12. Mike WatersonMike Waterson

I had a gig in Nottingham, put on by Neil from Kogumaza, who’s an absolute sweetheart. He was putting me up after the show and his neighbour who had also been at the show knocked on at 1am, and said, “I’ve got a present for you”, and he gave me a copy of this Mike Waterson record, a copy of the original, as a gift. It was so lovely.

I’d already been thinking about how I had this engagement to make something working in the Tyne & Wear archives. I was thinking about what that could be, and I heard this Mike Waterson album, and it’s just him singing songs, no instruments. I thought it was brilliant. I know it’s not unusual in the folk world, but his voice was so detailed, his singing was so animal, there’s such a lot in it – I found it really inspiring.