Karine Polwart Interview

Karine’s edgy and evocative writing and vocal poise have been steadily winning her respect and affection in the UK and internationally over the past six years as a member of traditional groups Malinky and Battlefield Band. 

But now the Scottish Borders based singer-songwriter has established herself at the forefront of the UK folk-roots scene after scooping three prizes at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in February 2005. She’s also a wonderfully genuine person. Here’s how the triple-award winner now she sees the world….

CAT:  What a fantastic year it’s been for you.  What were the three awards you won at the BBC2 Folk Awards this year?
Karine:  Best Album, Best Original Song for The Sun’s Comin’ Over the Hill and Best Newcomer - Horizon Award -which was quite funny cause I’ve been around for years!  But I know what it means, I’m quite new as a solo artist and it’s totally amazing – it’s made a huge difference, I can’t tell you how much difference it’s made really.

CAT:  Why, because of winning it, or…
Karine: Even just getting nominated for it made a massive difference but winning it and getting played on the radio and all that stuff, people right behind everything made such a big difference.  I mean the number of emails I got the week running up to the folk awards and the two or three weeks after, I mean it was overwhelming, kind of hundreds and hundreds of emails.  I really had bother trying to keep on top of it. 

CAT:  That’s absolutely brilliant!
Karine: I mean really practical things – I sold more records in a month than I did in a year, which is quite unbelievable, by miles actually, not just a wee bit but by miles, so…and people come to gigs now…you know what I mean? 

CAT:  It’s marketing at the end of the day isn’t it?
Karine: Yeah it is, I mean you think all these things don’t matter and then you realise that actually a chance like that comes along and it can totally turn your whole life.  It’s been good.

CAT:  Yes, cause you’ve been on the scene of a number of years, haven’t you?
Karine: Yeah, this is my sixth year kinda full time, kicking around with Malinky and Battlefield Band, which is slightly different cause it’s slightly more traditional orientated that the stuff I’m now doing but I made a living and had a nice time and all the rest of it but it feels like some infant.

CAT:  Totally new?
Karine: They’re all my songs, it’s my brother and my husband that are all in the band and it’s nice, it’s kinda like a team.  You don’t have to explain much, you know how people think and a lot of that you can’t take for granted, all that kinda stuff - you’re sitting in a car for six or seven hours.

CAT:  You want to make sure you get on. Don’t you!
Karine: Exactly, totally! But also just in terms of the way that we play together it’s much, much…it’s very relaxed and it means that I don’t compromise at all with anything in the set, I can sing whatever I feel like.  If I want to sing an unaccompanied ballad I can get up and sing an unaccompanied ballad…

CAT:  You’re not going to offend anyone?
Karine: yeah, and there’s no inconsistency in it, it’s just like, these are my songs, take it or leave it kind of thing, so it’s quite scary.

CAT:  Does that make you feel more exposed though?
Karine: Well, it means that if people don’t like it there’s no buffer between…it’s like, if they don’t like it then that’s cool but if they don’t like what I’m doing then that’s the end of it, it’s my responsibility…I decided everything in the set, but it’s kinda liberating as well, you can only be yourself.

Continued