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By John Anson, The Preston Citizen, 30 Mar 2007
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Julie's star is rising above horizon

Julie Fowlis is one of the rising stars of the British folk scene and yet the bulk of her audience don't understand a word of what she is singing about. We spoke to her about her date in Burnley on April 1.

THE music world first took notice of Julie Fowlis when she picked up the Horizon Award for best newcomer at last year's BBC2 Folk Awards.

Since then she has been winning more and more fans with her beautiful renditions of songs in her native Gaelic.

With a new album - Cuilidh - and her first major UK tour underway, it's certainly an exciting time for the singer from North Uist in the Outer Hebrides.

"I think if you were to try and sell the tour by asking people if they would like to come and see a singer from an island they have never heard of singing songs they can't understand you might struggle a bit," laughed Julie down the phone.

"But people in England have been really supportive of me. I have had a lot of opportunities to play at festivals and I've had such a warm reaction from all over the country. I think the key thing is that people love music. To me there are only two types of songs - good ones and bad ones."

Although she sings in Scottish Gaelic, such is the purity of her voice and her ability to interpret a song that it matters little you don't understand the lyrics.

"I don't really see myself as some sort of missionary," she said. "I am just interested to see if people will come along and like the music and enjoy the show."

Many of Julie's songs are traditional songs of the islands which she has given new life to.

"When we perform we aim to put on a show," she said.

"The traditional way these songs were heard was totally unaccompanied. I've tried to provide appropriate accompaniment to them."

Since winning the Horizon Award, Julie has been receiving much more mainstream attention.

"I suppose that the whole awards thing doesn't really sit naturally with the thinking behind folk music but in a modern world it is a way of creating interest and we have to accept we are part of a commercial business," she said.

"I don't feel any pressure from having won an award. The pressure I put on myself if to make sure that my live performances are up to previous shows I've done.

"I want to create a good atmosphere so that the audience feels that we are all there together having a good time."