You’ve had tremendous longevity, what do you put that down to?

We all get fit for what we do, and touring is what I have done for many years, so I’m mentally and physically pretty used to it. I have to keep interested in it, though, but traditional music is my passion and it has been throughout my career.

How have you seen the music industry change and adapt in your career?

The biggest difference is the digital revolution, which has changed the financial structure of the industry.

This is not positive for performers, and record companies.

I don’t know where it is going to go from here.

Artists and performers have to make a living.

Everyone has got used to free music, but sometimes I feel that people don’t understand that actually paying for the music is what makes the music, and if the musicians aren’t getting paid, how do they continue to make the music we all love?

On the other hand, there are opportunities to get your music heard in different ways, and more access to making music for young people.

Does that make it even more impressive that Steeleye Span have been consistently popular?

I think that Steeleye is a very bizarre thing.

To look at old songs and try to make them relevant.

For myself they are relevant, because people don’t change very much.

Energies of sex, food, and passion, the structure of your life and the struggle for status don’t change.

We work in a different culture environment but the energies stay the same.

Steeleye Span have always had a niche, we are a niche band.

That is what we do.

We are not tethered to fashion in the same way that pop bands or other bands are, so we work in a strange vacuum, ploughing our own furrow.

Also because we are outside the mainstream, people often feel a personal relationship with us.

A lot of young people know us because their parents played us in the car, so there is a lot of personal and family history attached to our music for them.

What is it about performing that still gives you that buzz?

Who wouldn’t want to perform?

Making music with fantastic musicians and people clapping.

It certainly doesn’t get much better than that.

You released your 23rd studio album in 2016, how do you continue to think of new ideas and inspirations for music?

The tradition encompasses a huge volume of music, that we access, and because of the unusual way we come at music, that is not going to run out any time soon.

We adapt it and collate it, and we are not tied, because we are not purists.

We have new members in the band who bring in new ideas and new ways of doing things, and that keeps everything fresh.

What can people expect from this Eastbourne show?

We have some new material from the album we are working on now, some songs are more recent and some are from way back. We have a vast repertoire and lots to choose from.

I’m particularly looking forward to the new pieces destined for the new album, which we are very excited about, and it will be interesting to see how they work in a live setting.

So finally, why is this the show to see?

People have been very impressed with this line-up. Lots of energy, lots of history and we are really enjoying ourselves. The show has been going down really well and the audiences are responding with passion.

Steeleye Span play the Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Eastbourne on Saturday, October 6