The headline act of Girvan’s upcoming traditional folk music festival sat down with the Advertiser recently to tell us all about what fans can expect.
Alasdair Roberts, a Glasgow-based musician – primarily a songwriter, singer, guitarist and interpreter of traditional songs will be appearing at Girvan Folk Festival which runs this weekend from Friday, April 29 until Sunday, May 1.
Alasdair was born in Germany to a German mother and Scottish father (Alan Roberts, who was also a folk musician) he grew up in Callander and was surrounded by music as a child.
He said: “As long as I can remember really, I’ve been making songs since I was in primary school, but then it got more seriously into it when I started guitar lessons at the age of 14 or 15. I started writing songs when I was in my mid-teens, 15/16.”
Alasdair didn’t have many opportunities to play alongside his father, who died when Alasdair was a young adult.
Though his dad did have a big influence on him, being the person who taught him how to play the guitar, which he uses to such exquisite effect in his music now.
Alasdair said: “I was only in my early-20s when he died and I didn’t really have that much time, maybe just 10 years or so that we were able to enjoy playing music together before he died.
“His guitar style and technique definitely had an influence on mine. He was my first guitar teacher really, so he introduced me to finger style and open tunings and things that I still use. I suppose partly, it’s probably taught, but partly genetic.”
Alasdair’s lyrics explore what it means to be alive today through the exploration of classic themes, love, loss, and mortality.
And whilst Alasdair has attended the Girvan folk Festival in previous years as a spectator, this will be his first as a performer.
Alasdair will be performing some of his own songs but will also be helping to bring the poetry of Ayrshire poet Josie Neil to life, by setting her words to music for an event on the Saturday at 3.30pm in the McKechnie Institute.
The festival kicks off on the Friday at 7.30pm with ceilidh at the Catholic Hall.
Also featuring at the festival will be: Airghiolla; Allan MacDonald; Burd Ellen; Cathal McConnell; Creel; Emma Tomlinson; Evie Waddell; Gavin Marwick & Ruth Morris; Heather Yule; Inni-K; Josie Neill; Michael Dudgeon; Nigel Gatherer; Sound of Dance; Stuart A Paterson; and The Girvan House Band
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