Tim Hughes looks forward to a long-awaited visit by Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen as the band play Oxford ahead of on an epic US tour

One of rock’s great mavericks, Ian McCulloch is also one of its greatest survivors. Hugely respected by fans and musicians alike, the frontman of Echo and the Bunnymen is responsible for some of the most enduring indie tunes ever made; records which have influenced generations of bands.

But McCulloch is no artefact; no dinosaur living off past glories. He remains a creative tour de force; a power to be reckoned with. So the fact, that more than four decades after his ground-breaking debut Crocodiles, they are still turning out finely-crafted albums  with one in the pipeline.

And to prove they have still 'got it' they are on the road - with a show at the O2 Academy Oxford on Wednesday, August 31 - followed by a massive six-week tour of America.

The new album follows 2014's Meteorites; the new songs revealing a musician who has never lost his edge, striving to create something vital and exciting.

“These songs sound bold and fresh — and even modern, whatever that means!” he says.

The new album will be the band’s 13th, and finds the Cutter and Killing Moon singer, and Bunnymen guitarist Will Sergeant, back on top of their game, and brimming with verve, originality and lyrical honesty.

The record finds Ian in a happy place after what he admits was a period of artistic despondency. “I wasn’t happy with a lot of stuff,” he confesses. “Emotionally I was at a very low ebb.” That was brought to an end by his collaborationwith the producer Youth.

Youth encouraged McCulloch to give free reign to his emotions, and lay his demons to rest. “It’s great because it’s about things,” he says. “I’d like to think of the songs as poems.

“I needed someone to bring something extra to it; to make it sound fresh. And its produced the way a Bunnymen album should be. He told us how many bands we had influenced and that gave us confidence.

“He said ‘Sing your head off,’ and he told me to stand up instead of sitting down. He basically said ‘get up and get on with it!’ “It was great and everything we put down was good.

 It was a thrill; like reading a book. I’ve always seen my words as poetry rather than lyrics - an outpouring of things I wanted to beautify."

The man once dubbed ‘Mac the Mouth’ because of his wit and no-holds-barred honesty, is still an outspoken critic of anyone he considers “a moron” — whether they be politicians, footballers he dislikes or musicians - particularly Bono: “I call him ‘Nobo’,” he says.

But it’s musical insincerity which receives the full Mac onslaught. “Bands try to endear themselves to people too much,” he begins. “The talent show thing is entering indie-rock. It’s so shallow, and that’s why bands have no original ideas. They are more B&Q than IQ.”

And he isn’t going to stop there. Not while there’s a chance to lay into one of his favourite hate subjects: folk-pop. “They should ban violins unless they are being played for classical audiences,” he smiles. “It’s not a barn dance. It’s the most horrible kind of music.”

As well as being one of our greatest rock eccentrics, McCulloch is also one of the best-loved ambassadors of his home city of Liverpool. “I love being up here in the pool of life,” he laughs. “I can’t be away from home turf too long – it’s been long enough already this year.”

A poll recently put McCulloch in 26th place in a list of greatest ever Scousers. So how does it feel to be a local hero? “I’m still nowhere near Ken Dodd,”he grins. “He’s definitely the king of Liverpool. I’m just the heir apparent — and he doesn’t show any sign of going away soon, so I will have to remain a prince.

“Still it’s good to be at 26. I was at 62 before. At this rate I might even get past a Beatle!”

Echo and the Bunnymen
O2 Academy, Oxford
Wednesday, August 31
Tickets from ticketweb.co.uk