1. HI EDWINA, HOW ARE THINGS?
Hi Steve. Really well, Thankyou!
2. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO LATELY, AND HOW HAS 2005 BEEN IN GENERAL?
Lately I�ve been writing and recording some new songs and now I�m getting ready to go on tour with Jools Holland. It's been a great year so far with lots of new and wonderful experiences such as touring the UK for the first time with some great artists, and promoting my album. It's all been great fun and really interesting and exciting!
3. EARLIER IN THE YEAR YOU RELEASED YOUR FANTASTIC DEBUT ALBUM 'OUT ON MY OWN.' HOW HAVE YOU REACTED TO THE WIDESPREAD ACCLAIM THAT THE LP'S RECEIVED?
I�m really happy that people like my record and have been thrilled by how many people have bought it, especially at gigs. Also Michael Parkinson and Bob Harris have been playing songs from it on their Radio 2 shows which has been wonderful.
4. YOU HAVE PERFORMED WITH MANY VERY WELL KNOWN SINGER-SONGWRITERS SUCH AS VAN MORRISON, JOOLS HOLLAND AND DANIEL BEDINGFIELD. DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVOURITE MOMENTS FROM ANY OF THE SHOWS THAT YOU HAVE DONE WITH SUCH STARS?
All of it has been amazing and all the artists have treated me so well, but I think as Jools was the first person to have me as an opening act for a big show, I will always remember stepping out onto his big stage for the first time and how magical that was! A couple of other highlights that spring to mind are Van Morrison shaking my hand after I opened the show for him, Nanci Griffith being so warm and gracious and Jools signing the back of my guitar!
5. HAVING BEEN BORN IN DUBLIN AND RAISED IN LANCASHIRE, YOU NOW LIVE IN YORKSHIRE. HAS ANY SPECIAL REASON BROUGHT YOU OVER TO THIS PART OF THE UK?
Yes, my Mum bought a chip-shop and cafe in Bridlington 1994 which all of us helped to run for 3 years! I had just returned from a year working in Australia and it was all great fun!
6. CAN YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU PICKED UP A GUITAR OR SANG? HAS SINGING AND PLAYING GUITAR COME NATURALLY OVER THE YEARS OR HAVE YOU FOUND YOU HAVE TO WORK REALLY HARD AT BOTH?
I played the guitar a little bit at school in assemblies which is where I learnt a few basic chords but I really started singing and playing from the heart at college when I first heard music by Carole King, Janis Ian, Crosby Stills Nash & Young and Van Morrison and Bob Dylan. I went to college in Chester and there was an American exchange student down the hall from me called Kathleen who used to teach me songs and let me borrow her guitar.
7. YOU HAVE WORKED WITH SHANE LYNCH ON HIS DEBUT ALBUM. WOULD THIS BE THE SAME SHANE LYNCH WHO USED TO SING IN BOYZONE AND WHO IS NOW A PART-TIME RALLY DRIVER? Yes I believe so, although I didn't know he was a part-time rally driver! I met Shane in Belfast when we were both guests on a popular Irish chat show called �The Kelly Show.� He heard me singing and invited me to do a duet with him on his forthcoming solo album.
8. RETURNING TO YOUR 'OUT ON MY OWN' ALBUM, DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE SONG ON THERE THAT YOU ENJOY PERFORMING MORE THAN ANY OTHER?
Actually I do; I really like the 4th song called 'I Can't Believe' and lately I�ve been enjoying singing that one the most at my gigs.
9. AS WELL AS PLAYING BIG VENUES YOU ALSO REGULARLY PERFORM INTIMATE GIGS IN SMALLER VENUES SUCH AS AT ACOUSTIC EVENINGS. ARE NERVES EVER STILL A PROBLEM?
Ooo yes, I always get nervous before a gig, but luckily I only ever start feeling them about half an hour before I go onstage. The last 10 minutes before going on are the worst; I can't seem to speak or make sense of anything, it's a very strange thing!
10. HAVE YOU WRITTEN MANY NEW SONGS SINCE THE RELEASE OF YOUR ALBUM, AND ARE THERE ANY MORE RELEASES IN THE PIPELINE ANY TIME SOON OR WILL WE HAVE A LONG WAIT FOR A FRESH SINGLE OR ALBUM?
Yes, I have been writing some new songs over the last few months and I have several songs that I didn't put on "Out On My Own" that I will put on my 2nd record. I don't know when I will make a second one as I am going to continue to promote this one at least till next Spring, but there will be another one at some point!
11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE CURRENT 'ACOUSTIC SCENE' IN THE UK AND THE WIDER WORLD AT LARGE?
I love the current acoustic scene here in the UK; it's a scene that has always been here and always will be here and I�m thrilled to see some people crossing over from it onto mainstream radio and CD. I am familiar also with the acoustic scene in Nashville which is very similar to London. There are so many great artists out there doing their thing just because they love it and it's a great shame that so much of it goes unheard by the masses. I�m very proud to be a part of it and will always go to open-mics and singers nights for as long as I live! It annoys me when people knock the open -mic circuit as to me it is an invaluable resource for singer/songwriters and I wouldn't be doing what I�m doing today without them.
12. OH, AND ARE YOU STILL WAITING FOR THAT DREAM CALL FROM BOB DYLAN IN WHICH HE BEGS YOU TO GO ON TOUR WITH HIM?... Oh yes! And when it comes I won't be coming back!
For more information, please check out Edwina�s website at www.edwinahayes.co.uk