Folk-pop legend Charlie Dore is keen to make up for lost time at Kinross.
The prolific English songwriter released her 10th album Like Animals during lockdown almost three years ago and finally gets the chance to play its highlights – plus a host of back catalogue classics – in Scotland this month.
“We were rushing to get it out for the middle of 2020,” the Reading-based songbird explains.
“After thinking everything was perfect back then we’re still catching up and getting back to some of those places where we’d hoped to play, but couldn’t.”
Four Scottish shows
Charlie is known for a series of beguilingly introspective works post-2000 including Cheapskate Lullabyes and Milk Roulette, as well as her breakthrough 1979 hit Pilot Of The Airwaves.
She’s looking forward to four Scottish appearances with songwriting partner Julian Littman.
Besides her first gig at the Green Hotel since 2018, she’ll also be playing an Ayrshire venue that’s involved in a project that looks after people who have had problems with addiction.
She’ll also play Glasgow’s hip Hug And Pint, and a live session for Radio Scotland’s Another Country.
Charlie’s currently writing a series of “funny but sad” essays about her backstage life that draw on her “eccentric” family history.
But first up is her Short Circuit (Part 1) tour – its sequel starts in May – and, fittingly, she’s feeling a buzz as it looms.
“It always takes a bit of time to settle in and really know the songs from the inside in a live version,” she says.
“Translating what are sometimes quite involved arrangements into a live context needs some thought, so it’s easier working with Julian than anyone else because we just know each other so well.
Changing setlist
“We’re going to be doing Like Animals because it’s our newest baby, but part of the idea of the tour is that we change the setlist frequently so that we get to do some songs that we’ve passed over for years.
“I have a background in improvisation, and although we’re not going to be actually improvising on stage musically, we’re going to be doing stuff that feels new and fresh with new arrangements.”
The BBC session will see Dore reuniting with Ricky Ross, having first worked with the Deacon Blue frontman on his 2002 solo LP This Is The Life.
“He’s been a fantastically loyal supporter and is an all-round great bloke,” she adds.
“Another thing I’m really thrilled about is I get to choose some of the records for the show. I’ve already started choosing them – it’s an absolute field day for a procrastinator like me.”
Always fascinated by science, it’s the internal landscape of the human brain and just what makes us tick that’s Charlie’s prime concern on Like Animals, shot through with her trademark dark wit.
A key track is Collaterol, a barbed observation on vaulting ambition inspired by the rise of political strategist Dominic Cummings.
“Gradually as the time unfolded, more and more candidates arose to whom I thought it was relevant,” she chuckles.
“I hate writing finger-wagging songs, but I was so gobsmacked by the daily gaslighting of the country it just seemed to fall into place, that song.
“It just carried on the sort of silver-backed behaviour of people who aren’t old-school politicians at all, they’re just businessmen.”
Also at the Green
Tickets for Charlie Dore’s Kinross gig on February 27 are available via mundellmusic.com, but there’s plenty on at the Green before then.
The venue’s Backstage platform hosts psych blues outfit The Wilson Brothers tomorrow, with prog veterans Soft Machine headlining on Thursday before a set from Brummie rock chic Rebecca Downes next Saturday.
Elsewhere, Turning Japanese hit-makers The Vapors are at Beat Generator tonight, with Liverpool indie faves Circa Waves playing a sold-out sesh at North Lindsay Street tomorrow in an Assai Records tie-in.
Conroy’s Basement has breaking talents Translation, Musica, Mixed Methods and Scozza tomorrow.
Brighton noiseniks Regal Cheer and Really Big Really Clever plus local hopefuls Machine Speak play on Thursday.
Also in Dundee, it’s Rush tribute Moving Pictures at nearby Church tonight, while Fife’s focus is on Skids leader Richard Jobson and Goodbye Mr Mackenzie frontman Martin Metcalfe at PJ Molloys tomorrow.
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