San Mateo Times, 1995

Kirsty is happy with Galore.

"Having had so many record companies along the way I've had records put out without my even knowing about them. Sometimes they don't care about making it a good package. It was nice to have the power to actually be able to choose the tracks that went into this one. I had control. I like the writing and performing. But the business end of things is a real pain in the ass. I stay away from it as much as possible, but some things you have to do yourself."

So what did she choose?

"Obviously, I wanted the album to include the ones that had been best received, but also others that represented the variety of musical styles I've tried to experiment with."

Her styles segue smoothly from jingle-jangle '60s to Latin to hip-hop. Complementing her appealing vocals are guest appearances by the Pogues, Evan Dando and guitarist Johnny Marr, formerly of the Smiths. MacColl worked with the Smiths, as well as other groups, including Simple Minds and Talking Heads, as a background singer and vocal arranger. She and Marr are currently co-writing a song for her next album.

"He's quite prolific and very energetic. I find it very helpful to be around someone who's more energetic than I am generally. I tend to shut down, if everything goes bad. He tends to give me a kick up the ass, which is useful."

Though she's an exceptionally gifted songwriter, MacColl has included several covers on 'Galore', including tunes by Ray Davies, Billy Bragg, Lou Reed and Cole Porter.

"I pick ones that aren't so well known. I have to feel strongly toward them and make them my own. I put my stamp on them. They don't stand out as 'Oh look, here's one she didn't write!' They fit a sort of central mood."

Her songs have been covered by many artists.

"Even if you don't like their version of it, it's always flattering when somebody covers your song, because it means they thought it was good enough to have a go at it."

MacColl's first single, released in 1979, was They Don't Know. It became a smash for comedian-actress Tracey Ullman. MacColl sang backing vocals on that record.

"We hung out a bit, because I wrote quite a lot of stuff for Tracey after that. She's a nice girl, talented, but she's always acting. It's hard to relax."

They Don't Know, like many of the songs on Galore, is instantly infectious, yet contains lyrics with a deceptive edge.

"I suppose that's just the way I am, really. I can be quite outgoing, but I get quite depressed, too. My songs are a mixture of both things. Also, if you want to get some heavy-duty thing across in a song, it's often good to present it in a joyful guitar style. You don't want to put everybody off before the idea has had a chance to infiltrate into them."

MacColl doesn't think most listeners ever notice the lyrics anyway.

"There wouldn't be so much crap in the charts, if they did."

MacColl herself doesn't dissect other writers' songs, analyzing the concepts.

"I either like a song or I don't. It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with whether the lyrics are any good. Sometimes you get a record that is incredibly banal and monotonous, but you really like it anyway. You can't put your finger on why."

Among her musical influences are Frank Zappa, the Kinks, the Beatles and David Bowie.

"I tend to like the ones who can make me laugh, the ones who don't take themselves too seriously."

At 15, she was writing her first songs.

"I had a desperate urge to express myself through music. I was going through all the usual things that tear you up at that age. I don't think the early stuff was particularly inspiring, but it was enough to make me think I could do better."

She was just 19 when she recorded her first single.

"It wasn't massively successful. I didn't get rich or anything. But it was well enough received for me to be able to make music full time. That had always been my plan."

MacColl always loved working in the studio, but she used to suffer from stage fright.

"I didn't do any performing for 10 years. Then I forced myself to get over it. I decided to fix up a tour and, if I didn't enjoy it by the end, I would never do it again. That was three years ago and I've done a lot of touring since then, so I suppose it's OK now."

When she finishes touring for Galore, MacColl will concentrate on the next album. She is separated from her husband, record producer Steve Lillywhite, and has two children, ages 8 and 10.

"I don't listen to hardly anything in English at the moment. But I don't think the next album will be reflective of that. It's not going to be performed all on Columbian nose flute."

MacColl isn't too thrilled with the contemporary pop/rock climate.

"There's always going to be a few real songwriters and 3,000 other people making records who can't actually write songs. There's so much stuff that just sounds like everybody else. Frank Black makes me laugh and Beck is really cool. But there's not much else. There's like 15 bands that want to be the Stones, 15 bands that want to be Nirvana. I'm bored with it. I just want to be Kirsty MacColl."

PAUL FREEMAN San Mateo Times Correspondent 1995

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San Mateo Times, 1995

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