Softly spoken singer/songwriter Kate Walsh firstsprang to our attention in 2007 and when her second album Tim’s House topped the iTunes chart, despite the album having been recorded on a shoestring in her producer’s home studio. Classically trained, Walsh turned to song writing in her teens, and she releases her fifth album The Real Thing on 21st November. Her subtle songs brim with emotional intensity, relishing the beauty of a hush with inventive instrumentation.
Your new album The Real Thing is out in November. Can you describe the record to me? How has your sound progressed on the record?
It’s a live album so it’s just me and my cellist in the studio, no overdubs, no post production, things like that. It’s just the songs as they were written, which is the first time I’ve done that on an album. Progressing-wise I’m stripping back, definitely.
On The Real Thing you’ve avoided overdubbing and fancy production, and instead tried to capture one-take performances. Why is capturing an authentic live sound so important to you? Do you think your classical background has turned you into something of a purist?
Yeah, I would say that. I don’t think it necessarily comes from my classical background but I think it comes from being a songwriter and I never really enjoyed the studio and recording albums because I’m not that interested in recreating and then changing, I like to keep things as they’re written. As soon as you start changing it’s just not as authentic.
You’ve been releasing The Real Thing one track at a month on your website. Why did you decide to release it that way?
For a few reasons. Marketing-wise it was a really good idea because obviously we don’t have the budget that they have at the major record labels so in terms of advertising and promotion we can’t really reach the masses as they can. But releasing a track a month keeps people interested. Rather than having one big release in a couple of weeks time when people are already forgetting about you and moving onto the next thing, they’re kind of reminded that Kate Walsh is around and it really helps with the word of mouth thing. Also it kind of works with my disinterest at being in the studio, because it means we just go in, record three or four songs in one day. It’s great for me.
In a lot of ways you seem to be quite a nostalgist – you listen mostly to classic fm, you seem to bemoan the demise of vinyl and CDs, you didn’t own an iPod even when you were top of the iTunes charts. Do you feel that there’s a contradiction between the music you make and the way you have to market it?
I don’t know actually, I wouldn’t really call myself nostalgic, I just don’t really enjoy listening to music downloaded really. I don’t really listen to that much music anymore, I have to be entirely honest. And vinyl, I don’t know where it says about the decline of vinyl cause I’ve never owned a record player! I think we’re just doing what we can with what we have, the means that we have. And I think in a way even though it’s a bit different to the way things have been done, and the way things have been done traditionally that it’s actually keeping it as real as possible. Because the songs are pretty much being released as soon as they are recorded in some instances, and they’re as real as possible, there’s no hype about them, it’s just a new song. I guess it’s progressive but not intentionally, not from where I’m standing anyway. Maybe my manager would think so, it’s all his master plan!
You mention the highly personal nature of your song writing. Do you approach song writing as a form of therapy, a way to express the emotions you’d otherwise repress?
Oh definitely. That’s the reason why I started writing, the reason why I write now is as a sort of self-therapy. I wrote these songs when I felt a certain way and I’m lucky enough to be able to process all of that in a therapeutic way by getting it all out there, it’s cathartic. But having then to constantly revisit those songs in a live situation over the years has taken its toll. So initially it’s very therapeutic but you have to be careful of the lifespan of those songs. They’re quite emotional and they tap into a time in your life that you don’t necessarily want to keep revisiting and it becomes harder to heal in those respects, if you know what I mean?
Are there any songs that you no longer play because they are too painful?
Yes. For the first time on this tour there are going to be songs that I’m not going to sing. For lots of different reasons.
Your album Tim’s House went straight to the top of the iTunes chart before you were even signed. How did you react to that at the time?
We laughed actually because it was such a shock, we just couldn’t believe it. We’d had the single of week on iTunes where you had a free download and we thought, wouldn’t it be funny if we got into the Top 40 or something. And then it went straight in at I think 12 or 13, something like that and then over the next few days, a few hours really, hour by hour it kept creeping up. We just couldn’t believe it, disbelief I think really, and it was funny because none of us had entertained the fact that we might get any kind of success off that. Yeah, funny!
On your website you describe the music industry as “fickle, selfish, impersonal, backstabbing”…
Oh god, did I?!
It’s on your website…
Oh, I wouldn’t have said it in that way! Straight to the point, Ok…
So is maintaining your independence as an artist, away from industry control, very important to you?
I would say that if I was signed to another label, a major label, I would have to be offered an obscene amount of money, because, I think it’s about authenticity again. If you’re signed to a major label, no matter how credible you are or on what merits you’re signed, because you’re such a sincere, authentic writer, as soon as you sign to a major you have a quota and a certain budget, and you have to recoup that budget. You have to go with what they say, you have to trust what they say and you have to go along with that and it’s not something that I’m prepared to do.
What are your plans over the next year?
I’m actually taking a break from song-writing, Kate Walsh song-writing really. Every year with the tour and everything we sort of start thinking about when we’re going to release the next album but I’m not going to do that this year. I’ve been doing this about ten years and this is album number five, and I’m only 28 so I’d quite like a year off really. Other possibilities really, try and put my finger in lots of pies and try lots of different things. Within music and also other things as well. I need to allow myself a break from this to come back and appreciate it a bit more next time.
Do you have any overarching ambitions? Anywhere you particularly want your career to go?
Um, not as yet actually! Everything so far has been a surprise and a welcome bonus. Everything I’ve done… and you know I’ve done some incredible things, it’s all been a bonus, none of it has been expected. So I’m happy with everything so far.