Talking To...Jackie Oates
Welcome to the 8th editopn of “Talking To” where FATEA editor, Neil King gets to chat to some of the artists that have impressed
him through their work and releases. This occasional series continues with an interview with fiddle singer Jackie Oates
#NK Outside of the songs, there's also been a progression. You started off on just the fiddle, then you became a fiddle singer and now I understand, a bit of acting as well.
#JO Sort of and not really. I'm doing a folk play by Mick Ryan. All of my dialogue has been changed into song because I'm still a bit self conscious. One of the reasons I didn't sing for so long was I couldn't bare to have people looking at my face.
I'm going into the acting very slowly so I'm going to be singing all of my lines.
#NK I think it was working with one of the folk organisations that gave you the confidence to be a fiddle singer. I understand that you're working with younger musicians as part of that?
#JO I'm doing loads of work for Folk South West, going around schools and teaching singing. I also work for an organisation called Wrens who are based in Oakhampton. I really love that side of my work. It's really motivating and fulfilling.
#NK It's something there should be more of. It shouldn't be a one off special trip to a school. There should be a chance to build towards something.
#JO It's so important to keep them exposed to that side of their heritage and culture.
#NK And I guess if they can't hear folk in schools then records become more important, which sort of brings us back to "The Violet Hour". Were you surprised at how much anticipation there was for the album and the rave reactions to it?
#JO I was very surprised. The first album sort of wasn't released, it sort of became available and gradually built. I hadn't really done anything. I was really chuffed that the second album got so much attention so early on.
It was good to get the recognition as a soloist, because most of what I'd done, I'd done in bands, more as an accompanist.
#NK You're recording a session for Mike Harding I understand.
#JO Yes, recorded that last week and I believe that it's going out on the 16th of April. It was fun to do.
#NK Talking of recording, I understand a new Wistman's Wood album is in the pipeline?
#JO Imminently going to record the new album, with my brother in Bristol. I love playing with Wistman's Wood because…I get to play tunes. It's very relaxed and natural, very different to anything else I do.
#NK You mentioned your brother, Jim Moray, there and you played some gigs with him last year. Are there plans to do a brother/sister album?
#JO Yes there are. There's plans to do a folk rock album and hopefully tour that next year. We always talked about this and it hasn't yet happened, but hopefully it will this time. If we talk about it it will happen.
#NK Finally how does 2008 lay out for you?
#JO I've got some festival dates during the Summer and a tour later in the year. I'm playing with Reg Meuross, whose a countryesque singer/songwriter. I'm doing the Mick Ryan play, "The Navvy's Wife"
Recording, we've mentioned Wistmans Wood. And theres a project called the Woodbine and Ivy Band which has been inspired by Tony Collin's "No Roses" and it's kind of folk rock and a lot of singers taking part in that.
I think that's about it for this year. I think Van Eyken are taking a year off, but it's a busy year.
#NK Thank You