Festival Interviews

1. Is it true you gave up a potential career as a competitive showjumper to concentrate on your music?

I only did the showjumping up to the age of 16 on ponies and I absolutely adored it and still miss it, but after the age of 16 one is technically too old for ponies so I had no choice but to give it up. At that stage I was beginning to make a living from my gigs so the music naturally took over.

2. You first toured the USA with Disirt Tola at the age of 14 and your first world tour was as a member of The Waterboys. Is live performance very enjoyable to you still?

Absolutely. When everyone hits it on the same night at the same time - it's magic !

3. You are renowned for demonstrating wideranging musical influences, from reggae and hip hop to Cajun and French Canadian. What do you aim for when playing live?

To have as much fun and give as much enjoyment to the audience as possible

4. The list of other artists you have worked with reads like a who's who of music: Steve Earle, Adam Clayton, Mike Scott, Shane McGowan, Nigel Kennedy, Christy Moore and Jackson Browne to name but a few. Are there any collaborations which you've been particularly proud of?

I really have enjoyed working with all those people. We recently recorded a new single of a Shane MacGowan song called 'Mama Lou' with Camille O'Sullivan. I loved that.

5. You've recently brought a lot of enjoyment to Scottish audiences with some live performances. Are you looking forward to joining us in Stornoway for the HebCelt Festival?

Scotland has always been great - so yes

6. You recently won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 Meteor Awards. How does that rank in your list of many successes?

It's a great honour

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