Next month ex-Decameron songwriter/pianist Johnny Coppin partners songwriter/guitarist Mike Silver at a special gig in Exeter, and Steve Chilcott will be there. Here he talks to Mike about the duo and their music.

WE met in Mike's music-room in Camelford… ringed by his impressive guitar collection; aged Gibson SJN C'n'W model , Dave Oddy Cuatro, bespoke Stephen Delft, a George Lowden, gifted by the luthier, and – his obvious pride-and-joy – a four-string tenor-guitar hand-built by Ken Powell – wood supplied by Mike's late father-in-law.

"Tenors were invented for banjo-players, you know? The fingering's the same. Why does everyone hate banjos? The guy in Mumford & Sons sounds unbelievable," he explains.

Starting on ukulele, Mike first discovered acoustic music at Surrey's Redhill Folkclub. "The Strawberry Hill Boys – this bloke called Mick dragged me along. Skiffle's where I came in; Donegan, Don Lang's Frantic Five and Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group – Nancy Whiskey on vocals.

"First bloke I saw was Gerry Lockran. Guitar and voice – a band. Everything you needed. Next up were Carthy and Swarbric – what a baptism-of-fire. I did some Tom Lehrer songs and landed a residency – that was the start."

The Silver/Coppin partnership began in 2005 having met in 1970 at the late, legendary Brenda Wootton's house in Penzance. But Mike says that his solo work is still very important to him.

"The duo's more festivals, concert venues, arts centres," he says. "It works well as long as I do what I'm told!

"The last song we co-wrote – This Heart Sings – went round the houses. I had a tune, but the lyric didn't work. Johnny had a 'bridge' but needed words. It was bolted together like Meccano."

Johnny played the 60s rock-circuit around Epping Forest. Beatles, Chuck Berry. Then came Dylan, Paul Simon and the acoustic 'bug'. He met fellow songwriter Dave Bell in London in 1968 and formed Decameron.

"We are loosely in the folk-rock camp, together with bands like Fairport, Lindisfarne – playing in an 'English' style, but with some 'trad' material, some American… featuring 'Rock Cello' and Al Fenn's catchy harmonica breaks – unless he'd stuffed it in his pocket and got fluff in it," Mike laughs.

The duo are at Exeter's New Theatre on March 12, from 7.30pm. Ticket details on 01392 277189 or visit www.wegottickets.com