Peter Coyle admits that looking back at his early success has been a cathartic experience.
Next weekend he comes to Barnoldswick Music and Arts Centre to play the debut album of his band The Lotus Eaters, No Sense of Sin, in its entirety - 40 years after it was first released.
“It’s a fascinating process,” said Peter, “you’re basically looking at your younger self. I’ve not really played a lot of those song in the past 40 years but I think there is a lot of beauty in that album although it is of its time.
“It’s going to be lovely to do a more mature version of it now.”
Peter will be accompanied by a guitarist and keyboard player for the show.
“That will allow us the chance to give the songs some layers but I don’t want to fill up the whole space, you want the melody to come through.”
The Lotus Eaters were always a little bit different to other bands from the era.
“I think I was a deeply idealist idiot 40 years ago,” Peter laughed. “I liked the naivety of things - to be honest I still do.
“I remember two female journalists from Melody Maker were horrified that I would find the beauty in things and look at the world the way I did. The article they did had this massive headline ‘Wimp’.
“They told me ‘you won’t think like that when you’re 50’. I’d love to have a glass of wine with them now and tell them I'm nearly 62 and I still feel exactly the same way. I’m still following my own path thank you very much.”
The show has an added poignancy for Peter as much of the album was inspired by his girlfriend at the time who dies last year.
The Lotus Eaters will forever be remember for the single The First Picture of You, their debut single which became a hit before the band had ever played it live.
“I think that’s right,” said Peter. “We recorded it for a John Peel session and then we got a record company deal and it was released. We went on tour with Big Country and by that time the song was already in the charts. The fans knew the words better than I did.”
The First Picture of You is a classic Eighties’ single which still resonates today, but does Peter ever tire of it?
“Oh no, never,” he said. “Obviously I wrote it but that record now belongs to the people. When couples come up to me - and I can’t tell you how many do - and say that was the song that brought them together it is absolutely humbling. I still feel so grateful to be able to sing it and remind them of the connection they have to it.”
Given their initial success The Lotus Eaters faded away pretty quickly with the band splitting in 1985. Peter went on to write and record as a solo artist. He also became involved in organising dance nights in the early 90s and spending time on his various art projects.
But given the great start to his career does he regret that major success did not follow?
“I was just a young lad back then,” he said. “Looking at it now I can see the books I’d been reading in some of the songs. But I thank the universe every day that real success - whatever that is - didn’t happen.
“I was too young to have dealt with all that. We were always outliers and I’d never give the idea of being a personality the time of day.”
Never one to play the fame game, Peter remains as dedicated as ever to his music.
“Making music is just an inner necessity,” he said. “I just have to do it. When people talk about music being a means to an end that just makes me sick.
“I’m lucky. I’m coming to the end of my curve I suppose but I’ve done more or less all the things I want to do creatively.
“Let’s be honest, if I wanted to make cash I’d have got a proper job. But even now, every day I get up and want to create music.
“I genuinely believe that it does still have the power to change the world. If that’s seen as being a wimp, then I’m glad it is.”
Peter Coyle, Barnoldswick Music and Arts Centre, Saturday, February 3, Details from www.barnoldswickmusicandartscentre.com
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