{"title":"The Lilac Time","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Lilac Time is a British indie rock band that formed in 1986 in Herefordshire, England. With their unique blend of folk and pop influences, they have captivated audiences around the world for over three decades. Their heartfelt lyrics and melodic soundscapes have earned them a dedicated fanbase and critical acclaim. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to their music, The Lilac Time's timeless songs are sure to leave a lasting impression.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince their formation, The Lilac Time has released numerous albums that showcase their musical versatility and storytelling prowess. From introspective ballads to upbeat anthems, each song is crafted with care and passion. Their distinct sound combines elements of acoustic guitar, piano, strings, and rich harmonies to create an enchanting listening experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver the years, The Lilac Time has toured extensively and shared stages with renowned artists from various genres. Their live performances are known for their intimate atmosphere and genuine connection with the audience. Whether performing at small venues or large festivals, The Lilac Time's energy on stage is infectious.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"dance-till-all-the-stars-come-down","title":"Dance Till All The Stars Come Down","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Lilac Time are original members Nick and Stephen Duffy, with Claire Duffy who joined in 1999 and helped out immeasurably here by Ben Peeler. John Paterno returns to mix and master as he has done since \u003ci\u003eNo Sad Songs\u003c\/i\u003e of 2015.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWithout conventional drums or bass their fondness for country and folk hues are clearer. These are unequivocally and absolutely the best songs Stephen Duffy has ever written in his twenty or so long playing album career. The first single release is \"A Makeshift Raft\". A song that asks if those seeking freedom need drown, then ponders the inevitability of continuous wars. It praises the America of Allen Ginsberg before a few bars of yodelling. It ends by eulogises fingers, guitars and songs of love. Something for everyone then. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThey love being who they are and they love this album and they hope you will find time to dance till all the stars come down with them.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Poetica","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50396941680971,"sku":"2021185","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50396940566859,"sku":"2021183","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/POETICCD1_7bf0fb03_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726486762"},{"product_id":"hills-of-cinnamon","title":"Hills Of Cinnamon","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Lilac Time is Stephen Duffy, Claire Duffy and Nick Duffy, This exclusive coloured vinyl 12” single features the delightful and best track from the recent album, “Return To Us” plus two never before released cover versions of “There Comes A Time” (Bert Jansch) and “Pancho And Lefty (Townes Van Zandt). \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Universal","offers":[{"title":"12\"","offer_id":50425321619787,"sku":"1099217","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/ab6cf6f3-0c58-4b80-b5d6-aa488f86a254_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726789100"},{"product_id":"return-to-us","title":"Return to Us","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eReturn To Us\u003c\/i\u003e is the new album by The Lilac Time, the country folk band fronted by Stephen Duffy. The collection is their tenth so far and Stephen’s twentieth long-player in a career that has spanned four decades. Coming off the back of five-star rave reviews for the reissue of Stephen’s album \u003ci\u003eI Love My Friends, Return To Us\u003c\/i\u003e was recorded by the three-piece of Nick Duffy, Claire Duffy and Stephen who have been the core of The Lilac Time since 1999. The nine-track album was recorded in Stephen and Claire’s home and covers topics as diverse as The D-Day Landings (\u003ci\u003eMarch To The Docks\u003c\/i\u003e), auditory processing disorder and the difficulties in recognising and interpreting sounds (\u003ci\u003eKing Kopetsky\u003c\/i\u003e), Italian Neorealism (\u003ci\u003eA River That Runs Both Ways\u003c\/i\u003e), life before the Internet (\u003ci\u003eThe Simple Things\u003c\/i\u003e), not getting dragged back to a fictitious golden age (\u003ci\u003eReturn To Us\u003c\/i\u003e), a Christmas song of sorts (\u003ci\u003eThe Needles\u003c\/i\u003e) and needing ‘reassurance because the world went stupid’ (\u003ci\u003e(I’m) A Believer\u003c\/i\u003e). Stephen Duffy: “This our first release on a major label since 1990. After a calamitous time with RCA around the recently reissued \u003ci\u003eI Love My Friends\u003c\/i\u003e album I never considered it an option. But then after our last performance at Port Eliot in 2017, we were approached by BMG’s senior scout who suggested we send our new record to them after some time we did and here it is”.