La Boum! and Heather Macleod
You could safely say there's no Scottish band quite like La Boum! Not too many from north of the border play convincing West Africa music, along with reggae, and even a touch of Latin. As one of three female singers in the band (known as Wee Free, a lovely play on Bob Marley's I-Three backing vocalists), Heather Macleod plays an important part of their 1999 debut, Global Warming. But that's only one of the strings on her bow. She's also a member of two other bands, including Eliza Carthy's touring outfit, and she's putting together a solo career.
How did La Boum! come together - and what are a bunch of Scots doing playing fabulous African music?
La Boum! was born, at a wedding, over 10 years ago when guitarists Tom Salter and Ben Ivitsky sat and had a few tunes together and formed a musical click that lasted. Tom had a history in blues and a passion for African music that drove him to seek out Ali Farke Toure in person and learn with him, then ended up appearing with him as guest onstage. These experiences fed directly into his songwriting and the relationship with Ben unleashed the start of La Boum! The rest of the band came in around the partnership and over the years it realised its present line up of eleven. Edinburgh's musical personality has always been eclectic, perhaps because of its annual Festival, so there's a lot of different music being played at any point in time, but I've never heard any African music refer to chocolate peat - definitely Scottish references too!
"Where I believe La Boum! thrive is the fact that we don't play one style of 'world' music, or music from one country of origin." |
Well, we have never really played to a particular style. The musicians in the band have very diverse musical histories and therefore bring a wide palette to the sound. I think we all generally really enjoy the rhythm and therefore naturally respond to it. The harmonies take feed from the songs, our varied backgrounds and the vivid pictures that Tom paints with his lyrics, but we've never, as Wee Free, aimed to evoke a style - more to create one of our own. It's also great fun to have the horns to work with harmonically and rhythmically, but where I believe La Boum! thrive is the fact that we don't play one style of 'world' music, or music from one country of origin. The base note of La Boum!s music is that in general it works around songs therefore giving room for the many influences in the band to come through and become part of an original sound.
And how did the songs come together?
In general Tom will come to the band with a killer riff and lyrics. He often comes with other defined parts too, perhaps for the horns or for the bass and vocals. At other times Ben and Tom will have a guitar pattern and groove that will grow to a bigger piece. Once these ideas come in it's open market for anyone in the bands' ideas and we continue that process until we're all happy. Recording and promoting Global Warming created a really effective way of arranging - which is handy when we are so many! The sound of the band really seemed to consolidate itself over that process.
Are there plans for another album?
Yes, it's well underway. We've been recording bits and pieces as we each have time and there is now a good body of really interesting new material nearly finished - we hope to have it out by the end of the year.
Obviously, everyone's involved in other projects - is it possible to give much focus to the band?
We are all busy with other projects but it just makes La Boum! a special occasion when it can perform or get together in it's entirety. However there is at anytime a group within the group in Edinburgh and we get together most weeks in one form or another to keep developing the ideas. It feels important to us, so it cooks on in its own time and really enjoys gigging when it can. The response we've had as a result of Global Warming has been great so we're looking forward to the second album - we'll be out on tour in the UK in May performing new material from it.
In addition to La Boum, you also work in Pollen, and with Eliza Carthy - how did you hook up with Eliza?
"I would dearly love to follow this up with an album as soon as possible." |
You're also developing a solo career, both as a writer and interpreter. When do you plan to have an album out?
Yes, I've been chipping away at that steadily, particularly over the last year or so. I'd worked part time as an agent and music programmer previously and, although that experience was invaluable, it was a huge relief to get touring with Eliza and have a devoted musical space to keep the development of my own songs moving, particularly as she was developing her own songwriting too. But it's all been getting a good response, I'm glad to say. I've just put out a taster promotional ep which has already received national airplay thanks to the BBC.
I would dearly love to follow this up with an album as soon as possible and I'm delighted to be able to say that Danny Thomson has agreed to be involved, which is a dream come true. I'd love to record it this year but at the moment I'm gathering the framework and seeking funding to try and make that possible.
Although you're very grounded in folk music, it doesn't seem to be your real focus. Where are your strengths, musically?
Traditional music has been a strong influence, but not the sole one. I also have a huge love for many other styles of music, particularly jazz and blues. I come from the Isle of Lewis where I was surrounded by Gaelic song, but my dad played drums and so it was not the only thing heard in the house by any means! I suppose then it followed that I set out to work with a wide range of styles and set-ups (and would love to continue to do so). I hope now that that diversity serves as a strength in my own writing by pulling on references from those experiences. Musically what excites me most is hearing something that communicates with a clear voice an individual view but where you can detect where the collective influences come from. It all sounds very complicated, when all you can do in the end is do what you do and see what happens!
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