Tour starts here
In a special interview for the Lochaber Times, Fort William’s RHIANNON MELROSE, who is in her final year of a university media course in Glasgow, speaks to Heron Valley about their new tour, which kicks off in Fort William tomorrow night
SCOTS Trad Music Awards winners Heron Valley are ready to set off on a mini-tour in Fort William ahead of playing in the United States.
THE nominated ‘Up and Coming Artist of the Year’ at the Scots Trad Music Awards 2017, Heron Valley, who brought us hit tracks Pressed for Time and
Home, are ready to set off on a mini-tour around their home turf of the Highlands before embarking on a US tour later in the year.
The band have had an epic year of performances at more than 20 festivals across the UK and Europe, as well as the release of their debut album Roam.
Kicking off the tour at the Railway Club in Fort William tomorrow, I spoke to them ahead of their performance. Q: Do you do anything to prepare yourself before going on stage?
‘We all have our own routines for getting ready to go on stage, but the most important thing is warming up on our instruments. Abigail likes to have some tea and Euan spends a lot of the time double-checking his pipes and whistles but, as a band, we like to listen to the other acts and enjoy the atmosphere.’ Q: A lot of acts say that Scottish crowds give the best response. What has your experience of Scottish audiences been like? ‘We have always found Scottish
crowds to be the most energetic. It’s always great craic and everyone loves a good dance. There’s a different feeling when you play a gig on your home ground.’ Q: Where did the idea for the diverse Home music video come from?
‘The idea for the Home video came as most of us had moved to Glasgow from Argyll, so, as we were travelling back for whatever reasons, we would always drive through lots of beautiful scenery.
‘Alex had been doing some walking around the area and figured it would be a nice place to film it. It just seemed rather fitting to shoot a video for our single on the hills we would pass by on our way home.’ Q: What are you looking forward to about your mini-tour in March?
‘We are really looking forward to playing in front of home crowds and seeing the support we have from everyone makes these sorts of gigs really special to us.’ Q: Where do you feel you get the best response – at your own concerts where you are the headline act or a festival where
you share the bill with other bands?
‘Sharing the bill is always great. It allows us to meet new people and introduce them to the band and our music, especially at a festival where everyone is so nice and up for having a great time. We went to Italy for a few festivals, which felt very surreal – the atmosphere and culture we experienced at these festivals will definitely stay with us forever.’ Q: Where did the band name Heron Valley come from?
‘It’s named after the village of Strachur, where we started the
band. It roughly translates as “Valley of the Heron”.’
Q: Was it difficult finding your own sound?
‘Our own sound came naturally to us over time. Playing as much as possible helps you learn new ways to create different sounds and work out what we all like. Listening to our favourite bands and trying ideas out in rehearsals allows us to keep progressing with our sound.’ Q: The first night of your tour is in Fort William. What has your experience been like playing here? ‘Fort William has always been
great to play. It’s big on traditional music and you can always expect a brilliant night.’ Q: Which other artists do you want to work with and who would be your dream collaboration?
‘We all individually have our idols. As a band, we would really like to start incorporating other musicians into our new material. We played a tune with Jig Jam at the Tiree Music Festival, so it would be really cool to work with them again.’