Kate Rusby is renowned for being the defining voice of contemporary English folk music, and her “exquisite interpretations of traditional songs and finely wrought self-penned tunes” have won her a world-wide audience, says the York Barbican, where Kate will be performing next month.
Described by the Guardian as a “superstar of the British acoustic scene”, Kate is one of the few folk singers to have been nominated for the Mercury Prize. She talks to Vision about her family, memories and aspirations – and explains why her dog is called Doris.
Oscar: What is your earliest memory?
My earliest memory is playing with a doll in the sunny back garden of our first home. There was a bush that we called “the bee bush”, as it was always covered in bees collecting pollen, you had to run the gauntlet of the bees to get into the garden of fun!
Oscar: What aren’t you very good at?
I’m rubbish at reading music, really bad at spelling, I have no confidence cooking for anyone other than my husband and children – I tend to go off the recipe and experiment, I can’t help myself, almost like culinary tourettes, sometimes it works and sometimes it really, REALLY doesn’t.
Oscar: What was your favourite – and least favourite – moment throughout your Sheffield childhood in a family of musicians?
My favourite moments include camping on sunny days with music being played around us. My least favourite would have to be my first proper gig – I honestly thought I was going to die from fright.
Oscar: Who would you consider to be your best friend?
Firstly, my husband Damien O’Kane; he’s my soul mate. We work together as well as living together, I think that can only work if you have complete understanding for each other. My other best friend is Sally, we have known each other since early childhood. She was brought up similar to us, around the festivals and folk music scene, she would be my “girlie” best friend.
Oscar: You have appeared in many different folk groups, and have released your own solo albums – but what would you consider to be your most rewarding project?
Ooh good question! My ultimate project so far has to be my two daughters, Daisy – 3 months – and Phoebe – 6 months. Even just the task of fitting motherhood and a career in music into each week is an achievement. Making the album 20 was a great achievement, it was 20 tracks from scratch so a double album, with musicians and singers all over the world to co-ordinate, and gave birth to Phoebe in the middle of it. I was pleased just to get through all that still sane. The most rewarding musical achievement though has to be 2 celebratory concerts we have just done, one in Sheffield and one in London, each with guests from the album. Gigs like that can end up being messy and scrappy, but we worked really hard on sorting them all out and rehearsing, and even though there were 19 people on stage at some points, it all worked perfectly. I was incredibly proud of that achievement.
Oscar: That sounds great – could you give us one piece of life advice, please?!
Be kind and polite to people on the way up, as you’ll meet them on the way back down.
Oscar: What or who inspired your decision to name your dog Doris?!
I had a Great, Great Aunty called Doris who died when I was about 10. She lived in our village, as do many Rusbys. She was brilliant, and her face had that lovely wrinkly skin that is so soft you just have to touch it. Towards the end of her life she hardly left her little cottage but still she knew EVERYTHING that was happening in the village, all the gossip, everything. When I got my dog the only name that was fitting was Doris, she is a little black staffie with an incredible nose, she also knows EVERTHING that’s happening in the village just from a couple of sniffs of the air. It really suits her.
Oscar: How much does music mean to you?
A great deal of my life has been dedicated to music so as you can imagine it is as important to me as an arm or a leg, but still, it’s only music, people that I love come first and always have.
Oscar: You’ll be at the York Barbican soon – have you ever performed there before?
I have performed at the Barbican a few times before, both before and after it was closed and refurbished. I love playing in York anyway as the audience is always so responsive and up for a good time, but I love the Barbican especially as it is a fantastic room to sing in so makes for a satisfying gig.
Oscar: You are admired by a number of people… but who is your hero?
My all-time musical hero is a man called Nic Jones. He was an amazingly talented guitar player and singer, I used to listen to him all the time growing up. 30 years ago he was driving home from a gig and crashed into the back of a brick lorry, he was really badly broken, including one of his hands, and he was in a coma for months. He hasn’t made an album since, but even still he is one of those artists whose music never dates, you can put one of his albums on and it is still current and can compete with anything around. It was a dream come true moment for me when he came up to sing on my 20 album. A true gent!
Oscar: Live performing, or recorded music?
Ooh both, sometimes when on tour I want to be creating in the studio, and sometimes in the studio I want to get out and play the new songs live!
Oscar: What is your favourite sport, and why?
Practical joking – it should be in the Olympics. My best one to date was when I shared a room with my sister at home, she got up in the night for the bathroom and I fluffed up my quilt to look like I was in my bed, then lay in the gap between the bed and the wall. I lay there for 5 minutes after she got back in bed so she could settle, then I did the perfect, scary “RAA!”
Oscar: Politics, Philosophy or Economics – which one is most important?
Equal, can’t have one without the others. I just wish they’d all get together and sort each other out, as clearly, human intervention does not work.
Oscar: If someone were to summarise Kate Rusby’s typical day, what would they say?
Rise early with the children, with not enough sleep but the morning smiles make up for it. Make sure everyone is fed, watered and cleaned. If it is a nursery morning, then get Daisy off to nursery, if not then it’s play time. Then all get togged up for walking Doris, arriving back with rosy cheeks, cold hands and snotty noses. Wipe afore mentioned noses. Play time again. Then make sure everyone is fed, watered and cleaned. Nap time/ housework and interview time. If it’s a gig day, drop Daisy at Gran’s house, get Phoebe in her car seat and pack her bag (remembering nappies and vom rag) as she usually comes with us, load up instruments, drive to gig. I use the word “drive” very loosely as we usually just queue on the motorway. Set up instruments, sound check, gig, pack up instruments, drive to hotel or home depending where we are – actually moving this time – give Phoebe her night feed, crawl into bed. All done with a smile… mostly?!
Oscar: What do you believe to be man’s greatest achievement?
The national health service. We must fight to keep it with all our might as it is under threat. Those in power are selfish and ignorant – do not let them take it.
Oscar: Are there any maxims that inspire you?
Family motto is, Onwards and upwards.
Oscar: If you could sum your career up in one sentence, what would you say?
To sum up my career in one sentence I would say, “like a trip to Alton Towers, including the queues, but with better food”.
Oscar: What has been your happiest moment?
The moment I married Damien, and seeing my daughters for the first time – and that neither of them had daddy’s webbed toe thing so they can wear flip-flops should they choose. Ooh, imagine a life without flip-flops!)
Oscar: Could you tell us a secret?
When Daisy squirted her fully clothed grandpa with a water cannon full of very cold water on holiday, she was actually put up to it by her daddy. She was in real trouble as it scared grandpa to death, her daddy never owned up.
Oscar: What global issue would you like to see tackled right now?
Child abuse. Be it in the home, or children suffering from starvation, it is all the same. Even with the world in the financial state it’s in, there is enough money and power to protect children, we must try harder.