LOUDON Wainwright III has a confession to make ahead of a series of much-awaited shows in the UK.

“The thing about audiences in the UK is that they have always hung in there,” he said. “I’m always surprised that they keep coming, I mean I’d never go out and pay money to see me but I’m delighted that they show up..”

In conversation, Loudon’s dry sense of humour and self-deprecating manner often come to the fore.

It’s certainly served him well during a career which has produced 26 albums and earned him a deserved reputation as one of the most eloquent and acclaimed songwriters of his generation.

Now 70, he will spend much of October in the UK including a date at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall.

“I generally decide before a show what I’m going to begin with and there are certain songs that work well in conjunction with others,” he said. “But I’ll be doing some newer songs - it’s two years since my last record so I have some songs which I won’t have performed over there before.

“The other feature on this tour is that my friend Chaim Tannenbaum, a musician I have known and played with for over 40 years, will come out and do an opening set and then he’ll come out and play during my show so there’ll be a different musical aspect to it.”

From early songs such as Dead Skunk through to his most recent album Still Haven’t Got the Blues (Yet), Loudon’s songs are detailed and evocative portraits of different aspects of life.

I suggest there is a certain Englishness and whimsy about some of them.

“Hey, whimsy’s my middle name,” he laughed. “I do like to get specific with songs and I like to think that there’s a certain English quality to the work but the songs do work in America too know you.”

Last year Loudon was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Radio Two Folk Awards.

“I’ve got to confess I’m not really that disciplined when it comes to writing,” he said. “If someone tells me to do something I can do it but I’m not one of those people who can get up, sharpen pencil and sit down and write a song.

“One of my most recent songs is about our favourite politician over here, Donald Trump, which someone dared me to write so that shows I can be induced to write a song.. I’m expecting to be clapped in irons any moment.”

Loudon has also worked on soundtracks for Judd Apatow’s movie Knocked Up plus music for TV. He is also an accomplished actor and has recently been performing a one-man show Surviving Twin based on the writings of his father, a journalist with Life magazine.

“It’s a show I’d love to do in the UK,” he said, “there is talk we may be able to do it next year.”

But before that, there is the current tour.

I’ve been coming over to the UK since the early Seventies playing all over the place and it’s always a pleasure to go back,” he said.

n Loudon Wainwright III, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, Friday, October 14. Details from 0161 907 9000.