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BMG Rights Management","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50456180752715,"sku":"1073362","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/d9455148-94fb-4dbb-93ad-1be83dce6e98_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727196797"},{"product_id":"no-sad-songs-1","title":"No Sad Songs","description":"\u003cp\u003eA prose-poem, which Stephen Duffy composed especially for the release of the new and ninth album by his band The Lilac Time, contains the lines: \"I was a flower child, now I'm a flower man.\" It took a long time before one became the other. When viewed from space, Stephen Duffy's path may well appear labyrinthine, filled with loopholes and trapdoors. Yet a sober perspective reveals path of a musician and poet who is independent in the very best sense of the word. Nevertheless: A lot has happened since the young boy kept his Praktica camera trained on street scenes in the Birmingham of the Cold War. Back in 1979, an 18-year-old Stephen Duffy was founding member of Duran Duran. Yet he did not board the train to superstardom. The visionary instinct of the young artist had other intentions. He might have had Bob Dylan, Nick Drake and The Incredible String Band in mind, but he himself was not allergic to success. He quickly understood that a songwriter with an acoustic guitar had little access to the merry-go-round of the charts in the early eighties. Instead, he emerged as Stephen 'Tintin' Duffy, trading his guitar for a synthesizer and making chic, clever and sparkling Pop music in capital letters. The young man with the melancholy expression even landed two international hits with Kiss Me and Icing on the Cake. But before the record company was able to put their plan into action and turn Duffy into the next Rick Astley, he took flight. He mothballed his pop persona and founded a band with his brother: The Lilac Time. On their debut in 1987, they made what Stephen had long dreamed of: Flower Music. The single Return to Yesterday conjured visions of Simon and Garfunkel. In an era of slapping basses and smacking snares, the instrumentation was exceptional: mainly acoustic, with guitars, banjos, fiddles and accordions, all beautifully arranged by Nick Duffy, who was also responsible for composing the instrumental pieces on the record. Keep in mind that the New Acoustic Movement, which brought forth bands like Belle And Sebastian and The Kings Of Convenience, was still more than ten years away. Often in diametrical contrast with this melancholy folk pop were Stephen Duffy's lyrics, with descriptions of suburban tristesse placed seamlessly alongside biting commentary on the issues of the times and courageous reports of the singer's moments of excess and aventures amoureuses.LP - With CD Version.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tapete","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50471023444299,"sku":"385337","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50471023673675,"sku":"385336","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/e01dc04e-ffd7-4c28-82e7-a6addcef3337_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727388299"},{"product_id":"prussian-blue-ep","title":"Prussian Blue EP","description":"\u003cp\u003eLimited edition 500 copies. To celebrate their first album in years \u003cem\u003eNo Sad Songs\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eThe Lilac Time\u003c\/strong\u003e release another special record this year: \u003cem\u003ePrussian Blue EP\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe 12\" features a beautiful new mix of the album song \"\u003cem\u003ePrussian Blue\u003c\/em\u003e\" as well as three live recordings of songs that became really special during their career.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tapete","offers":[{"title":"12\"","offer_id":50471077085515,"sku":"391205","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/c44804cc-4e3d-4769-bc7f-1f1ff2f77714_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727390567"},{"product_id":"astronauts","title":"Astronauts","description":"\u003cp\u003eOver three years in the making, Needle Mythology Records release a super deluxe, expanded remastered reissue of The Lilac Time’s 1991 masterpiece, \u003ci\u003eAstronauts\u003c\/i\u003e. Released as a triple vinyl, triple CD or single vinyl, only 1000 copies of each format are produced, there will be no further pressings. Both the 3LP and 3CD editions come with an extensive 11,000 word oral history of Astronauts and liner notes by Needle Mythology co-founder and longtime Stephen Duffy fan, Pete Paphides.