WHEN you have been in the music industry for three decades, the challenge of bringing something fresh to the table can be a daunting one.

With a mixture of reworked acoustic versions of classics and two new songs, The Levellers have managed this, charting with their new album We the Collective, which is the Brighton band’s highest charting album for 21 years.

Even though the band have been very active in their 30 plus years together, this new record seems to have given them a new lease of life as they hit the road, providing an intimate night of acoustic entertainment.

Creating music with a powerful message is something that The Levellers have always prided themselves on and this is what frontman and songwriter Mark Chadwick continuously strives for.

He said: “There is no point watering it down.

“There’s so many more things to write about other than some whimsical song about some girl you can’t get off with,” he laughs.

“It does set us apart, I suppose but it’s not to everyone’s tastes, and that’s fine too.”

As well as making music that has a message, Chadwick is careful not to describe the band as being left-wing, despite having a strong political view flowing through some of the band’s lyrics.

That being said, the singer has recently became a member of the Labour Party, with the sole reason for this being because of his disgust at the Conservative party.

He added: “We may have some left-wing views occasionally but essentially, we’re not a political band.

“I know what they are up to and I think opposition can be found somewhere else.

“There’s quite a lot of it about now, especially in rap music.

“The ball is starting to roll again and people are unafraid to tackle issues again – which is a very good thing.

“We’ve never been afraid to sing about something that’s meaningful and insightful, it’s the generation we grew up with.”

Having emerged victorious through the ups and downs of label deals, spats with the music press and the wear and tear of touring, The Levellers are still going strong.

With an impressive back catalogue of recorded music, the Brighton six-piece will be heading to The Anvil on July 13 for a night of acoustic renditions of their best known songs.

Chadwick added: “Basingstoke is a town that has changed a lot over the years. It is now on the map for gigs which is great.

“We’ve got lots of good friends who are from Basingstoke, it’s a really good area for us.”

For tickets for The Levellers show visit anvilarts.org.uk.