In the often fickle world of music, a tour celebrating 40 years of performing live is rare.
It takes a musician with a natural talent to shape their own path through that world and achieve success that balances commercial success with artistic freedom.
Eddi Reader is doing 19 Scottish dates on her 40 Years Live tour, in addition to numerous dates in England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
There’s also a UK tour with Jools Holland and special events throughout the year. It’s quite a schedule after being at home for so long.
Even sitting at home, there was something to occupy her mind.
“When everything stopped and locked down, I knew that even though the life I knew had stopped, my situation was so much better than so many others. I had a nice house and I could coorie doon there.
A film on the back burner
“During that time I had a call from the Australian actor Guy Pearce, who was writing and producing a film on Tim Finn, the New Zealand songwriter. There was going to be a lot of Tim Finn songs in the film, and he wanted me to sing them.
“Then of course, with Covid the funding was pulled, but it might still be on. That’s one that’s on the back burner.”
It was also a sign that life would get back on track at some point. In a way it’s also a message that comes from Light is in the Horizon Yet, the title track to Eddi’s album that was released in January of this year.
New album over lockdown
The album was produced over lockdown by bringing together some songs that were recorded and complete, some that needed some finishing touches.
Rhen there is the title track, adapted from a poem by Irish poet Thomas Moore, Do Not Say Life Is Waning.
“The words, ‘Do not say that life is waning while you are here and love remaining, light is in the horizon yet’ really resonated with me,” she says.
“It was among a sheaf of 19th-Century writings that I inherited from my dad’s cousin who passed away in 2012.
“I’ve been minding that and digging into it all for inspiration of course. I wasn’t looking for anything that day, but this piece of paper just fluttered out and presented itself.
“It was as if my ancestors were talking to me.”
Eddi says she was beginning to feel that in the later stage of her career it might be time to start passing the mantle on to the next generation.
It was a sign
When that precious piece of parchment floated from the folder, it was a sign that for her, nothing was waning yet.
“There was definitely a feeling that ‘the milk’s no aff yet!’,” she laughs. “In fact I started to realise that I haven’t even begun yet.”
That even comes to dealing with the physical changes that happen as we get older.
Even though Eddi’s voice sounds as glorious as ever to our ears, she can feel a shift.
“I have to look after my voice a wee bit more now. It might just be a little warm-up every day, even if it’s boring to do it.
“I don’t like the quality of the noise I’m making as much as I used to, but there are bits in it that are still good if I’m given the right song to sing.
My voice is a part of me
“Of course it’s not an instrument that I have sitting in a corner of the room, it’s part of me. Now it’s more about why a song reaches out to me – sometimes I don’t know why it’s reaching out, but it’s making me feel something.”
One of the songs on the new album that reached out to Eddi was recorded several years ago. Michael Marra’s Here Come The Weak is not only a beautiful song but also a rallying cry in Marra’s particular way.
“That was particularly important, because when I sang it we had just gone through the independence argument. I felt that that was the position that Scotland was in, but there was a rising up and I wanted the big noise to shut up.
Scotland needs to be equal
“I think we have been treated as the lint in the back pocket of another empire and that does not sit well with me. I don’t like people who abuse that relationship.
“I think we can have a relationship with our neighbours, but we just don’t have to be dominated and controlled by people that we would never vote for.
“We need to be a family, but we need to be equal. Whatever we do politically but it will continue until we are equal. There’s that idea in that song that the sun will come up shining…”
Eddi moved back to Scotland after her “pop star” years, when Fairground Attraction split due to sources outwith any of their control – the pressure that music business success brings.
“I think since finding out that fantasy of music business success isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, I’ve always just done the job of work on my own time and at my own pace and on my own terms.”
A sinister side
There was a much more sinister side to the attention too. Eddi had been performing since her teens and had worked her way towards the number one slot with Perfect and platinum-selling album First of a Million Kisses.
That allowed certain sections of the press to treat her private life as headlines, whether the stories were true or not.
“I think it was the News of the World that had a headline ‘PERFECT SINGER LOSES BABY.’ It was absolute rubbish but my parents saw it and panicked.
“I had to call and tell them it wasn’t true. I can’t even begin to think what it was like for people like Amy Winehouse – they just wouldn’t leave her alone.”
Fairground Attraction was a small part of those 40 years, however, and since the ’90s, which she regards as the time she sorted herself out, she has been a musician who is in demand, whether it’s her solo work or collaborations with other musicians and writers.
Her husband, John Douglas, is a member of Scottish band Trashcan Sinatras, along with her brother Francis Reader, so there’s domestic harmony in how to make a living from music.
A musical family
The pair work well together too, with John sometimes on production duties and occasionally joining Eddi as part of a live band.
One of her sons Charlie is involved in the business but prefers to stay in the background. His mum did convince him to sing on the new album, however.
“He sings with me on Gerry Rafferty’s Mary Skeffington, which was written for his mother. Although I think Gerry was singing to all women.”
Setlist of 40 years of Live
The choice of what to include on the 40 Years of Live setlist is something that can change from show to show.
“Sometimes I do forget what’s there. I think what rises to the top rises when I shake the gravel inside that head of mine.
“The ones that I really want to come out will come out when I do that. But then, of course, other people remind me of some… and there are certainly newer ones or ones that I haven’t done for a while.
Fairground Attraction songs
“To be honest too, I don’t really know what people want to hear. If we’re enjoying ourselves on stage, I think that spreads out into the audience.
“I mean if people do walk out during the show saying ‘she didn’t do any songs that I know’ I can’t do anything about that but it’s unlikely.
I’m tending to be a little more attracted to my past, like the Fairground Attraction songs.”
Following a two-year break, there’s a concern about how the voice will hold up during such a busy year and whether she can remember lyrics.
‘It’s important to be spontaneous’
“But if audience members sing along, I might have to employ their services. It is important for me to be spontaneous. You need to trust your band and mine is absolutely trustworthy, I know that they can back me up whatever direction I go in.”
There’s a message for all the audiences in Light is in the Horizon Yet.
“To me it was something that could be cheering after what we’ve all gone through together. Now we’re back together for music and that’s something to be thankful for.”
Eddi Reader 40 Years Live,. April 1 Perth Theatre, April 2 Dunfermline Alhambra. August 18 Crail Community Hall, September 9 Gardyne Theatre, Dundee.
www.eddireader.co.uk
