It’s been 25 years since singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy changed their band name from Southern Death Cult to simply The Cult, and the current incarnation of the group has spent much of the year celebrating by playing the entirety of its breakthrough 1985 “Love” album in concert.

“We’re kind of doing nostalgia with a lowercase n,” explains Duffy, 48. “It’s actually been really good; to my point of view it’s been the most fun I’ve had in years.”

Duffy adds that “Love,” which features Cult hits such as “She Sells Sanctuary” and “Rain,” “really lends itself to this kind of presentation. It just flows really well together as a collection of music. To me it’s just a great rock/pop record ... It’s catchy. It’s got hooks. It just has a lightness about it, an effortlessness that captured how we felt in that period of our career.”

Duffy says the subsequent years “haven’t felt that long” — and have been marked by some “sizable breaks” and even a three-year break-up in 1995. But as he and Astbury work on new material for the follow-up to 2008’s “Born Into This,” Duffy says there’s greater appreciation for the “good partnership” they’ve developed.

“It’s evolved into its own thing, me and Ian,” the guitarist says. “Mostly, I’m grateful for the opportunity to still make music with Ian. When it’s good, it’s good. There’s been a lot of struggles, artistic differences — I’m sure mutually. But when we hit a nice tune, it’s very special. That’s why we keep at it.”



The Cult performs at 8 p.m. Friday (Nov. 6) at the Fillmore Detroit, 2115 Woodward Ave. Tickets are $29.50 with a $64 balcony four-pack. Call (313) 961-5451 or visit www.livenation.com.