Georgia Evans sat down with the contemporary folk singer, songwriter and guitarist Blair Dunlop to discuss everything from his latest album, Talybont South and his role in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

To someone whoÔÇÖs new to your music, how would you describe it?┬á

I started off doing a lot of traditional folk music, now I donÔÇÖt do old folk songs, but IÔÇÖm very much influenced by them; sonically, lyrically and thematically. The new album is a bit more personal,┬á contemporary. Probably in between West Coast Americana, like the Eagles, Jackson Brown, things like that and then more like contemporary/ folky songwriters from the traditional UK folk scene. Most people say it sounds like the Eagles.

Why do you think they say that?  

Because IÔÇÖve written loads of songs in C and we got harmonies. I came into possession of a Gretsch, and IÔÇÖve been writing on that, that formed the sound of the new album. But thatÔÇÖs probably the guitarist in me talking, IÔÇÖll never see it as American, IÔÇÖm very much an English writer.

What makes this album different to your previous albums?  

ItÔÇÖs definitely more personal. There are a few socio-political parallels that I draw, but itÔÇÖs basically a break-up record. And itÔÇÖs more contemporary sounding than the last few albums.

Who was your favourite person to collaborate with on the album?  

Well FredÔÇÖs looking at me, so probably Fred.

If Fred wasnÔÇÖt here?┬á┬á

I donÔÇÖt know, Fred and JJ are my boys, theyÔÇÖre in my band so IÔÇÖm just going to leave them out of it, ÔÇÿcos thatÔÇÖs not a collaboration thatÔÇÖs more like a chore. Dani, the engineer! Dani and Ed the producer. DaniÔÇÖs amazing, sheÔÇÖs really young, sheÔÇÖs like 21? She engineered the whole record, she was amazing. I think sheÔÇÖll do really good things in her career. SheÔÇÖs just ace to be around. And then Ed the producer was amazing, I grew up listening to his records. To get to work with him is great. He created a really amazing atmosphere in the studio; heÔÇÖs half on edge but half really chilled.

As youÔÇÖve mentioned the album is influenced by romance/heartbreak. Any other influences?┬á┬á

Yeah, Brexit. Not specifically Brexit, but isolation in the Western world. Brexit comes into that obviously, but itÔÇÖs not a political album. ItÔÇÖs more of a social commentary than a left-wing rant. ItÔÇÖs posing questions.

Can you elaborate a bit more?  

When I started writing the album I was just writing the album that I wanted to write; in essence, itÔÇÖs a break-up record, but itÔÇÖs not just about heartbreak, because 2016 was the year of Trump, Brexit and the rise of populism. IÔÇÖm not really a political writer, IÔÇÖve written the odd thing but there are other people who do that better than me, and itÔÇÖs not really what I want to do. There were loads of parallels between my isolation and then the island isolation, so I thought, ÔÇÿthereÔÇÖs a theme in thisÔÇÖ. Then I started drawing parallels, fleshed out more of the songs, re-wrote bits and wrote a couple more songs. There are definitely nods to what it means to be British and living in the UK in 2016/17 when we recorded it. It wasnÔÇÖt a conscious decision.

I donÔÇÖt think many people would associate heart-break and isolation with Brexit, itÔÇÖs a really interesting link for you to draw on. You come from a musical background, was there any expectations for you to follow in your father’s footsteps?┬á┬á

Never expectation, well, maybe like a tiny bit but only because I wanted to. I was never pushed. And I was never good enough at football. There were always instruments around the house, so itÔÇÖs kind of like going into the family butchers, like a natural progression but I was never forced in any way. I just always gravitated towards music, at school whenever I got a chance to play in shows and stuff IÔÇÖd always want to play, as opposed to acting. I spent a lot of time in the theatre, but I always wanted to do music.

WhatÔÇÖs your favourite track on the record?┬á┬á

The first track, Spices from the East. Lyrically, itÔÇÖs the most interesting. ItÔÇÖs about colonialism but also cooking. That song is personal, we cooked a lot together but linked to that how did the influx of spices, how did we evolve as a nation, how did our cooking evolve, oh because we shafted the Eastern world, thatÔÇÖs tied into colonialism and Brexit and that isolation. What is it to be British, itÔÇÖs not black and white but I just thought it was interesting. YouÔÇÖve got to think about these things.

ItÔÇÖs interesting. When and why did you decide to pursue music as your full-time career?┬á

Well, I took a gap year and my best mate (who we stayed with last night), he got a cricket scholarship to go to Cardiff Uni, and heÔÇÖd had a gap year. He came back, I hadnÔÇÖt seen him for a year and my first job out of school was acting in a play in a theatre about sleepy old England and farmers and stuff, so itÔÇÖs like folk music ÔÇô bang what I was into at the time like pure traditional folk. So I was a villager and played guitar and mandolin and sang in that. We did a week in each different place, and in October, my friend has just got back off his gap year and was staying in halls, Talybont South, so I stayed with him to save money on digs. I bought him a shitty flat screen TV and we played Fifa all week when I wasnÔÇÖt in the play, for old times sake. I met all of his housemates and went out with them, and so when they started second year, one of the guys dropped out so I thought IÔÇÖd live in Cardiff. Just before I moved to Cardiff I was just starting to gig more and more and making enough money and was earning enough to make a living so I withdrew from UCAS.

Were you singing covers or originals? 

I was doing some original, but a lot of traditional folk songs so covers in a sense. Arrangements of traditional songs, old English and sometimes Scottish songs. Doing the folk clubs to an older audience and thatÔÇÖs where I cut my teeth and thatÔÇÖs still a large part of my audience. But I donÔÇÖt really associate myself with traditional folk at all anymore, I still love it and I might play a traditional tune tonight, but itÔÇÖs not the main body of my work anymore. IÔÇÖm influenced by it, but itÔÇÖs different now. ItÔÇÖs more like folk rock or old county. Kind of Americana.

Last question, what was it like to work opposite Sir Christopher Lee in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?  

Amazing, he is a legend, a proper, proper legend. Interesting, most people ask what it was like to act with Johnny Depp. Sir Christopher Lee, heÔÇÖs actually a pretty good singer himself. You know heÔÇÖs released a metal album? HeÔÇÖs a great operatic singer. We got on really well, I wrote him some limericks, youÔÇÖre tutored there and we were doing limericks, and I wrote him one and gave him it, IÔÇÖve never told anyone this, but I gave it to him and he loved it.