Katherine Priddy Talks New Album, Instruments And More

Singer-songwriter and musician Katherine Priddy has been releasing music since 2018 with her debut EP ‘Wolf’ and she will release her new album ‘The Pendulum Swing’ in February 2024. She sat down with JLTT to tell us all about it: 

You will be releasing your forthcoming album ‘The Pendulum Swing’ in February 2024. How did you want to approach the making of the album?

I will indeed! I can’t wait to finally get these songs out there. I was keen to make sure that this album felt like a big step forward in terms of the songwriting and the production, but that it also consolidated the debut album rather than completely abandoning it. I already had some ideas about how I wanted the album to flow in terms of theme and some thoughts on the instrumentation, but of course, you’re never completely certain how you’ll end up doing it until you’re in the studio!

 Where was it recorded and who produced it?

I recorded it in a little unmarked studio bunker in deepest, darkest Digbeth, Birmingham. It’s funny really – listening to the tracks now in all their polished, clean glory and knowing that we recorded it in a small, dark, freezing cold room in an old graffitied building with a massive hole in the floor and no lights in the toilet. At one point we had to de-camp to my manager’s living room because they were mending the road outside and all we could hear was lorries reversing. It just goes to show you don’t always need the big shiny studio rooms to make an album! All you need is some good mics, some strong ideas and the wonderful Simon Weaver who poured so much time and thought into producing this album with me. We recorded a lot of the instrumentation ourselves, and the other musicians recorded their parts remotely and sent them over. Ideally I’d love to have had everyone in the room when they recorded, but it just wasn’t always feasible.

The first single is ‘First House On The Left’. What is the inspiration/story behind this song? 

 This song was inspired by the little house where I grew up. It’s an old terraced cottage, and has had so many lives before ours…it used to be split into two workers cottages, then it was shop, then it was a holding cell for prisoners on their way to the jail. As a kid I would dig up so much pottery and horseshoes and interesting little trinkets in the garden. I wanted to write a song that celebrates homes not just as a place we live now, but a place that so many people have lived before, and others will live in after we’ve gone. Houses can look like nothing from the outside, but can mean everything to those who’ve inhabited them.There’s a strong theme of home and family running throughout the album, so this felt like the cornerstone track and perfect first single.

What is the origin of the album title?

‘The Pendulum Swing’ is actually taken from that first single, ‘First House on the Left’. There’s a line at the start that says ‘and as thought caught in a pendulum swing, I try to go but home pulls me back in’. This kind of sums up where I’ve been at in my own life over the past few years – caught between leaving and trying to put down my own roots elsewhere, but never quite able to shake the pull of my childhood home and the comfort of the people and feelings that remain there. A lot of the songs on the album reflect this same theme, and I wanted the album to feel lived in and embody that sense of nostalgia. It also felt appropriate for a second album as a whole – my songs have matured and I wanted this release to feel like a step forward in many ways, but I still can’t help but return to the themes at the root of it all: home, family, love.

Who performed with you on the album? 

I’m lucky enough to have had some wonderful musicians join me on this album. As well as the aforementioned Simon Weaver manning all manner of instruments, I invited my friend John Smith to play some gorgeous electric guitar on a couple of the tracks, as I’m a huge admirer of what he does. There’s also Harry Fausing Smith on strings – I’ve worked with him before and his arrangements are always so sensitive. Then there’s Marcus Hamblett on brass and double bass, who I know is a man in demand so I’m delighted that he carved out the time for this. I invited Polly Virr to play the cello parts on a few of the tracks, as I met her at a show once and was really impressed with her playing. And of course, there’s my stage partner George Boomsma, who not only provides some vocals and guitar to the album, but co-wrote the final duet track with me, ‘Ready To Go’.

Do you have any plans to tour in 2024 to support the album release? 

