invernessGiGs recently caught up with Skerryvore in advance of their return to Inverness to play the Ironworks on the 13th of April, 2012.
The 6 piece have had a phenomenal couple of years. Daniel (Gillespie, accordian) and Alec (Dalgleish, singer and guitarist) gave some insight into their success. “Skerryvore’s growth has been based on years of live performances and we work hard to keep things ‘tight’ on stage. We’re not a gimmicky band and like to think that we’re all pretty good at what we do, musically. To have this recognised, largely by your peers, is really important to us. Our roots as a band were very much in traditional music. In our new album we’ll illustrate many of the other influences that have shaped our musical development. Hopefully this will also be recognised as we add these into our live sets, from Inverness in April and beyond in 2012 and into 2013”.
They added that the new CD is all their own material. More and more of the tracks on previous CDs have been their own. “Getting to the point where all the material is ours has been a tough journey, but also a really satisfying one. We’re probably our own sternest critics and we already know there are things in there that will sound different in live performances”. Can’t wait!
In December last year, Skerryvore won the best live Act at the Scottish Traditional Music Awards. That must have been some night.
Daniel… “We were delighted to win this award as our live performances have always been the main driving force behind Skerryvore. It was also nice to be recognised for our live performances in 2011 which included so many great gigs both at home and abroad including USA, Spain, Dubai, Germany, Denmark & France”.
I see you have not rested on your laurels and have just returned from a tour of Germany. What are your plans for 2012?
Daniel… “2012 is a massive year for the band with the release of our new album followed by a world tour that will take us to places such as Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Holland, Italy and our first USA tour”.
Ah, your new album, what can we expect from it?
Alec… “The new album is an album mostly of self-penned songs.The majority of the songs have a positive and upbeat feel about them and we hope that this new album will be the soundtrack of the summer for our fans old and new. It would be fantastic if this album contained a successful single which could bring us to a greater level of exposure. Stylistically people can expect to hear elements of trad/folk/rock/country/pop”.
What about inspiration, what motivates you to write your songs?
Alec… “The inspiration for new songs can come from anywhere really. It can be something really small and simple that sparks an idea in your head or something more intense, such as politics or relationships. Sometimes a melody can come first and then while working on it a few lyrics will naturally appear and dictate what the rest of the song should be about. I tend not to force myself to write a song and usually will write when I’m in a good mood myself, so as a result a lot of the material on this album is quite positive and uplifting I hope”.
Skerryvore will at the Ironworks on the 13th of April, tickets are available via www.Ironworksvenue.com.
