English folk singer Martha Tilston is sitting at home in Cornwall, swaddled in “so many jumpers” to ward off the cold dark of winter outside.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
“I need some vitamin D!” she exclaimed down the phoneline.
The Australian sunshine is just one of the many things she’s looking forward to when she jumps on a plane this week and begins the 17,000-kilometre journey to the Port Fairy Folk Festival.
“Last time we played it was absolutely magical,” she said of her previous visit to the Folkie.
“I was blown away by the amount and choice of music.
“There were really friendly bands and I remember connecting with a few people.
“I remember a light, happy feeling.
“I’m looking forward (to returning) so much.”
Tilston comes armed with a new album Nomad and lead single Nomad Blood, a song about hitting the open road, cooking outside and singing to the stars.
The song sets a tone (of old folk sounds made new again) and a deeper theme for the album (of finding your place in the world).
“Especially at the moment, lots of people feel a bit lost,” she said.
“When we need to find our place in the world, I think it helps to look under your seat and remember the world beneath you (and) to walk out into nature. It can’t just be me that does that.”
Nomad is Tilston’s 12th release in 17 years, but her prolific nature is no surprise given her upbringing. Her father is UK singer-songwriter Steve Tilston, her step-mum is Irish folk singer Maggie Boyle, and regular performers in the kitchen of her family home included Bert Jansch and John Martin.
“I thought everyone wrote music,” she said of growing up in a musical house.
“Dad’s a fantastic songwriter.
“I remember saying to a friend when we were on the way to school one day ‘can you sing me a song your dad wrote?’ and she just looked at me blankly.
“I thought everyone’s dad did that.
“It certainly helped me through my teenage years having a piano at home and banging on that and getting my angst out.”
Tilston has followed in her father’s footsteps in many ways musically, including playing at Glastonbury.
“I used to go with him to festivals and folk clubs,” she said.
“Dad was part of the first wave of musicians that played at Glastonbury (and) the first I went along it felt very much like home.”
