Q&A

Amy Allison: “He defied categorisation”

What did you want this tribute to convey about your father?

That he was unique. That he absorbed and merged a lot of what he heard and made his own sound. That he defied categorisation and stayed completely true to himself. It wouldn’t have been possible for him to do it any other way. And he never sought the spotlight – the whole thing kind of embarrassed him.

What kind of encouragement did your father give you when you started to play your own music?

He told me I had an original sound and a unique voice. And he also said: make sure you get paid. Don’t go overseas without a contract. Get really good musicians. Don’t settle for less.

Why did you want to cover “Monsters Of The Id”? What made you gravitate toward that song in particular?

Because it’s so relevant. It always has been, ever since he wrote it in the late ’60s. I don’t think it’s well known, but I think it’s chilling. And funny. I recorded the whole vocal and then decided I really wanted to ask Elvis Costello to duet with me. He had to fit himself around my vocals, but he did a beautiful job. He was really generous. Plus, he sent one of my songs to Emmylou Harris, and she recorded it!