Interview: Yola Carter

Yola Carter’s career has been storming along since launching this phase of her career – sold out shows; national and international recognition from critics and the public; a cracking debut EP and more. She remains firmly rooted in the real and took time out before her biggest headlining date yet this weekend – part of the splendid River Town festival at the Colston Hall – to give us an update on progress so far along with next steps. If you’re not aware of her phenomenal prowess on stage, get yourself to The Lantern on Sunday, July 16. Her excellent band has grown bigger so the night is gonna rock. For tickets and more information, visit www.colstonhall.org/shows/yola-carter/

OK, so things have been busy since the EP launch at The Wardrobe…what’s been happening?

It’s been busy as hell behind the scenes. I’ve been writing and demoing my first album.I’ve been looking for management recently as things have gotten busier, and it’s kind of like business dating you’ve really got to like the person, the person really has to get you and have time to dedicate to building a relationship, it’s been a long road. I’ve been on tour and the dates that we’ve booked this year mean that I will be spending more time on tour abroad than in the UK. Of course I also won UK artist of the year at the Americana music Association awards UK, while still promoting my EP. I’ve been trying to have a social life too but it ain’t working out!

Are you pleased with your solo progress so far?

As far as I’m concerned I’m ahead of where I thought I’d be, and I don’t take one bit of the press or the accolades I’ve had for this EP for granted. When I came back from Nashville last year, I thought the hype would die down and I’d get a little time to pull a team together, but no. With the winter came all the end-of-the-year charts, and the hype machine spotted back to life again with accolades from Bluegrass Situation, American Songwriter, NPR music; number 7 on the UK Viral Chart and a spot on the New Music Friday playlist. International press has meant that I’m on tour for more days abroad this year than in the UK. I love it, but I’d be happy if this ride didn’t go any faster for a few months!

What do you think you’ve really got right so far?

I’I’m not going to pretend that I’m some kind of guru. Honey I’ve made so many mistakes in my career leading up to this point, the only decisions left or the right ones! Tip number one: don’t work with douchebags, Tip two: don’t edit your personality to fit in to a group. You don’t want to fit in anywhere by force. Tip three: concentrate on your own project. The number of times someone has “had a plan” for me is unbelievable. Usually it’s the kinda guy who sees a woman’s hoo-ha as a barrier to original thought.

And (mean question) anything you’d like to go back and re-do?

Nope. Seriously, I seem to have stumbled into a rich vein of people actually caring about my music. I’m changing nothing. Don’t get me wrong I don’t think anything is perfect when you’re a songwriter. But I’m committed to enjoying the journey not just the promise of the destination.

How about the full length album what is the plan?

It’s funny you ask about plans, I write out a detailed plan for each song: points of reference within my record collection, ways I want things processed or kinds of amps or pedals I’d like. My production notes are headings and bullet points; links and earmarked tracks on vinyl sleeves at home – it’s almost OCD. I’m ready to head into the studio but there’s an order to these things: Manager. Label. Producer. Album.

Has the muse been your constant companion, got new material underway?

Yeah it never lets me get a good nights sleep. I’m humming bass lines into my phone and drumming drum beats on my thighs while singing alters, melodies for bridges and middle eights, and I’m going to bed at 4 o’clock in the morning most nights. That muse is live and kicking. My creative mind has given me material for three records one of which is done.

Are current affairs at home and abroad feeding in to the writing process?

There are some songs where I’m waiting to realise what it is about. Because I wait for songs to arrive sometimes there’s a bit missing, a chorus, the line that concludes and contextualises the whole song. When the final line comes it’s normally in response to the hideous inhumanity, or shameless opportunism of our government making me so angry that I gain an almost serene clarity. A Song I wrote recently with Kit called On The Wire was one such song.

So it’s a big band for the Rover Town Festival and other dates, how did that come about?

It started when I was talking to Ethan Johns. We were rehearsing to open the AMAUK awards show and talking about the Staple Singers songs we were about to get into. It was a four piece band and the backing vocalists (also from Bristol) would be coming the next day on show day to join in. We gave it a couple runs and a thought ran through my mind but didn’t stay long enough to witness. The next day we opened the show, we were side stage walking up the steps and the thought re-emerged on our first line. There was a spiritual that I’d written and it was in four vocal parts and we needed to do it somewhere once I finished it: damn it: we should do a whole show. I fluffed a word at that moment, but got away with it.

How does it feel fronting a large outfit compared to the usual band?

When I was living in London, a long time ago now, I used to front a big band, full percussion section, horns the lot. It’s like being in a wind tunnel, but it’s different when it’s your own band. It’s like sinking into a hot tub, you try not to look too smug while doing it.

When you’re out on the road with the big band, what tunes or bands get you all grooving away through the motorway miles…and what tunes or bands kick off a big row?

The good thing about being solo is that you have to handpick everyone in the band, you figure out whether you like them and can spend time with them before you start working together, the result is a very mellow tour bus. We were recently listening to a band called Western Centuries and the latest Laura Marling record. If you want to piss us off just turn on the news.

What’s happening in the immediate future?

I’m heading out to the Highlands on a tour making it all the way to the Arctic Circle I believe when the tour hits Shetland, then on to Sweden and Norway for the Rolling Rootsy Revue Tour, we hit the UK for a few dates including the Lantern show on the 16th. Then I head to Canada for festivals including Calgary folk festival, Canmore folk festival, Edmonton folk festival and Interstellar Rodeo festival and back to Europe for Tønder Festival in Denmark before I head back out to the US.

And how about long term plans?

The team is growing and though I’m not ready to announce some of these new additions yet. I hope to be hitting the UK, Europe and the US on tour next year with the new record.

All photos by John Morgan