The Scottish duo’s back catalogue boasts years of experience, with their latest album Let’s Hear It for the Dogs staying true to form. Ffion Riordan-Jones caught up with one half of the twosome, Craig Reid, to find out more about what it is like to be a Proclaimer.
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What inspired Let’s Hear it for the Dogs?
Well there’s lots of different subjects covered in it you know? There’s politics, there’s love songs, there’s social commentary. So it was really whatever the song was about that inspired it. Most of them were written in the same way I usually write songs. I usually get the completed tune and get that set absolutely right then start working on words after that you know? Then you focus on what the song is going to be about. Until I get the first couple of lines and that usually comes a couple of weeks after I first write the tune.
Why did you choose Rockfield Studios to record this album?
There used to be a lot of residential studios when we first started making records and Rockfield is one of the few ones left now. It’s just a really nice place, you’ve got the people who own it are really pleasant. It’s a really good place to go and work for a couple of weeks and we really enjoy the experience there. They’ve got a few live rooms there where you can set everybody up, and, you can all play together, so that was the reason.
Have you got any fond memories of concerts you have played in Wales?
Yes! Well the first I remember is the first night we did of a tour, we played Cardiff University where we opened for The Housemartins, which was good. Two of the first major tours we did for ourselves it was a joy, where the top headliner was Voice of the Beehive, and I remember playing a place in the Rhondda Valley on the first night. We’ve played Cardiff a few times, Swansea once or twice, Llandudno two or three times, but yeah a few happy memories of playing in Wales.
Have you noticed any crowd differences throughout the years?
The one thing that has been constant with us is, with our shows down the years, there has always been a fairly even split between male and female. There has always been that right from the start. What we’ve noticed now is that in the UK, we play to bigger crowds than we did in the early days. And also you’re getting a much wider age group. We are getting two generations of families, sometimes even three generations of families coming along.
Do you think the success of Sunshine on Leith has affected that at all?
Yeah, it did, yes! The musical changed around three times, it could have got bigger every time and that led to the film being made. I think the fact the film was made and that the people who went to see it and bought the DVD are certainly people that wouldn’t usually go and see The Proclaimers. Some of them may come along and not really appreciate that what we do live is much louder, with more aggressive songs than the musical or film, but I think it’s had a big effect. Getting more of your music to people who have just liked a few songs by watching the film is a huge thing.
What future plans do you have?
We are very much looking forward to getting back out, and this will take us all the way up to the end of October. But I’m looking forward to maybe playing places I haven’t played before and kind of meeting new people as well you know? I think the main thing to say for us as The Proclaimers is that writing and playing live is the main thing for us. Playing to a live audience is what we’ve always wanted to do and we will continue to go for as along as we can justify it.
The Proclaimers, Swansea Grand Theatre, Sat 18 June. Tickets: £29. Info: 017 9247 5715 / www.swansea.gov.uk