The Lilac Time

Following a brief solo career under both his own name and the moniker Tin Tin, Stephen Duffy put together the Lilac Time, which traded in his former synth pop excursions for pastoral, folky English pop strongly recalling Skylarking-era XTC. Joined by Mickey Harris, Nick Duffy, and Michael Giri, Duffy crafted several eclectic albums making use of traditional instruments, beginning with a self-titled debut in 1988. 1989's Paradise Circus offered a bit of country & western influence, which was largely abandoned on 1990's ...& Love for All, partially produced by XTC's Andy Partridge. The Lilac Time's final album, 1991's Astronauts, began to return to the sound of Duffy's earlier solo career, so it was no surprise when the band broke up and Duffy resumed work as a solo artist. He re-formed the group in 1999 to release Looking for a Day in the Night.