Edinburgh-born Roseanne Reid’s sophomore album, LAWSIDE, moves slightly away from the Americana sound of her 2019 debut, TRAILS and closer to a more traditional folk direction. TRAILS revealed her to be one of the most promising, emerging artists in the Americana genre, outside of Canada and the U.S.A., and featured a duet with Steve Earle, a declared admirer of the Scot, who shared the lyrics on the song, Sweet Annie. With the recording taking place close to her adopted home of Dundee, LAWSIDE finds Reid embracing her Celtic origins on a number of tracks with the inclusion of fiddles and bodhran drums. The result is an altogether more confident and relaxed sound that will, no doubt, attract growing numbers to the song writing of an artist successfully and steadily moving up the industry ladder.
Was music a large part of your life growing up?
It was, there was a lot of music and it was a good mix, to be honest. My mum played a lot of country music, so that’s what I grew up listening to. My dad loved rock and roll, and punk, so there was a really good mix going on. I then found my way into folk music; I was drawn towards folk and the storytelling side of things in my teen years.
Was that American or UK folk music?
Both really, but I first landed on American acts before UK or Irish music. I was listening to bands like Peter, Paul and Mary and I loved Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan, that type of acoustic stuff. But I also loved listening to Luke Kelly, The Dubliners and The Pogues.
Do you recall the first-time venue you attended that you dreamt of performing at?
The first venue I was at where I thought that I would love to be on that particular stage one day was The Usher Hall in Edinburgh. I went to see Rufus Wainwright there when I was twelve and as a twelve-year-old, it looked absolutely gigantic. That was then but now I would love to get on The Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville. That’s probably the pinnacle for me, but to be fair, it’s probably the dream for most Americana acts. Though I don’t see many acts from outside The States or Canada getting on stage there though there are more opportunities for grassroots artists and not just country artists to play there.
The title of your new album, LAWSIDE, sounds like it was inspired by a hard-boiled crime novel but nothing could be further from the truth.
The title does sound as if it could have a crime-associated background all right. LAWSIDE is the title of the area where my wife and I now live, and it represents where the majority of the songs were written. We’ve settled here in Dundee and the title is paying tribute, in a small way, to the area where we have settled as a family.
You recorded the album locally under the supervision of David Mcfarlane, unlike your debut album TRAILS, which was recorded in the States.
The recording of TRAILS was very exciting. It was recorded in The States in four or five days and working in that Brooklyn studio was a whole experience in itself. LAWSIDE was recorded half an hour down the road in Perth with David. It fitted my schedule a lot better having become a mum in the last year. We started recording it when my wife was pregnant and it didn’t involve having to go over to the States for a couple of weeks, which I didn’t really want to do. With this album, I could go into the studio for six or seven hours and come home, which was much less pressurised and suited my state of mind. I also like having familiar surroundings around me so it all felt a lot more relaxed and I hope that comes across on the album.
Were you working to a deadline?
I wish. Deadlines with me go out the window, whether that’s down to time or budget restraints. After TRAILS came out, I would have loved to have released another album within a year, but the pandemic happened and I became a parent.
Were the songs all written before your son was born?
They were all written before he was born. Since he’s been born, I haven’t had the time or creative headspace to get anything written. All the songs were written over the past three or four years.
Why did you pick Call It Love as the first single to be released from the album?
It’s always a bit of a dilemma choosing the first single to be released. What my audience is used to is very much acoustic, I don’t go out on the road with a band. With Call It Love, the release time was coming into spring and it’s quite a light sounding track. In many ways with its atmosphere, it felt like the natural single, and looking at it from a commercial standpoint that song was the most likely to get a bit of radio play.
It’s also a happy song and I also get that upbeat vibe from the album in general.
Absolutely, we’ve been here three years now, and the adjustment of moving from Edinburgh to Dundee was a big one. Since we’ve settled here it has given us a new state of mind, we’ve started a family here and we are very fortunate to be where we are. I do think that comes across on the album.
The vocals are out in front on the album as if to ensure that the lyrics are clearly heard.
Definitely and that’s something that we did differently from TRAILS, where the vocals were more blended with the instruments. We were very clear from the start that the vocals should be front and centre this time, but not just to emphasise the lyrics. With the touring and the gigs I’ve done since TRAILS, my voice has changed and I’m more confident with it now – so I was happier to have it on display and not hidden as much.
The lyrics are also very personal, do they generally come to you prior to adding melody?
It varies, to be honest. I do tend to prioritise the lyrics every time, whether that’s writing for an album or an EP. Although I can seldom write a full song without getting some melody behind it. I classify myself more of a songwriter than a poet for sure, writing poetry is a totally different skill.
I’m getting a definite Celtic feel to a number of the tracks, Something Broken and Mona Lisa in particular. Were you intentionally introducing a more local feel to the instrumentation?
Yes, that’s definitely emphasised with the instruments we’ve used on those tracks, which are both quite Celtic folk-sounding. We’ve got the bodhran drum on Mona Lisa and the fiddle is on quite a few tracks. That’s something we didn’t really have on TRAILS, which was more Americana sounding. I think the new album is more varied and eclectic sounding. I was quite adamant that the Celtic roots would come through this time.
I do feel that by adding that dimension, and also that you sing in your natural accent, is particularly beneficial to attract attention in the States.
I would like to spend more time in America. I’ve only done a handful of shows over there but the appreciation and enthusiasm for Celtic music really comes across and they do want to hear your accent coming through because there are so many American and Canadian artists doing this sort of thing. If you can have something that sets you apart a little bit it actually goes a long way.
You recently toured with Steve Earle. How did that relationship develop?
Steve runs an annual song writing camp in Upstate New York called Camp Copperhead and I went along in 2016, the first year that he ran it. Thankfully he liked what I did and what I was writing, and he has been a great supporter and advocate for me since then. However, I hadn’t envisioned getting to support him on tour so it has been a dream come true in every sense. I’ve loved his work since I was ten years old and this is a real milestone for me to support him.
The added advantage is that it’s a solo tour for him.
It’s a totally different experience because the venues he’s playing, which are mainly seated shows, reflect the fact that it’s an acoustic tour. That suits me really well because I’ve done shows where I opened for a full band and the audience is set up to hear something totally different from what I’m doing and it doesn’t always work. This tour is just such a good fit across the board and I can’t wait for it.
Are you a forward-thinker in terms of your career?
No, I’m struggling to think ahead to next week at the moment. The nature of this job is so unpredictable and precarious a lot of the time. To be at the point where I’m releasing another album is such an achievement in itself so I am just going to enjoy that for the time being and whatever happens next will happen, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. For now, it’s just nice to have new music coming out and be touring and on the road with my family is so exciting. I’m just going to enjoy the days as they come.
Interview by Declan Culliton