"Doing the songs in this format gives us a chance to stretch out ... while still keeping the songs' essence intact."
Every track has been made over - with some changed to minor keys and others partial acapella.
"Bruce is playing guitar, banjo, national slide guitar, bansitar and parlour guitar and singing; Pete is playing modified drums and percussion, mandolin, melodica, keyboard, parlour guitar and singing; Mark is singing, playing acoustic guitar and keyboards and I just play bass and sing - the challenge was to give each song a new life rather than just play them with acoustic instruments."
Being involved with the tour was also a great opportunity to connect with audiences in a more intimate setting.
"We're looking forward to playing in those great acoustic spaces and the crowds singing. As a culture we don't sing together very much and it's such a great thing to be in a band where the crowd sing back at you.
"I suspect ... singing will be more like a choir on this tour rather than the football grand final vibe that we usually engender."
Acoustic certainly doesn't have to mean boring, Hunter promises there will be plenty of opportunity to get up and dance.
"We try to keep things more measured than usual but the Dragon songs don't really allow for that and in the second half of the show things are really cooking. We didn't want these shows to lack energy so we go after some of them with a vengeance and lay back on others."
It will be the legendary act's first appearance in Hawke's Bay since an Anniversary Tour which stopped off at Napier Municipal Theatre, in October last year.
"I loved it - I commandeered the van and drove around all day, just as I will be doing the same this time around. It's such a heartwarming thing to be able to see all these towns again - it's a very beautiful part of the world."
While they planned to "hang around" Napier for the most part, a trip to Waimarama would be on the agenda if time allowed.
Since their last visit, the Dragon lads have had little time to relax, with high demand for their music meaning they are constantly on the go.
They completed a Red Hot Summer Tour, 40th Anniversary Tour, 40th Live DVD Tour and the Acoustic Tour's Australian leg, not to mention additional concerts in New Zealand, South Africa and Vanuatu.
The longevity of their sound has seen them transcended the decades, attracting fresh new fans even today.
"You never know if a song will end up being an anthem or just disappear without trace. [We] always keep beginners' mind. As soon as you think you know what you're doing, it loses its freshness."Tickets to their show at St John Cathedral in Napier from 7.30pm next Wednesday are available from Ticketmaster.co.nz or www.acousticchurchtour.co.nz