Absolutely! I’ll be heading out on a full tour in May, playing some incredible venues such as Union Chapel in London, Band on the Wall in Manchester and the Sugar Club in Dublin. I can’t wait to take the songs on the road – it’s my favourite part of being a musician. I’ll also be playing some record store shows in February around the release date, including three Rough Trade stores in London, Bristol and Nottingham and others in Brighton, Southsea, Kingston-Upon-Thames and Liverpool. They’ll be lovely and intimate.

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, pedals, effects etc?

Personally, I just use an acoustic guitar, a tuning pedal and a microphone. Nothing fancy! Although my guitar is my pride and joy – a beautiful McClaren P-16. But it’s something I’d like to build upon going forward, particularly for my solo shows, so if anyone has any tips for how to create some lovely atmospheres let me know… 

How do you look after your voice?

I think I’m quite fortunate in this respect that, as I’m a quiet singer, my voice doesn’t come under much strain from performances. So I just take the usual precautions – avoid big nights out before shows (because I always get a little loud after a few pints), keep my immune system as happy as possible, have lots of liquid, lemon & ginger, honey etc on show days. Plus there’s just a lot to be said for regular (gentle) practice to keep the pipes in good working order!

You won the Christian Raphael Prize at Cambridge Folk Festival. What was that experience like and what are your memories of that day?

I did! And it has played such a big role in getting me to where I am now, both in terms of the financial support but also who I’ve met as a result of the prize. My first album would not have been released in the way it was, and I don’t think it would have done quite as well, if it hadn’t been for that prize as it indirectly led to me being introduced to the label and provided me with the support I needed to give it its best shot. On the day, I think I was actually fairly fortunate that I didn’t know I was nominated for the prize until after I came off stage and met Christian and his team who told me about it. Otherwise the nerves may have gotten the better of me! I’m so grateful to them – it’s such a wonderful thing to do for musicians just starting out.

What makes Katherine Priddy happy and what makes you unhappy?

A whole lot of things make me happy. I can honestly say I can’t think of many things that don’t, and I think I manage to find happiness in nearly everything I end up doing. Things that make me particularly happy are outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing and wildlife spotting. A perfect day for me would be a big long walk on the moors where I see an interesting bird or a stoat or something, followed by a nice real ale in an old fashioned pub. Also reading, knitting and Japanese food. The only things that spring immediately to mind when I think about being unhappy is unexpected goat cheese, putting my head underwater and packing to go away.

Photo Credit:  Supplied By PR

Katherine Priddy’s new album ‘The Pendulum Swing’ is released on Friday 16th February 2024 on Cooking Vinyl.

Album Pre-Order here: https://kpriddy.lnk.to/ThePendulumSwingPR

Priddy will take to the road next May 2024 for a headline tour in support of The Pendulum Swing:

Wed 01 May      BRISTOL Strange Brew

Thu 02 May        EXETER Phoenix

Fri 03 May          CARDIFF Acapela Studios

Sat 04 May        SHOREHAM Ropetackle Arts Centre

Sun 05 May       BIRMINGHAM The Glee Club

Tue 07 May        MILTON KEYNES The Stables

Wed 08 May      MANCHESTER Band on the Wall

Thu 09 May        LIVERPOOL Philharmonic Music Room

Fri 10 May          DUBLIN The Sugar Club

Sat 11 May        BELFAST St Joseph’s Church

Tue 14 May        KENDAL Brewery Arts

Wed 15 May      YORK The Crescent

Thu 16 May        SALTAIRE The Live Room

Fri 17 May          LONDON Union Chapel

Tickets:  https://www.katherinepriddy.co.uk/

Priddy will appear at the following in-stores

Thu Feb 15th Jacaranda Liverpool – time tbc
Fri Feb 16th Rough Trade East London 7:00pm
Sat Feb 17th Banquet Kingston 8:00pm
Sun Feb 18th – Pie & Vinyl Southsea – time tbc

Sun Feb 18th – Resident Brighton 6:30 pm
Mon Feb 19th RT Bristol – 6:30pm
Tue Feb 20th RT Nottingham – 6:00pm