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Celtic Roots, BBC Scotland, Spring 2005
(Web link)

Julie Fowlis agreed to talk to Celtic Roots during a well-deserved three-day break in Ireland. As you'll read below, Julie is so busy touring these days her feet barely touch the ground.

Spurred on by the success of her debut solo album mar a that mochridhe (as my heart is), Julie is about to start work on a second album of Gaelic song. She plans to introduce the new material gradually in concerts over the summer and during a tour of England in November this year.

Julie is also a member of Dòchas.

You've had a hectic start to 2006, and, in fact, the whole of last year seemed to be pretty busy for you too..
Yes, it's been mad, probably a bit too manic! It's always great to be busy but I think I worked out that I haven't had a day off since before Celtic Connections. I did the Hogmanay show and then had a few days off after that. Then we started rehearsing for Celtic Connections, and then myself and Eamon (Doorley) were there for the opening night, and literally staryed from the first night to the last night. I only managed one night away and that was to go to Aberdeen for a Dòchas gig!

What was the highlight for you at Celtic Connections this year?
There were loads of highlights this year actually, it was probably the busiest Celtic Connections I've ever had. It was great to be involved. We did the Mike Harding Show live from Celtic Connections which was totally nerve wracking, but it was great and it went well. The Scottish Women show was great and I remember saying to everyone after the gig - I'm a Scottish Woman now! And you know how things happen totally at the last minute at big festivals like this? Well, I was asked up on stage with Cherish The Ladies, it was a huge concert with loads of ladies in the line-up and I was invited to do a wee number with them at the end, and it was class! It really was great! The Dòchas gigs were also great, and it's the first festival where we were doing gigs on our own and they went down really well. It was good to see the girls again, and Martin (O'Neill), of course.

And then came the Radio 2 Folk Awards…what did it mean to you to receive the Horizon Award?
That was totally amazing, and I'm sure everyone says this, but I genuinely didn't think I was going to get it. I'd almost put it out of my mind because I'd been asked to perform at the awards and that's what I'd been concentrating on. I was really worried about that. Of course, when they announced the award I was totally unprepared for it and I had hundreds of people to thank. And so I was a bit nervous when I went up!

You gave a very confident performance, though…
Yes, a lot of people have said that, I must be getting good at the actress bit!

As you gain more and more recognition for your music, do you feel yourself growing in confidence?
I suppose so, but I don't think I'll ever get over being nervous before a show. It's like putting a different face on when you get up on stage - you just have to get on with it. Having done it now for a few years, and when you've toured for a long time, it does do wonders for your confidence and for your stage presence.

You were the first Gaelic speaker to win the Horizon Award..do you think of yourself as a trailblazer for Gaelic singers or as a promoter of Gaelic culture?
I really don't because I think of all the people who I get my songs from. I've been really lucky and have caught a couple of breaks and see this as a chance to play this music to an audience who wouldn't normally hear Gaelic music. I'm just scratching the surface really. What I would really like, and what would make me feel good about what I do, is for people to then find out more about Gaelic or Scottish music in general.

Your album, mar a that mochridhe (as my heart is), is mostly made up of songs from Uist. Can you talk me through the process of collecting the songs and then how you went about choosing the songs for the album?
I had a few songs in mind at the start, a few Uist songs or a few Uist versions of songs. One of things that got me going was getting funding from the Scottish Arts Council. I had applied on a wing and a prayer and, of course, I got it. Part of the application was to do some research into the songs both at the School of Scottish Studies and at home on Uist.

I spent a bit of time at Edinburgh University viewing the old film footage and it took so much longer than I expected. Most of the tapes are reel-to-reel and hardly any of them are transcribed, so you just have to listen to find out what's there. I was lucky enough to listen to recordings of old Uist songs and then I was able to go back home with a few ideas. I then approached some of my old friends, neighbours and family to see if they remembered any of them.

It's an amazing thing to come from a place like that where songs are still remembered and are passed from one generation to the next - the tradition bearer thing. The songs are taught from one person to another and you don't learn them from a CD or a book. It was a great experience, and I feel very lucky in the sense that it was people from home who helped me find all of the songs.

What's the timescale for the second album?
There's no timescale as yet. I wanted to start early because it would be nice to introduce the new material gradually during concerts over the summer. I'm also due to tour England in November, so I'd quite like that to be a time to preview the new material.

You're very busy doing your solo work, touring with Dòchas and with Michael McGoldrick and others, and you find time to teach as well. How do you manage all of these commitments?
Well, I think they compliment each other really. With Dòchas, we've never been able to be full-time because two of the girls work and so we've always had to do pockets of stuff here and there. When we've had advance notice the girls have managed to wangle time off. When you're a full-time musician there is a lot of time when it's blank, and you have to pay your mortgage!

One last question…are there any particular musical influences or musicians that inspire you?
In terms of Gaelic singers, really genuinely, all the singers from home. Hugh Matheson, my next door neighbour, when I was growing up - he's an amazing man and an amazing singer; he's in his 80's now. And Isa McKillop [Julie's primary school teacher in North Uist] and Catriona Garbit, they've been great at helping me with songs. But the one lady who inspires me is Mary Smith from Lewis. She's a great friend and a great craic, and an absolute inspiration.