You recorded your latest album in rural Wiltshire. How did this ambiance influence your songwriting?
I think the rural atmosphere did have an effect, as it does in much of my life. I guess the album has a very natural, rustic feel to it but I think the main impact of the studio was a result of the amazing vintage analogue equipment we were able to use there which gave the record its timeless feel.
You co-produced Theyesandeye with Simon Byrt. In which ways did he help your music?
Simon and I had a great working relationship in making this album. He has an obsession with vintage reverb units and has quite a collection of them. This came up in our initial conversation when we first met and formed a basis for a concept of how we wanted to record the album. He also has a very unique musical ear and plays a wide selection of instruments and this allowed us to take the songs in directions I hadn’t imagined before. It was an open-ended adventure and one I enjoyed very much.
Most of the tracks are love songs. Why?
Maybe I’m a little addicted to love. Then again, what else is there? No, really, there are other subjects covered in the album: Sea Organ is a call for people to wake up and look after our planet and Them is about the very human impulse to blame others, instead of taking responsibility ourselves, both in day-to-day life and in politics. The idea of a love song can be very broad: All I Need is really a love song to life. More than anything I want to address everything from the heart. That’s how I respond to music I love and so that’s how I want my music to reach people.
In the album there is also a cover of the xx’s Angels. Why did you choose that song?
I think it chose me. There was something about the song that spoke of another version waiting to be realised.
In some songs you mention nature: “true adoration of sweet mother nature”, for example. Would you define yourself an ecologist or is it a kind of spiritual approach?
Not really an ecologist but I strive to lead as natural life as possible which, to me, is the only way. I often find, though, that people find me a little weird for taking this approach. People are often so used to living in a highly mechanised, sanitised and packaged world that they think I’m being awkward when I don’t want fast-food, additives and artificial flavours or something cooked in a microwave; when I crave fresh air rather than air-con or fields rather than streets.
What is it like to live in a commune?
I used to live in a “community” which I think is a little different from the cliche of a “commune”. We shared cooking and other duties and decided on how things were done at weekly meetings. It was a great and sometimes challenging place to be but helped me to grow in ways I never expected. These days I live in an apartment which is part of a communally-owned house and land but I have much less interaction with my neighbours here. Sometimes I crave to live somewhere very remote and look only at the ocean.
You are the daughter of a folk singer. How did you interface with this heritage? Do you feel part of English folk tradition?
I grew up surrounded by acoustic music and started singing before I could speak. Even though my mum was an English folk singer, many of her influences were American or Canadian (such as Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Crosby Stills & Nash) and so my taste in music was quite transatlantic. Having said that I definitely feel the English folk scene is a big part of my heritage. From an early age I would go to Folk Clubs and Festivals with my parents and my first ever performances were around the age of 11 or 12 at these events.
You also published two picture books. Did you have fun working on them? Will there be a third one?
The picture books, or at least the first one, happened by chance in a way. I had written a poem about a creature called “The Phlunk” when my children were small and had forgotten about it until I rediscovered it amongst papers in a drawer. So I decided to make a book and found a wonderful illustrator who brought “The Phlunk” to life. I think working on these was definitely fun. I don’t know if there’ll be a third one or not. It depends what my character gets up to next.
I’d like to try writing stuff for adults some day. A novel or some short stories…
Two years go Backspace Unwind was Lamb’s latest album. What should we expect next from you and Andy?
Well… next year is Lamb’s 21st birthday so we’re planning some special stuff around that for later in the year. I can’t really tell you much more just now but I’ll be busy touring with theyesandeye into spring/summer anyway. I have a bunch of northern Italian shows in the calendar for early January and more to come.
Next March I am going to your hometown Manchester for the first time. Any suggestions?
You need to go to The Northern Quarter which is the “cool & funky” part of town and stay away from the main high street and Piccadilly which is pretty grim. For Italians I think food is pretty difficult there but there’s plenty of great music and youth culture.
I have to say that Manchester is a bit of an “acquired taste” for many people. My partner is Italian and I still haven’t taken him there. I think I’m afraid he wouldn’t like it much.
