KATHRYN Joseph, who scooped a Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award last month, celebrates the release of her debut single with a launch show at The Hug and Pint, Glasgow next Saturday. The track, The Bird, will be released as part of a double A-side single, alongside the aptly titled The Worm, on Monday.
The release caps off what has been an absolutely incredible six months for the Scottish songwriter, who released her debut LP, Bones You Have Thrown Me and Blood I’ve Spilled, at the start of the year. A haunting, mesmeric piece of work, the album was the surprising but deserving winner of this year’s SAY Award in June.
The album’s success stunned everybody, not least Joseph herself who admits she was gobsmacked.
“Every time I talk about it I feel like one of those crazy old ladies that look back at the one time they were famous, watching the video back over and over again,” she says.
“It was so beautiful to be a part of. So many of the nominated artists had dedicated their whole lives to music. It was a privilege to even be placed amongst them.”
Despite Joseph’s modesty, her recent success has been more than earned. Originally recorded in 2011, the final 10 tracks make for one of the most emotionally raw records written by a Scottish songwriter.
Though Joseph has been writing songs and playing them live for two decades, it took the encouragement of Marcus and Claire MacKay of Hit the Fan Records, her neighbours at the time, to finally record them.
She says: “I’ve been writing songs since my early 20s, so some of the songs on the album are about ten years old. Playing songs live made sense to me, but I didn’t want to pursue the rest of it – the publicity, the career, it had always stopped me.
“It was lucky that Marcus and Claire offered because I couldn’t have coped with asking people to do it, or paying someone that didn’t care. If I worked with a producer, I wanted them to be interested.”
The attention to detail certainly paid off. Clunky piano and reverberant production give the record a sense of space that allows every vocal inflection to truly stand out.
It would be impossible not to highlight Joseph’s voice in particular though. Both earthy and ethereal, it’s the record’s finest component. Nevertheless, despite critics having drawn various comparisons, the distinctive style is all hers.
“I’ve always just sung in this odd way,” says Joseph. “I’ve never thought about it, really. I remember years ago, a friend of mine gave me a tape of Joanna Newsom’s because I reminded him of her. The first time I listened I thought she sounded like a child. And yet, years later, I became a big fan of hers.”
Like Newsom, Joseph’s sound is admittedly unorthodox, but there’s a poignancy and naked vulnerability to tracks such as The Bird that helps her stand out from her peers. Bones... is a melancholic album that is emotional to listen to and must have been more so to make, but Joseph is adamant that the experience has made her more positive.
“It wasn’t just making the album that was hard; I just used to feel so depressed the day after a performance,” says Joseph. “That’s changing though. I always dreaded new shows and performances, but I’m genuinely excited about these upcoming ones. I’m just enjoying all of it – even all the attention and the publicity and the interviews. I’ve met so many beautiful humans in such a short space of time. I’m just incredibly grateful.”
The Bird/The Worm is released on Monday on Hits the Fan. She plays The Hug and Pint on August 1 and Belladrum Festival on August 6.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here