in seeing the band. But because we are an independent outfit, we don’t have a record company to back us up now.

“Times have changed — but our hunger remains.”

The Scottish siblings will stop off in the county next month to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their platinum selling albums Remote and Bitter Suite, both to be performed acoustically.

“Acoustic, stripped-back gigs are very emotional,” added Pat. “All you’ve got to rely on is singing the song and telling the story.

“The shows take the form of an acoustic gig with Greg playing guitar and piano and me singing. And there will be a bit of digital stuff also.

“If you do it right, it can mean standing ovations at the end of the night, and that’s always lovely.”

For a group with a bulging back catalogue, the audience, says Pat, can expect a melting pot of the past, the present and a few surprises.

“We’re not one of these groups that says the past is rubbish and the present is best,” added Pat.

“We have a very active relationship with the fans through social media and other channels.

“We asked them where should we play? Where is a venue you know that is nice, and where you can see us up close and can get to talk to us at the end of the gig?

“It’s funny, our hit singles and songs from the eighties have become classics again through the fans liking them online, and also we do a smattering of covers.

“We’ve heard comments like ‘I’ve not seen you play for 25 years, but everything I wanted to hear you play, you played.’ So I think we’re doing OK.”

  • Hue and Cry, Oswaldtwistle Civic Arts Centre, September 14. Box office: 01254 398319