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ut while a short burst of Gaelic was sung by Queen Elinor, played by Emma Thompson, Julie’s songs were in English. Was there ever a consideration you might sing in the language of your birthplace?
“Yes, it was discussed. And we collec- tively came to the conclusion that where I was singing was the parts of the story I had to tell through song. And so they had to be in English. My only disappointment was we didn’t ever get a version in Gaelic. I’d have loved that.”
There must be a great temptation to see such unexpected opportunities as a new career path. Or make an album that might appeal to the newly acquired fans charmed by Brave’s soundtrack songs Touch The Sky and Into The Open Air.
“I’m not interested in that. The first time I realised there was pressure on me to do something different was after we released my first album and were working on my second. Suddenly there were differ- ent record companies wanting to speak to me and certain people wanting to manage me. People were full of advice and that advice was, ‘Just sing one or two songs in English’. I was suspicious of the whole thing entirely.”
“A couple of bad experiences and choices early on served me very well for the rest of my career. We realised we wanted to do what we wanted to do, fol- low our own path and be a bit stubborn. And looking at the path we’ve taken to this album, I feel that it’s what we wanted it to be at the beginning of the process. And I’m not sure that’s happened with the other albums.”
It’s common to the point of cliché for musicians to claim their latest work is their
best, but in the case of Gach Sgeul this is evi- dently more than ‘new baby’ enthusiasm. It’s an intrepid and emotional recording, elevated by the addition of string quartet RANT to Julie’s core line-up of Éamon Door- ley, Duncan Chisholm and Tony Byrne. Fea- turing her former Dòchas bandmate Jenna Reid, and another occasional collaborator Lauren MacColl, the drama and virtuosity they bring to songs like Do Chalum and the puirt-à-beul set Fodar Dha Na Gamhna Beaga should win an award for inducing goosebumps. Sadly no such prize exists.
“There were a couple of songs where I wanted a fuller lush string sound. And that idea was already very firmly in my mind. And then RANT released their album, and I remember sitting in my car playing it and I immediately started singing my puirt-à- beul over it. Working with the girls, we hardly had to explain what we wanted. They intuitively knew.”
When forced (by me) to pick a current favourite, Julie opts for An Roghain Dàin Do Eimhir XXII – a song composed by Capercaillie founder Donald Shaw, with words by the contemporary Scottish poet Sorley MacLean.
“They have done so much individually for the tradition, the Gaelic language, the music… And I place value and worth on them in their respective fields. It’s a really powerful song. That thing about, if… if you had a second chance would you change what you’ve done?”
The album’s extensive sleevenotes tes-
tify to Julie’s serious, almost scholarly approach to song selection, something she tried to resist but, thankfully, failed.
“I promised myself after the last time – writing a massive 30-page booklet – that for the next one I would just have a line
that said ‘for lyrics see website’. I couldn’t bring myself to do it. And so 5,500 words later, and a 32-page booklet…”
“I think the songs deserve it. It’s prob- ably a realisation that we get the chance to travel internationally and perform this music to audiences worldwide so we can be like a shopfront for Gaelic. Because the Gaelic language is so under threat I do feel like that. I want to be as true to the songs as I can whilst being true to myself as a musician. So maybe I think that if I present the songs in this way it shows that I have real respect and affection for them.”
“And because I’m singing in Gaelic it gives everyone a way into it. The songs are so powerful, and obviously we try to con- vey that through music, but if people had the chance to read the words they would be so moved by them. Because some of the songs are so old, there were beautiful ways of saying things. Everyone’s singing the same things all over the world; it’s just a different way of saying it.”
In this case it frequently involves ani- mals. “Cows, a lot of the time.”
It would be easy and probably sensible for Julie Fowlis to continue working in this way; to give her ever growing audience more of the same. Forget about it.
“This time I wanted an album I was completely happy with, for once. And we managed it. And now we’ll do something else. I’m pleased with the way Gach Sgeul turned out because I don’t think we’ll do another one like that for a while. I don’t think we’ll do a ‘Julie Fowlis – same old album’. I think that’s it. The next one will be radically different.”
Gheibhear deireadh gach sgeòil an
asgaidh.
www.juliefowlis.com
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