SHAWN C

OLVIN

SHAWN COLVIN

Speaking to Steve Adams In March 1994

The past year has seen her public profile in the UK boosted by justifiably rave reviews for Fat City and as support act on tours by Chris Isaak and Runrig. Rather than take stock of the upturn in her fortunes Shawn, along with guitarist Steuart Smith &endash; one of the most relaxed, understated… and simply best players on the circuit &endash; is currently putting the finishing touches to an album of cover versions, due out in the Spring.

Given the press plaudits and growing international fan base, wasn't she worried that recording an album of covers was tantamount to taking a step back &endash; she spent the bulk of the '80s singing material by Joni Mitchell and other favourites in the folk clubs of New York &endash; at exactly the wrong time?

The clearest of singers &endash; she effortlessly covers all ranges from sweetness to power to passion &endash; answered in a voice combining 'down home' black and white honesty with cute (no offence) and friendly:

"Well I'm not a fast writer anyway, and I feel like my audience will wait. I've always wanted to do this type of album, y'know. I would've done it sooner but it would have looked pretty silly! It's kind of a labour of love, and it's not real hard to do because the general approach to the record is very sparse and I'm just giving very simple versions of the songs. It's just been a very easy project to fall into and I feel as though it buys me a little time. Also my audience are always suggesting I put these songs on record, so I feel like the people who know my work are in support of it."

Had she considered simply recording the material as a live album?

"That was an idea too, but some of the songs I didn't actually know! It was a bit of both; stuff I've been doing for years and stuff I've wanted to do for years. It's a strange mix of songs &endash; I'll tell you some groups but not the titles because that might spoil it."

I'd expected the usual list of revered country inspirations (having already witnessed Steve Earle and Bob Dylan material in her set), but was surprised to hear Shawn name The Police, Talking Heads, U2 and Big Country among the providers of material to be Colvinised on the album.

"That's why I like the idea of doing this, and the songs that I do by these groups really work the way I do 'em. It's not something you'd expect, but there is more obvious stuff, like the Steve Earle song (Someday), one by Tom Waits and a duet with my friend Mary Chapin-Carpenter."

The unlikely choice of material on the album offers another facet to Shawn's character, defying the ease with which she, and other country performers are usually pigeonholed. Had she struggled to achieve her own identity?

"Not really. I don't spend too much time trying to solve the puzzle or crack the code of how you don't get pigeonholed, I think it would be too dangerous for me. My stuff's termed folk but if I was 20 years old they'd probably call it alternative."

Now 37, I suggested Shawn was perhaps beyond the image makers and could do no more than simply write and play her music and hope for the best.

"Yeah, some people can be more calculating about it and still do well, but I feel like I've done that earlier in my career. I used to try and write commercial songs and I'm telling you they were bad."

On her nights off during the Runrig tour last November Shawn squeezed in three sublime solo showcase gigs in London and Glasgow, at which an unexpected element of comedy and humour (riotous impersonations of Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins in Silence Of The Lambs) sat agreeably alongside her consummate singing and musical performance. None the less, the combination struck me as unlikely given the sincerity of the musical output, a point she begged to differ on:

"It's not unlike me! It's just another side to me, I'm kinda comical. And it seems to work in the context of a performance, even though I only discovered it by trial and error. A real serious show began to feel unnatural to me, so I would crack jokes and found that if I was honest enough and didn't try to be a comedian, it was a great relief to people. They just seemed to enjoy it… and it certainly makes it easier for me."

But the routine (not that it seems in any way pre-planned) obviously only works at the smaller gigs...

"Yeah, in a small environment it's best. In the support slots that I did for Runrig I didn't try it! It's just too big; the people aren't used to me and don't really know what to expect so it doesn't feel right, so I just kept it pretty straight."

Had the tour been a worthwhile exercise?

"Yeah, it went very well. Their audience was very polite, they came in at show time and actually watched me play. They didn't stay out in the lobby till the main act started, so it accomplished the purpose of getting more people to hear me. "

The Runrig crowd might be one kettle of fish, but one particular audience proved quite different to any other during the British jaunt &endash; the OAP's of Birmingham's very own Pebble Mill At One...

"It was fine, it was really funny," laughs Shawn. "I hadn't done a television show where I had to sing to a pre-recorded backing track, so it was really strange."

A typical audience for her?

"Oh yeah, all blue hair! But they enjoyed themselves very much. They were very sweet to me and said hello afterwards…"

I wondered whether there had been any recipes for her to try?

"No, I'm afraid I haven't reached that level of fame yet over here!"

With growing critical acclaim and the exposure of a new album hopefully it won't be long before Shawn's bringing over her favourite lunchtime treat to cook for the old folks.