So long has passed since James Yorkston last played Dundee that the East Neuk singer/songwriter fails to remember when (eight years ago by this writer’s reckoning) or the venue (probably Redd Suite) – “somewhere near the jute museum”, he vaguely reminisces on a video call from his Cellardyke studio.
“My last Dundee show was great, the audience were quite lively and there was a lot of banter,” James adds, unclear why his appearances are so rare.
“I am fond of the city – I used to go as a teenager to buy records and I go there with my kids quite a lot.”
New single, new album
So not only does Beat Generator next week provide unfamiliar surroundings, James is previewing new material from his latest album due early next year.
The Great White Sea Eagle, a second improvised collaboration with Swedish outfit The Second Hand Orchestra, was recently announced with optimistic, upbeat lead single ‘Hold Out For Love’.
James first worked with TSHO on critically acclaimed 2021 release The Wide, Wide River. Returning to Stockholm to record with the group again was a no-brainer, he explains.
“We had so much fun with the last album it would have been ridiculous to have stopped it there,” he says.
“They’re all such lovable people and have a great way of working – it may be because I don’t know them very well.”
James on piano
One key difference this time is that rather than his trusted guitar, James wrote on the less familiar piano, giving a more intimate feel to his explorations of family, love and loss.
He explains: “I found the melodies coming out in a different fashion, just the chords are different shapes; and the rhythms were pretty basic because I’m not really a pianist. It slows thing down.”
Another departure sees the album credited to James Yorkston, Nina Perrson and The Second Hand Orchestra.
The female singer is well known for fronting The Cardigans, the nineties alternative-pop group that hit the charts with ‘Lovefool’ and ‘My Favourite Game’.
And a new guest vocalist
To change their way of working further, James and TSHO’s bandleader Karl-Jonas Winqvist agreed on trying a guest vocalist, the latter offering a list of incredible names from which Nina’s jumped out.
“She was the one I had an immediate connection to,” James remembers. “I used to know The Cardigans’ music in my early twenties. I loved their album Life, one of those you swapped around between your friends pre-internet.”
Nina appears on much of the new record – even taking lead vocals for opener ‘Sam and Jeanie McGreagor’.
Next Friday, though, James performs solo on both electric piano and guitar, allowing him to rummage deep into his formidable back catalogue.
As recent shows have been with SHO, he is looking forward to delving into both solo work and long-term side project Yorkston/Thorne/Khan.
He promises: “I’ll be playing a load of the old stuff, just whatever comes to mind while I’m there. It’ll be interesting.”
- James Yorkston plays Beat Generator on November 11. The Great White Sea Eagle is released January 13 2023 and his second novel The Book of the Gaels is out now.
Conversation