JOAN ARMATRADING
2014 may have marked the last of her world tours but Joan Armatrading was adamant it didn’t mean she was slowing down, “I’ll never retire” she insisted, as she has time and time again. Now currently in the midst of her UK tour, Joan Armatrading has returned to the stage where she’ll be performing alone, while this may seem a daunting task to some performers, for Joan it’s just how she likes it. “Don’t worry about it” she assures. Armatrading is no stranger to working on her own. She performed as a solo act for her ‘Me, myself and I’ world tour and her new album, ‘Not Too Far Away’ is a completely solo project.
“People say to me I’ve named my child after your song, I’ve had a song at a wedding, I’ve had a song at somebody’s funeral. I did an interview with somebody and the chap says when I finish doing this interview I’m going to propose to my girlfriend with your song, I mean you can’t get better than that.”
Her songs reach far and wide, an underlaying strength and positivity can often be heard in her ebullient melodies that have continued to capture a growing audience, an ability she puts down to the way she writes her music. “You notice when I write I tend to not say he or she because I want a man to be able to say this song has touched me and I want a woman to say the same song has touched them. I try most of the time not to say he or she so it can be universal, everyone can identify with it because we’re all going through the same thing.”
But how does she continue to find the inspiration to write songs that are able to resonate with so many people? “As long as you’re alive and you can see and hear and feel and touch and think and be curious that’s really all you need” she says, “if you’re open to all those things that are around you the inspiration will come so all you got to be is present.”
words Elishia Davies
St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Wed 17 Oct, Tickets: £34.50. Info: 029 2087 8444 / www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk
