Abstract
Seth Lakeman (b. 1977, Devon, U.K.) is an English folk singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He describes his style as indie-folk, drawing on rock and electric styles. Lakeman’s second album Kitty Jay was shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize in 2005. In this interview with Katherine Williams, he talks about his early musical experiences and development, crucial turning points in his career, and tips for up-and-coming singer-songwriters.
KW: Good evening Seth. Thanks for talking to me—I am sure our readers will benefit from hearing your experiences and advice.
How would you describe your style?
“I would say it’s indie-folk. It’s contemporary folk songs, so it’s looking at people, and the environment and place that you live in—which I would describe as folk music—and taking it, and using it with contemporary sounds. It’s important to give quite a nod to, and keep your roots in, the tradition as well. It’s a careful balance, but it’s important to have your own independence as well … I’ve always played and kept to acoustic traditional instruments as in the fiddle, viola, mandolins, and bouzoukis. I’ve kept the instrumentation quite rigid to tradition, but I think the ways it’s approached have come from other idioms … My music crosses between various styles and genres.”...
KW: Good evening Seth. Thanks for talking to me—I am sure our readers will benefit from hearing your experiences and advice.
How would you describe your style?
“I would say it’s indie-folk. It’s contemporary folk songs, so it’s looking at people, and the environment and place that you live in—which I would describe as folk music—and taking it, and using it with contemporary sounds. It’s important to give quite a nod to, and keep your roots in, the tradition as well. It’s a careful balance, but it’s important to have your own independence as well … I’ve always played and kept to acoustic traditional instruments as in the fiddle, viola, mandolins, and bouzoukis. I’ve kept the instrumentation quite rigid to tradition, but I think the ways it’s approached have come from other idioms … My music crosses between various styles and genres.”...
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Singer-Songwriter Handbook |
| Editors | Justin Williams, Katherine Williams |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Academic |
| Chapter | 11 |
| Pages | 165-172 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Edition | 1st |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781628920314, 9781628920321 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781628920291, 9781628920307 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 23 Feb 2017 |
| Externally published | Yes |