Carthy is an English folk musician. Her latest album, “Dreams of Breathing Underwater”, is out now from Topic records.
- 1 Does art make a difference? Art makes you feel more than animal sometimes – it lifts you above the obvious. It can open the windows and shake out the sheets if your mind is a bit dusty!
- 2 Should politics and art mix? Absolutely. Politics is an art and should be aspirational. Politics should never be mundane or accepting of the status quo, and neither should art.
- 3 Is your work for the many or for the few? Everyone likes to think that their thing is for everyone, but I suppose ultimately what I do is never going to have mass appeal. As far as folk music is concerned, a while ago I became fond of saying that we get everyone in the end, because everyone turns 40. That’s not entirely fair to folk music, obviously. Older people are more likely to stop and study it, take a bit of time to appreciate its subtleties, whereas younger people more easily get into the dance-music or the more dramatic, tragic side, but are less likely to encounter it. Festivals are a good gateway to the music these days.
- 4 If you were world leader, what would be your first law? Free medical care, free education and free water for everyone.
- 5 Who would be your top advisers? My parents, Benjamin Zephaniah, Billy Bragg and, um, Jeremy Clarkson, for balance.
- 6What, if anything, would you censor? I wouldn’t.
- 7 If you had to banish one public figure, who would it be? Jeremy Kyle. What is the matter with him?
- 8 What are the rules that you live by? Work harder, try to be patient, always acknowledge my faults, and try to steer the conversation away from what I’m up to. Try to find something to smile about, remind myself that it’s not nearly as bad as my treacherous brain is making it out to be.
- 9 Do you love your country? I do. Funnily enough, I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as people make it out to be. Most of the teenagers I know are really nice. It’s the old ladies you have to watch out for.
- 10 Are we all doomed? No. But we are incredibly selfish and complacent.
Post this article to
We want to encourage people to comment on our content and to exchange views with other readers and hope this will be done on a courteous basis. However, if you encounter posts which are offensive please let us know by emailing comments@newstatesman.co.uk and we will take swift action where necessary.
