Page 45 - Phonebox Magazine July 2014

Milton Keynes International Festival Mischa Allen
60 seconds with Seth Lakeman
Seth Lakeman’s second album saw him nominated for the Mercury Prize (a prestigious music industry award), not bad considering he made it for £300 in his own kitchen. This February, the folk singer and fiddle player released Word Of Mouth, with songs created from interviews he conducted over 18 months. And Seth, as part of the Milton Keynes International Festival, will perform them at The Stables on July 25.
Are you looking forward to performing as part of the festival?
I’m really looking forward to performing at Milton Keynes. It’s a first for me. I can’t wait to explore it.
What do you enjoy about playing festivals?
We love playing at festivals. The atmosphere is always brilliant and you get to check out other artists too.
You’re heading back to Devon in August to perform – what’s that like?
Home crowds are always really supportive, and it’s great to perform in front of friends and my family.
You recently performed a song you wrote about your grandfather’s experience on D-Day at the Royal Albert Hall – how was that for you?
It was a true honour to be involved and a very emotional night. Hearing my grandfather’s recorded voice and singing in the Albert hall was something I’ll never forget.
Your third studio album, Word of Mouth, was released early this year, and has been warmly received. How do you feel about it?
It’s been a very busy test! The album really seems to have connected with people.
The album took 18 months to make, interviewing various people. How does it feel now it’s out and people are listening to it?
Conceptual records can be a bit of a gamble, but it was definitely worth it. It’s great that people have enjoyed it.
Finally, as part of The Full English project, you won Best Album and Best Group at the Radio 2 Folk Awards this year. How did that feel?
We all felt very honoured to represent the archive (The Full English Digital Archive, efdss.org), and proud at how well the collaboration worked. To have this recognised at the folk awards was a great bonus.
Tickets: £22.50 on (01908) 280800 or go to ifmiltonkeynes.org.
On the Fringe
Running alongside the MK International Festival, another event celebrates the city’s culture with experimental street arts, performance, outdoor theatre, comedy, music and dance, the Milton Keynes Festival Fringe runs from July 17-24. Artist Anna Berry has been commissioned to create an installation, and there are performances from theatre troupe The Librarians, comedians The Wierdy Beardys and the street show Slapstick and Slaughter, among others.
Children can get involved with a range of family-friendly events too, with artist Mandy Burton leading a colouring-in marathon on July 19 at the MK Gallery.
Go to mkfestivalfringe.com for more information about events and the full festival line-up.
Phonebox Magazine 45