IF Irish singer Heidi Talbot had been able to bring all the contributors to her latest album on tour, the stage at Eden Court’s OneTouch Theatre would be a very crowded place.
Along with her husband fiddler, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist John McCusker and singer-songwriter Boo Hewardine, you might also expect to find guitar heroes Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) and Jerry Douglas, Scots trad stars Phil Cunningham and Karine Polwart, Capercaillie’s Michael McGoldrick, James Mackintosh and ex-Deacon Blue bassist Ewen Vernal, Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis (who by coincidence also appears at Eden Court this evening in the Gaelic Society of Inverness annual concert), Tim O’Brien, Admiral Fallow frontman Louis Abbott, and a royal appointment with King Creosote himself, Kenny Anderson.
Anderson became a new creative foil for Talbot after the pair discovered a mutual admiration.
"He was asked to pick his fantasy band for The Independent and he picked me and Morten Harket from A-ha on joint lead vocals," Talbot said.
If that seems quite a diverse collection of guests, then that is only in keeping with the personal tastes of the County Kildare singer, who began her professional career with the Irish-American band Cherish The Ladies.
"At home we listen to Belle And Sebastian and Teenage Fan Club as much as we do The Fureys and Mary Black," she said.
For all its impressive guest list, Talbot and McCusker were keen to capture the spontaneity of performance on new release "Angels Without Wings". The album was recorded live in Glasgow’s new Gorbals Sound Studios with her regular team of Cunningham, McGoldrick, James Mackintosh, Hewerdine, Vernal and guitarist Ian Carr.
"If people made mistakes we’d just keep going," Talbot said.
"On some of the tracks you can even hear the harmonium creaking. These guys are friends, they all give their opinion. They’ll say: ‘That’s it — that’s the take!’"
• Heidi Talbot is at the OneTouch Theatre, Eden Court, on Friday 8th March.