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll three albums including a 2024 remaster, a collection of works in progress entitled ‘Softened By Rain The Making Of Astronauts’ and a live compilation ‘Any Road Up The Lilac Time Live 1990\/91’ have been mastered for vinyl by Miles Showell at Abbey Road and housed in a triple gatefold sleeve with a colour inner sleeve and new artwork for each disc, which has been especially created by designer Mike Storey. The main sleeve for \u003ci\u003eAstronauts\u003c\/i\u003e itself replicates the original artwork but with the four distinctive “blobs” rendered in a red “foil” texture. In addition to these three disc sets, 1000 single vinyl remastered copies of \u003ci\u003eAstronauts\u003c\/i\u003e is available, in a cherry red vinyl edition to match the outer sleeve.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith the shoegaze and baggy movements at their zenith, The Lilac Time’s fourth album was released at a moment when the left-field music zeitgeist was shaped by the nascent shoegaze, baggy and grunge movements. Whilst \u003ci\u003eAstronauts\u003c\/i\u003e conformed to none of those trends, neither was it the record Stephen had in his head when he finally finished working on it. We’ll never know how that record would have sounded, but it’s hard to imagine a better version of the album he did end up making. The songwriter who brought ‘A Taste of Honey’ and ‘Hats Off, Here Comes The Girl’ into the world envisaged the sort of choruses that would jump from the single speaker of your favourite transistor and lodge themselves into the collective memory bank. But while he really was writing some of his most beautiful melodies, Astronauts is a family of songs that demands to be kept together in the sun- dazed cloud of inspiration that created it. It constitutes a partial retreat from the outward- facing utopianism of its predecessors, choosing instead to dwell on the journey taken to get to this point.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat this is an audibly different band to the pastoral expeditionaries of the group’s previous releases is almost entirely down to the departure of Nick Duffy and the arrival of Sagat Guirey. Suddenly, accordions, banjos and mandolins are out; jazz guitar is in. Sagat’s filigree work on the outro of ‘A Taste for Honey’ acts as a sublime parting shot to a lyric which acts as a wiser, wistful companion piece to Stephen’s 1985 solo hit ‘Kiss Me’, something tantamount to the camera retreating to reveal the years elapsed between the time depicted and the present day.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe distance between the carefree youth of pop stardom and the first intimations of mortality can be measured between the first and second verses of the quietly devastating ‘Madresfield’; from the depiction of the deserted cricket pavilion obscured by fresh snowfall to the sudden shift in perspective from subject to protagonist: ‘No one ever told me\/That killing time is harmful\/For time cannot recover\/What soon the ground will offer.’ For all of that, however, the resulting album didn’t correspond to the vision its creator had for it. At a loss as to what to do with it, Stephen surrendered Astronauts to Creation with no plans to promote or draw attention to it. The consciousness shift of which Stephen had hoped The Lilac Time might be a precursor hadn’t happened. Or, rather, it had – but it had happened elsewhere, in the Haçienda and Shoom and in Ibiza. Not on the hills of Herefordshire. In a nod to that sea change, Stephen handed over one song, ‘Dreaming’ to Hypnotone, who subtly reconfigured it for the dance floor. But that was as far as he was prepared to go. He sold up and left his Malvern idyll behind, unsure of whether he even had a career anymore. The idea that birthed the band had now died with it. And yet, 33 years on,\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eAstronauts\u003c\/i\u003e has come to be regarded as the crowning achievement of The Lilac Time’s first incarnation. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn keeping with that reappraisal, Stephen has mined his personal archive for live recordings from the final Lilac Time shows – the only sonic documentation of the lineup which featured Sagat Guirey. To listen to these performances is to glimpse an unrealised parallel reality which might have seen Guirey’s improvisational flights of inspiration open up new vistas of possibility for the group. On the resulting live album of previously unheard performances, earlier Lilac Time like ‘Fields’, 'The Road To Happiness’ and ‘The Lost Girl In The Midnight Sun' are repainted in lysergic jazz-folk colours with results that are nothing short of revelatory.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn a separate album, the profligate burst of creativity that yielded the songs on \u003ci\u003eAstronauts\u003c\/i\u003e is fully revealed with a selection of demos laid down on the first floor room of Stephen’s Malvern house. With the windows open, the sound of everyday life – traffic and birdsong – somehow compounds the wistful qualities of the music that seemed to be pouring out of its creator at this point. Alongside soon-to-be favourites such as ‘Dreaming,’ ‘Madresfield’ and ‘North Kensington’ are two hitherto forgotten songs that Duffy chose not to bring into the studio: ‘We Came From Anywhere’ and ‘You Come By’.