Here is my interview, verbatim, with Wallis Bird.

What is your favourite “line” from your songs?

The bottles, the battles, the beds that I’ve shared are all mine

 

Where would you love to play in the future – any far-flung countries you have yet to visit?

I’d like to get over to Mexico this year. There’s a large guitar festival over there every year around this time and I’ve never had the time to play at it.

 

Do you worry the people – of which your songs may be about – will realise it’s about them?

No, I gave up singing anything that would put a particular person in an exposed or bad light. That kind of thing tends to come back at you. If anyone makes it onto a lyric it tends to be reflective or about something we shared together. No horribleness!

 

Do you ever read/listen to what you write and think it sounds awful? (As a writer this is often a qualm!)

How do you overcome crises of confidence?

Yeah, there have been some ‘growing up’ moments that I could simply cringe about, but I can’t dwell on that. Just got to learn from my mistakes. Confidence comes from me realising that anything can and most likely will happen, so I take great comfort in that.

 

Most memorable gig?

Ah god too many, too many!….honestly. One memory which changed my life is this one- imagine this: My band and I were playing an open air gig on the grounds of a castle. I stage dived onto the audience, carefully though, as I still had the guitar in my hands and was still playing along with the song while the audience was singing “Oh Love Can Make A Woman Or A Man”. So, I lay back, being held up by everyone’s hands, which is a wonderful experience in itself…. and I looked up into the sky and saw it alight with a million stars… I get a lump in my throat thinking about it now.

 

Any on the road disasters?

Yes!!! The slide door of the tour van broke open when we were driving 120kmph down the autobahn! Turning up to a venue that didn’t have a PA system. And it was Sunday so everything was closed. Headlining a really stressy English festival and plugging my guitar in to realise that it’s pick-up was 400 miles away, at home on the table.

 

Favourite musicians/music?

Musician: Aidan (my genial band mate) Music: These days I’m listening to TuNeYaRdS non-stop.

 

Any recommendations?

TuNeYaRdS, Villagers, Herons! Aidan And The Italian Weather Ladies, Steve Reich.

 

What’s your favourite song today?

Hmmmm….It’s a song from the new Herons! album called “Tell Me Girls”.

 

Tell us a few random pieces of trivia about yourself?

I can bite my toenails. I tend to say things that give me awful grief but can’t stop myself. People that can’t sing turn me on when they do.

 

Do u think/care/wonder about who listens to your music?

Yep, but I can’t think too much about that or my head will explode either from ego or dejection.

 

What does the near and distant future hold?

About 100 gigs, incredible journeys, and surprises on every corner.

 

Thank you, Wallis.

Don’t miss this little fireball at Dingwall’s, Camden on 5th April!