Bowlegs: How are you?

Alasdair: I’m okay yeah.

Bowlegs: Your new ep. Fantastic, we’ve had a good listen to that and it’s going down well here. Your last album was highly instrumental. The new ep is more stripped down, really gone back to very acoustic sound.

Alasdair: All the songs were recorded in the same sessions. It was just a case of choosing which ones seemed to work together as an album and the ones that didn’t are the ones that ended up on the ep. The ones that were sonically apart from the other ones.

Bowlegs: Did you always think this might happen?

Alasdair: I think I thought it might be a double album, but then…minds were changed.

Bowlegs: Was there not enough for a second album then?

Alasdair: I just thought it was a good way to use the tracks, which I didn’t think were bad songs and so someone might just like to hear them. Rather than keeping them for another time and adding to them later I wanted to move on essentially.

Bowlegs: And do you feel the ep has a relevance with the popularity of downloading? Perhaps it’s quite a suitable format for people to keep accessing your music?

Alasdair: I don’t know, I mean I’m not really expecting it to sell very well, I mean it doesn’t seem like a very marketable medium (laughs) in a way. I don’t really think much about that.

Bowlegs: How is being signed to drag city? You’ve been signed to them for a number of years now. Do you think that being signed to them alters the way you are perceived with the folk world?

Alasdair: Possibly. I mean, I’ve just made a new record of traditional ballads which will get released in March of 2010 I think. The kinds of songs that have been in my repertoire for a few years – I recorded them over the summer with some great players in Glasgow. It sounds nothing like the last couple of records; it’s more – it’s very traditional. A kind of straightforward traditional folk record. But I think maybe, the fact is that I vacillate between the two things. I go into the world of folk and traditional songs, and then, I suppose, I react against it because I think, maybe it’s not really enough for me, artistically, to just do that. That’s what drives me on to do new things. Confuse people.

Bowlegs: There’s obviously still a common thread there throughout, though. Especially in the subject matter. Where do the themes of those traditional ballads originate from? Is it something you research?

Alasdair: I do a lot of research, listening to that kind of material, reading. You know, I’ve just made this record of traditional songs, but the next one will probably be one of my own songs. I’m in a writing phase at the moment. Then after that, it’ll probably be another traditional record because I’ve got another seven or eight songs of those that I want to do, plus a few more that I’m thinking of – ideas for others that I’d like to sing.

Bowlegs: The biographical songs that you do. Is that a real passion?

Alasadair: My own songs?

Bowlegs: Both your own songs and the traditional ballads. Is it something that you have an absolute love for and want to know about and learn about all the time?

Alasdair: I’m interested in learning new forms from old songs sure. My own songs do look back a lot and draw from the past in a kind of inter-textual way. Maybe incorporate symbols and images from traditional songs, yes. They are located in that world, within this matter of Britain, or matter of Europe. The song matter, folkloric matter of…life! It seems to me that’s the only way to work.

Bowlegs: Let’s talk about your success in America. You’re very well received there, when a lot of people in a similar vein may struggle. Why do you think that is?

Alasdair: I don’t think I am really! (Laughter) But yes I have been lucky enough to do some big tours there; I’ve toured a lot, I got a really good offer to open for the Decemberists over there a few years ago, playing in front of five hundred college kids. I suppose it’s just opportunities like that. Getting to play in front of people who wouldn’t otherwise hear your music.

Bowlegs: Would you like to do more in America?

Alasdair: Definitely. I think we’re going to go over there next year.

Bowlegs: People are still making comparisons between you and Will Oldham. Obviously he had a large influence on you in the early days. Is that comparison still a good thing for you? What’s your relationship with him like now?

Alasdair: Sure in the early days I was influenced by him. I don’t know, I suppose it’s a comparison to make just because our songs do have a nepotistic element. But it does get a little tiresome to hear it all the time.

Bowlegs: Do you think you’ll do anymore music with him, or Jason Molina? Are we going to see any more collaborations?

Alasdair: I’d really like to do that again, yes.

Bowlegs: Tell us about your back catalogue. What are some of your proudest moments there? Are you your own worst critic? Is there anything you particularly shy away from?

Alasdair: I don’t really listen to any of it anymore. I sometimes think back to the early records I made and I think – you know I should really revisit this song, play it live again and see what happens – the songs I wrote fifteen years ago – hear them go down now. I’m pretty much ambivalent to them. There’s things I like about them and things I think could improve.

Bowlegs: Do you see the latest release as the thing you’re most proud of? Or do you still look back and think actually I’d really like to be able to recapture that again?

Alasdair: Well I’m pretty happy with this new one we’ve recorded that’s not out yet. Maybe the thing I’m happiest with in terms of realisation of the recording is the traditional material but in terms of my own songs I’m never really that satisfied. I suppose I am most satisfied there with the new material I’m working on, yes, because no-ones heard it! It takes a while to realise – to figure out maybe – how it should be presented.

Bowlegs: Do you have a name for this new album?

Alasdair: No not yet.

Bowlegs: Will it be accompanied by a new tour? You  said you’re going back to America next year: will there be a European tour as well?

Alasdair: I think so, yes.

Bowlegs: Excellent.

Alasdair: Australia and New Zealand in March.

Bowlegs: Cool. Do you have any say who goes on tour with you? Your support bands?

Alasdair: Sometimes. There’s a lot of great bands in Glasgow at the moment. I haven’t really thought that far ahead.

Bowlegs: What were your musical highlights of 2009?

Alasdair: I like a guy called Bill Taylor, who plays medieval harp. He’s an expert in Welsh medieval harp. He plays these eleventh century harp tunes that last about eleven minutes, kind of repetitive, minimalist. Formally it’s quite similar to highland bagpipe music in that it’s very repetitive and stately. Very dry kind of music. I’m really interested in that. I want to explore that kind of music. I’ve seen a lot of good gigs this year. I don’t know. Too many to mention!

Bowlegs: What’s on your iPod?

Alasdair: I don’t have one! I just use a personal stereo. A friend of mine in America just sent me a load of CDs so I’m just kind of working my way through those at the moment.

Bowlegs: Finally, what was the last really good book you read?

Alasdair: I’ve been reading a lot of poetry recently. I’ve been revisiting Pound. I’ve been reading a lot of Irish poets. Plus Shaun O’Brien from Newcastle. Michael Symmons Roberts. Lots of different poets. I’m halfway through Ulysses at the moment. I’m also reading Arthur Hughes’ book about the Grail legend as well.

Bowlegs: Thanks for your time

Alasdair: Okay thanks.