Friday 1^st August

The Waifs were hottly tipped as the ‘surprise hit’ for Cambridge this year and their easy, sunny rythms perfectly mirrored the up-beat attitude of the crowds, who had remained cheerful despite the morning’s unsettled weather.

It has been a fairytale year for the Australian trio who have managed to create a stir on three continents as well as fulfilling their own personal ambitions.  But despite their new found popularity, they have managed to keep their feet well and truly on the ground.

The Waifs go all coy…..

CAT:  Why do you think The Waifs have been tipped as the hottest act for the Cambridge Folk Festival 2003?

Vikki:  We’re trying to figure that out ourselves, actually!  I hear there’s been some good press and the radio stations have really got behind our latest album and been very supportive of that.

Donna: It’s our first festival in the UK so…festival word spreads; it’s a word of mouth thing, very much.

Vikki: Yeah, it could be that, it could be that some of the festivals in North America and Australia that we’ve been doing, maybe…..I dunno…maybe you could help us?!

CAT:  You’ve been going since 1992, but it’s only in the last year that you’ve made some big noises in the USA, Canada and the UK.  What has changed to give you that result?

Josh: I would say probably the introduction of a management team.  Prior to that we just did it all ourselves.  Getting people to work on your behalf in that capacity and have a long-term vision and a strategy, you know, I guess that’s paying off.

Donna:  I think it’s more the festivals and community radio that have picked up.  I think the management that we have wouldn’t have gone anywhere near what it has…..I mean the community radio in the States is huge and the people who come to the festivals listen to that. I put it down to that – the people who come and see us and talk about it.  More word of mouth.

Vikki: For a third opinion [laughs], I think it’s the new album, you know…

Donna: Oh it’s us!

Vikki: Well the new album is, sort of, the closest I know the three of us has come to putting out something that represents us musically, what we want to do and where we’re headed. And, it’s had a really good response and I’m enjoying playing those songs on stage.

CAT:  You have all written songs individually for your new album, what different things do each of you bring?

Vikki: Well we all bring our own personal experiences, I guess, to the songs and we don’t write together, like you said. Yeah, we’re influenced by different music too so there’s quite a cross-genre on the album…..

CAT:  On the subject of influence, Donna, the first song you played on your guitar was a Bob Dylan track.  How did it feel supporting him on his tour this year?

Donna: We did a tour with Bob in Australia and then we got asked to do the US tour, so we did work with him and then we’ve got one starting with him in about ten days.

CAT:  How does it feel working with, I presume, one of your idols?

Donna: Yeah, I’m one of a billion people that first played a Bob Dylan song, y’know, I mean, everyone went through that stage, I think.

CAT:  But not everyone gets to support him!

Donna: No, but then I don’t think everyone prayed as hard as I did when I was 15 either to achieve that.  That’s one of the few things I’ve ever wished for, really been passionate about without being ambitious either ‘cause I’m a pretty lazy person really.  Pretty amazing that it landed in our laps.

CAT:  And how did it feel to play the New Orleans Jazz Festival this year too?

Vikki: We’ve had an amazing year doing festivals all over the world and, for me personally, festivals are my favourite places to perform because the audience are so diverse and they’re all there to hear something new so it’s very exciting as a performer to get on stage at some of the world’s biggest festivals and in the UK.  I think we tour maybe 9 months a year and the goal is to, y’know, continue to do these fantastic live shows and venues the world over.

CAT:  On your website you sample some of your tracks.  Do you consider the web to be a friend or foe?

Josh: I think its great.  I actually think that even things like boot-legging concerts and people trading recordings and stuff like that is a good thing because ultimately your music is just getting out there to a whole lot of other people and making them aware of who you are and if that then leads them to become fans and buy records or come to shows then that can only be a good thing.

Donna: I think, yeah, it can affect us adversely, being an independent band, where… they don’t sell these things they’re just trading off us.

Vikki: I come from a slightly different angle because, for me it’s like, not being able to have control over what’s out there and what people are listening to, y’know, if you don’t like something…

Donna:  ..because it’s a bad gig or something?

Vikki:  Yeah, yeah.

Donna: But we’re our own worst critics, I mean, it’s other people who are gonna be pretty stuck to have that shitty gig.  I’ve got a really shitty recording of us playing but there’s something about it that I really like.

Josh:  I think, if you step on stage and play, y’know, that’s a public forum, you’re playing to people, you’re putting that out to 500 people who might be in the room, so why not 500 thousand?

Donna: God bless the internet!

Now who could disagree with that?

Saturday