We catch up with Lewis Stevenson ahead of Belladrum 2024 and ask him a few questions.
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What would be your FFO list?
I’ve a lot of different influences, but I’d describe myself as singer songwriter, hints of folk, indie, countryish. A bit of Neil Young, Springsteen. I’d also say maybe bands like Idlewild – introspective, folk-tinged storytelling.
Tell us a little about how the band came to be and a story so far.
In a previous existence I played bass in a glam punk rock band, his king stages across the Highlands and Scotland. I’ve always been a songwriter, and started to develop my own solo sound and style while living in Edinburgh, adding my own stuff into cover sets I was playing at the time. A relocation to the Highlands later and after a bit of a hiatus I’ve been writing and getting out playing again.
As an act, how has 2024 treated you so far?
2024 has been good so far. I’ve been getting out more, playing various places across Inverness, writing songs, getting them released and streaming and slowly building things up. Now a performance at Bella, where I’ve been keen to play since I first came here about 12 years ago.
You have three original songs to wow the Belladrum audience, which ones would they be and why?
‘Hungry Ghosts’ – coming out on Spotify soon. This is one of my more recent songs, it’s about being kind to yourself, trying to understand yourself, it was kind of written for people out there, people I know, that are sometimes at the mercy of their own internal hungry ghosts.
‘The Silent Weaver’ – inspired by the true story or Angus McPhee, the silent weaver of grass from Uist. He spent fifty years in Craig Dunain Hospital, barely speaking, and weaving magnificent artworks out of grass. Something in that story resonated with me when I heard it, and I wanted to share the story. There’s something powerful in the idea that we all, perhaps, have art and the power of creation inside us.
‘Already Home’ – quite simply my love letter to home, written when I was travelling abroad and thinking of Scotland and the Highlands a lot, in particular growing up and memories of being a teenager. It was one of the first I wrote when I returned to songwriting, and it’s maybe more accurate to say it’s a love letter to home and my youthful memories.
Festivals are renowned for horrible clashes, which act on the Belladrum line-up would you least like to clash with and why?
Pretty easy answer, and that’s Teenage Fanclub. A big inspiration for me, I’ve seen them live several times – including at the Ironworks, Wick, and very randomly in Turin in Italy – and they’re always amazing.
What are you favourite memories of Belladrum? If it’s your first time, what Is the draw to playing Belladrum?
I’ve not been to Bella for a good few years, so I’m really looking forward to returning. I had a few years in a row of going and have lots of highlights: I was very excited to see Prides play at the Seedlings stage one year, I was front and centre, then see them again on the main stage in 2015. However the best memory was seeing the Manics headline that year – my teenage heroes and inspiration playing my local festival was an immense experience for me.
Given the Love theme, if you had to create a love playlist with only five songs, what would be on it?
I don’t know that I do conventional love songs….
Nick Cave – Into My Arms
Teenage Fanclub – About You
The National – Fake Empire
The Cure – Just Like Heaven
Future Islands – Ran
If you could travel back in time which Belladrum would you like to revisit?
Tricky question! There are a few good years that happened before I came for the first time…having had a look at previous years lineups, I think I’d go to 2007.
Away from the main stage, Julian Cope was playing and I’d have loved to see him, but also Lloyd Cole, Wreckless Eric, Kris Drever, Roddy Hart, then on the Seedlings stage was Foxface, a band I saw live once supporting Idlewild and was blown away by. The final big draw though is The Needles on that stage, old friends and tour mates from a previous life.
In your repertoire, what is the most romantic song you have?
As above, I’m not sure I quite do romantic songs as such…The Feeling Always Stayed is probably the closet I have, which is kind of about a love, a feeling, that endures long after a separation.
What’s on the horizon for you after Belladrum?
More of what 2024 has offered so far – getting out and playing more, with an aim on further afield than Inverness, writing new songs, hopefully getting back into the studio, and releasing more stuff onto Spotify.
Lewis Stevenson is playing at the Free Range Acoustic Stage on Saturday at 2.15 and can keep track of Lewis via Facebook.
