We caught up with Dartmoor singer-songwriter Seth Lakeman ahead of his show at Devon’s beautiful Chagstock festival to chat about songwriting, recording a new album and playing festivals in the midst of ‘the sweeping wilderness’:
How would you describe your music for people who don’t know you?
I guess I’d say that it’s contemporary folk music, really. I’m influenced by guys like Led Zeppelin, Mick Jones, and Stephane Grappelli… I’ve always been influenced by rock music, pop music, and English and Irish folk, so there’s definitely a real mix of influences.
You’re heading off on tour in May and October – are you excited?
I can’t wait! The May tour is a solo tour in Scotland, and the October tour is with a full band in standing venues. We haven’t actually done one of those for a few years, so we’re all really looking forward to it. I always enjoy the solo shows, too, and they’ll definitely be very different to the gigs with the full band. I tend to play a lot more of the slower songs when I’m playing solo – it means that people can really understand the lyrical content, whereas when I’m playing with the band I can really people start to get behind the different rhythms and flows of the songs. They’re both great fun.
What’s your favourite song to play live?
It’s definitely Kitty Jay. That’s the one that people really go mad for, and even ten years on I think that it still sounds pretty unique.
Did you ever think that you’d still be making music in ten years when you released Kitty Jay?
I didn’t even think about it back then! I just kept my head down and carried on writing, and that’s really still what I’m doing. For me, music is something that I do, as opposed to something that I think has to be done. I do feel like I didn’t really think that much about it, and I never even considered what I’d be doing ten years down the line. I feel very privileged to be able to still be doing this.
Do you prefer playing festivals or your own headline shows?
Festivals are different. You’ve got to be quite immediate in the way you approach the show, for a start. You’ve got to keep it upbeat, and you can’t play too many new songs, so there’s a lot that you have to consider. I just think that you can be a little bit more adventurous at your own shows, and you can try a lot of new things out that you wouldn’t necessarily be able to try and do at a festival.
You’re playing Chagstock in July – have you got many memories of the festival?
It’s a great festival. It’s only twenty minutes up the road from home for me, and I’ve always really enjoyed going there. I’ve played there a couple of times, and every time I’ve done it I’ve always felt like the setting just really suits the songs. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful festivals I’ve ever played at. It’s set right in the heart of Dartmoor, so the fact that the stage is set in the midst of the sweeping wilderness is genuinely unlike anything you’ll see at any other festivals. It’s really evocative.
If you could only play one of your songs to somebody who’s never heard of you, which one would it be?
Ooh, I’m not sure. It depends… I think Portrait Of My Wife. It’s a different take on my usual approach to music and lyrics, so I’d probably go with that one.
When can we expect a new album from you?
I’ve got a new live album coming out to coincide with the tour in October, which I’m pretty excited about. I’ve also written a whole album’s worth of new songs, so I’d say that a new album should be out by April next year. I’m constantly writing, so we should hopefully be recording by the end of October. I’m going to be playing about four or five new songs on my solo tour, and I’m sure that we’ll be playing some new songs on the full band tour in October.
What made you want to make music in the first place?
It’s just something I’ve always done. My entire family love playing music, so it’s just part of what I do. Even now, I’ll go and play some tunes in a pub, just because it’s my hobby. I’ve got a room in my house that’s full of lots of different instruments – there are guitars, mandolins, violins, and lots of other things with strings in there. I’ll just go in there every day and have a play, and I’ll still just really enjoy it.
Who’s your ultimate musical icon?
I’d have to say Stephane Grappelli. He’s a violinist from the 1930s, and he’s one of the best who ever lived. He was a swing player, and he was almost like a pop star in his era.
Out of every song ever recorded, which do you wish you’d written?
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.
Out of all your songs, which is your favourite?
That’s quite hard, actually. I don’t know… I’ll go with Kitty Jay.
Can you talk us through your songwriting process?
Every morning I get up and start trying to think of ideas. Some might progress, some might not, and I just record them onto an iPhone and develop them into songs and stories as I go. Sometimes you’ll hit a wall and not get anything from them, and at other times the ideas can’t stop coming. I’ve always got ideas for songs, but sometimes the key or feel of a song just dictates where it goes. It’s unpredictable.
Describe yourself in three words?
Ah… That’s really hard… I’m afraid not!