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs Pete Paphides puts it in the notes which accompany the album “To fans who have indisputable masterpiece of The Lilac Time’s first incarnation. A record that was never quite of its time has, through the years, become truly timeless.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Needle Mythology","offers":[{"title":"Black LPx3","offer_id":50531869229387,"sku":"2220878","price":64.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Red LP","offer_id":50531872571723,"sku":"2220880","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CDx3","offer_id":50531871457611,"sku":"2220879","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/20000000245929_70cd297d_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1728112782"},{"product_id":"looking-for-a-day-in-the-night","title":"Looking For A Day In The Night","description":"\u003cp\u003eNeedle Mythology, with a brand new release of The Lilac Time’s universally acclaimed 1999 album \u003cem\u003eLooking For A Day In The Night. The album\u003c\/em\u003e is the fifth album made by The Lilac Time – the group formed by Stephen Duffy after he retreated from pop stardom in 1987 – and their first since disbanding in the wake of their 1991 masterpiece \u003cem\u003eAstronauts\u003c\/em\u003e. The album was the first to feature Claire Worrall (now Claire Duffy), who would go on to marry Stephen Duffy and remains a member of The Lilac Time to this day. Completing the line-up on the record are Melvin Duffy (slide guitar) and the returning Nick Duffy, who contributes two instrumentals The songs on the record saw Stephen tap a rich vein of melodic introspection, tapping into the bucolic languor of his group’s eponymous debut just over a decade previously. This release of\u003cem\u003e Looking For A Day In The Night\u003c\/em\u003e marks its first ever appearance on vinyl. As with \u003cem\u003eAstronauts\u003c\/em\u003e, the album was been remastered at Abbey Road by Miles Showell. The album’s original artwork has been expanded into a gatefold sleeve by celebrated artist James Gosling and now features liner notes by author and longtime fan Caitlin Moran – and printed colour inner sleeve featuring song lyrics. \u003cem\u003eLooking For A Day In The Night\u003c\/em\u003e is also be released as a CD featuring contemporaneous B sides and live recordings. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eLP\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eSIDE 1\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e1. Salvation Song\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e2. The Nursery Walls\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e3. A Dream That We All Share\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e4. A Day In The Night\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e5. I Won’t Die For You\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e6. Broken Cloud\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eSIDE 2\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e1. The Family Coach \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e2. 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Days before their appearance at the festival, an expanded Lilac Time played a show at the Griffin Theatre in Hereford which forms the basis of this release. The audio of the concert had lain dormant for 17 years only to be discovered by Stephen early in 2025. As each song played into the next, he found himself seduced by the magic of the entire performance. Featuring personnel from every era of The Lilac Time (Claire Duffy, Nick Duffy, Micky Harris, Melvin Duffy and Michael Giri), a purposeful joie de vivre envelopes the entire performance: from the dreamy high noon heat-haze of Trumpets From Montparnasse through to the rolling stock rattle of The Lost Girl In The Midnight Sun, an unapologetic clarion call to every militant dreamer who still believes in society. The set also features many of Stephen’s most fondly regarded songs: Return To Yesterday, Driving Somewhere, A Day In The Night, The Silence. For this release, Stephen has penned extensive programme notes, sharing the origin story of every song on the record. Artwork, once again, comes from James Gosling. And mastering comes care of Miles Showell at Abbey Road. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Needle Mythology","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":53048801231179,"sku":"R8000-7454","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":53048801263947,"sku":"R8000-3059","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/20000000333317.jpg?v=1753779736"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_eab694a6_thumbnail_4096_39055808-768b-4298-8de5-9b969e279aa0.jpg?v=1726486728","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/the-lilac-time.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}