Carrie Marshall & Laura Jane Wilkie
Send us a textBefore we get to this episode, recorded at the brilliant Glasgow Women’s Library, a reminder that A Kick Up The Arts is live at the Edinburgh Fringe in August…I’d love you to join me at the Stand, which is only a five-minute walk from Waverley Station, for lunchtime chats with guests Gavin Mitchell on August 18, Gordon Buchanan on the 19th, Barbara Dickson on the 20th, Grant Stott on the 21st, Justin Currie on the 23rd, and then - on the 24th - the iconic Horse will be celebrating 35 years of The Same Sky with chat and live music… Meanwhile, at Edinburgh International Book Festival, we’re having a party in the Spiegeltent on August 10th, with Emma Pollock, Cora Bissett, Chitra Ramaswamy, and Carrie Marshall - with live music from the Hen Hoose Collective’s Cariss Crosbie and more surprises…You can get tickets and more info on all of those shows via akickupthearts.org - it’d be really lovely to see you there.And musician and writer Carrie Marshall’s also a guest on this episode of the podcast, to celebrate her fab new book, SMALL TOWN JOY: from Glam Rock to Hyperpop: How Queer Music Changed the Sound of Scotland, which features interviews with Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry, Garbage’s Shirley Manson, and Horse, and so many other incredible voices. Her previous book, Carrie Kills A Man, is a tale of growing up in a world that doesn’t want you, how it feels to throw a hand grenade into your life, and ripping it up and starting again - from coming out to navigating parenthood as a trans woman… We’re joined by incredible fiddle player and composer Laura Jane Wilkie, whose gorgeous album, Vent, is centred around waulking songs - which were ancient women’s work songs from the Highlands and Islands, often sung while beating and softening tweed - and often infused with gossip, along with a sense of humour, love, safety, power, community - and freedom. Laura’s also performed with Man of the Minch - oh, he gets some love in here - along with The GRIT Orchestra, Shooglenifty, Siobhan Miller, and as we speak she’s bidding a fond farewell to the Kinnaris Quintet.We recorded this at Glasgow Women’s Library, which is an utterly wonderful place that absolutely deserves the sanctuary status that it’s just been awarded… I’ve been a fan for many years, but it was library love at first sight for Carrie and Laura…