Swim when you're winning
Patrick Freyne interviews Adrian Crowley, whose new album Long Distance Swimmer is shaping up to be one of the Irish success stories of 2008.
Patrick Freyne, 18 Jan 2008
Adrian Crowley has been one to watch for some time. Older fogies (like myself) will remember his song ‘Capricorn’ as a regular on Uaneen Fitzsimons era No Disco in 1999.
He recorded an album with Steve Albini in his Electrical Audio studios, called When You Are Here You Are Family. He’s toured the US. And Ryan Adams is a fan. Indeed many flashy next-best-things with mouthy frontmen, and overzealous PR people, have tried and failed since Adrian released his first album (A Strange Kind) in 1999. But Adrian’s still here and with a supportive record label (Tin Angel), a publishing deal with Domino, and a new more expansive album (Long Distance Swimmer) beautifully recorded with engineer Stephen Shannon. This could be his year. So what box do you want to be put in, Adrian?
“I’m not consciously trying to emulate anyone,” he says. “But I remember two years ago (UK folk singer) Adem was running the Homefires festival and he asked me if I was to curate the festival who I’d ask to play. And I said I’d have Joanna Newsom and Nina Nastacia, and Bill Callaghan (from Smog) play and when I think about it, I’d relate to all those people. If someone really wanted to put me in a box, I’d want to be put into that box... It’d be good company.”
Last year Wired magazine declared it the “age of the niche”, but it really seems that there’s no better time to be an idiosyncratic and reflective singer-songwriter (rather than a strumming roaring singer-songwriter). And one way to keep your idiosyncratic, reflective singer-songwriter credentials pure, and not be lured away by fashionable haircuts and NME journalists, is to band together with other people you can relate to and respect.
“I went over to play a gig with the Fence Collective in Fife in Scotland,” he says. “That was the catalyst for a lot of what I’ve done since. Fence started ten years ago as a label doing CDR-only releases. They all refused to play in London, so they’d just play in Fife all the time and they started a festival there. They have a collective of about 20 artists who record together and most of them never leave Scotland. King Creosote and James Yorkston and this other chap called the Pictish Trail are the only three who travel. And there’s a girl called HMS Jennifer who’s really brilliant but doesn’t like to perform and King Creosote recorded some of her songs. When I went over there the first time I got a really nice feeling of being in the right kind of environment.”
Page 1/3 <Previous 1 2 3 Next>
©Hot Press 2011. Why be a member? | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy