don’t think anyone outside my school has ever heard that song! We were amazingly proud of it at the time, ha ha! I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned that before actually! Your very first album was self recorded and cost a mere £80 to make. How do you feel your sound and voice have developed from back in 1999? Tere’s like 16 years of life inside me and I was very timid and scared back then, I couldn’t have anyone in the studio with me, I was so nervous to perform in front of anyone. Ten I was nominated for the Mercury prize and I messed up all of my chances really because I was so fearful. I didn’t do Jools Holland, I was booked do to TV spots and I got off the train at Peterborough ‘cos I was too scared to do it. At the height of my fame I couldn’t handle it; I didn’t feel I was good enough and I felt like someone was going to tell me I didn’t have the qualifications for the job. I was riddled with self doubt but carried on and have been really really lucky in my failings in that I’ve been able to have a hunger and continue to strive to keep making music. I feel like every album is a new beginning. What were you doing for a job when you first considered making a career from music? I did an art degree, then I was on the dole. I worked in a vegetarian cafe and then a shop because I realised I was a terrible waitress. I kept taking people’s food away when they’d just gone to the toilet! And I was terrible in the shop too. In a health food shop people are very particular about strange things like sugar and things, and they’d shout at me because there was sugar in orange juice that we had on the shelf. I had this terrible coping mechanism where I’d say I was just going to the store cupboard, which was just a door in the shop, and then I’d go in and just shout “FUCKING HELL!” really loud, so everyone could hear me, and then I’d come out saying “No, I’m sorry we don’t have what you want”. Basically, if I couldn’t do this job as a musician I don’t think I would be able to hold down a proper job! Which of your albums thus far do you
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outlineonline.co.uk
feel reflects the true Kathryn Williams? I just had a meeting with my label about doing a Best Of, or a boxset of my work, ‘cos I’ve done ten solo albums and four other albums as well. I’m not sure how I would go about choosing the songs to represent me. It’s a bit like friends who move to a different city; you still know them and love them and when you see them nothing’s changed, but things do move on in your life. People seem to think Crown Electric is the best album I’ve done, and others say Hypoxia is the best one. I wanted to ask about the album of kids songs you did with Anna Spencer from Delicate Vomit, Te Crayonettes. How did that project come about?
Stodart on an album..how’s that going? It’s good, we’re recording in May. It’s going to be an all star cast with amazing people, a feel good harmony record with us two singing together. Simon and Garfunkel meets Te Beach Boys meets Big Star. I love your videos, particularly Monday Morning. Tat looks like it must have been a real laugh to film? It was actually terrifying but I can’t blame anyone other than myself. We were talking about doing a video and I was like oh man, I don’t know what to wear, so I asked if I could walk around in a parrot outfit? So then I had to walk around London in a parrot outfit! You’ve been a part of several songwriting courses and retreats. Do you have some pithy advice for anyone out there who fancies giving it a try? Yeah, do it! Anyone can write a song, and anyone who says they can’t is just trying to make themselves look more important! Are you heading out to play some festivals this summer? Who would you like to catch playing live? Yes, I’m doing quite a few literary festivals because it ties in with Hypoxia, and that’s really nice because you play to people with a nice big attention span! I’m a really big Laura Veirs fan. She’s just done an album with Neko Case and k.d. Lang, and I think they’re doing some festivals. Also Joanna Newsom. I’m not a massive festival fan though, it’s not where you see the best music although it is where you can discover music; I don’t think I’ve had my best musical
We both had babies at a similar time and were being driven mad by the songs you end up listening to in the car or at home, nursery rhymes with lovely plummy mummies on. We wanted to listen to the Fall or Te Stooges or Te Velvet Underground or hip hop but knew the content of those might not be appropriate so we though we’d make an album inspired by those bands we loved but about brushing your teeth or about a hopping toad. It was a really fun project. Loads of people who are parents in the music world love that album. I hear you are working with Michele
experiences at festivals. I prefer the more intimate, smaller gigs personally. Te big festivals are a pain to get in and out of and working a festival is very different to just being at one.
Lizz Page
Kathryn Williams plays at Te Bicycle Shop on April 27th. Tickets available from
musicglue.com/dreams- music-promotion
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