Older, wiser & even better

Heartbreaking new songs reflect where Imelda is in her life after coming to terms with divorce

‘I was told being female and over 30 was a problem... so I want to say, kiss my over-30 ass’

The credits on Imelda May’s game-changing fifth album, Life Love Flesh Blood, tell their own story. Each of the soulfully simmering, heartbreaking songs are written by Imelda.

For her first album since splitting with husband Darrel Higham – her former musical partner and father of her fiveyear-old daughter – Dubliner Imelda changed both her sound and her old rockabilly look.

Now aged 42, she has remodelled herself as a middleaged lady in her prime.

“I needed to feel like myself again, and when you feel pigeonholed as an artist, it’s not good,” she says. “You need creative freedom in order to be a good writer and sometimes you have to give yourself your own freedom.”

Imelda has always been a star, but on LLFB she becomes a truly special voice too.

Being older and wiser, and having life experience must have something to do with it.

“I hope anybody can relate to this album,” she says. “If any male or female of any age relates to it then that’s good to me.

“However, my manager was told a couple of times that me being female and over 30 would be a problem for this album, and that almost makes me more determined to do well, so that whoever said that can kiss my over-30 female ass – ha!” Quite right too. Imelda has sung with legends Robert Plant, Tom Jones, Smokey Robinson and the late great Lou Reed.

But perhaps the greatest compliment she has ever had came more recently – when Bob Dylan chose her as one of his favourite current artists.

“Yeah, it makes me feel like I must be doing something right,” she admits. “I sent him a note that simply said, ‘I like you too’.”

If Bob is watching Imelda, maybe you should be too. But if you do, remember she will be watching you as well. “You can see a lot from the stage,” she grins.

“Sometimes people don’t realise you can see them and there are some wandering hands out there.”

Keep ’em where she can see ’em, folks!