Kerri Watt
RECOMMENDED: Kerri Watt debut album out via Cooking Vinyl 15 January 2021
We first featured Kerri Watt just over one year ago (December 2020) as our Artist of the Week in Scotland On Sunday. Watt releases her debut album Neptune’s Daughter via Cooking Vinyl on 15 January 2021 you can pre-order at https://kw.lnk.to/neptunesdaughterPR
Listen to previously released music via Spotify ⬇️ or click HERE to watch some videos
We had the pleasure of interviewing Kerri earlier this week read the Q&A ⬇️
Facebook: @kerriwatt | Instagram: @kerriwatt | Twitter: @kerriwatt | Spotify HERE
Kerri Watt debut album Neptune’s Daughter out 15 January
How do you come up with the ideas for your excellent music videos?
Often when I’m writing songs, I naturally get a visual idea for them too. When it comes time to make the videos, I get together with my film maker friends and share my ideas plus vision and Pinterest boards with inspiration for the theme, colour and feel of what I’m imagining. They then put their creative mind to it and collaboratively we come up with a strong concept! It’s been especially fun (and challenging!) coming up with videos during lock down over the past year using limited resources and my own camera!
How did you end up working with producer Machine, better known for Metal/Rock, and what was that like?
We were introduced a few years ago by a manager I was working with at the time. We totally hit it off on a musical and creative level and decided to work together on my debut album. It was such a brilliant experience. I spent 5 weeks out at his barn studio in Austin Texas getting to collaborate with some incredible local musicians. Machine’s style of producing is so dynamic and fun, he really knows how to bring a team together and get the absolute best out of them and the songs.
Do you have a favourite song from your album Neptune’s Daughter?
It changes all the time, but right it’s the current single ‘Band of Gold.’ The song is about adventuring, escapism and good times with the people you love so it’s an image that’s really keeping me going through this cold lock down Winter!
The album was a couple of years in the making, obviously we can appreciate the pandemic might have delayed things a little, but did anything change from the day the recording was finished to release day?
Nothing changed actually! The only thing we did was add one song that I only half finished with Machine when I was in Austin because we ran out of time. Towards the end of last year, we decided to dig it out and work remotely together to finish it and add it to the album.
What music did you grow up listening to and has that influenced your style today?
In terms of female artists, my early heroes were LeAnn Rimes, Celine Dion and Faith Hill. I also loved all round performers like Britney, Justin, Madonna, Janet & Michael Jackson. As I got older and started to discover music for myself, I dived into Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crow. They’ve all been pretty influential on me as a writer. You can definitely hear some Sheryl Crow in the new album.
Do you have any stand-out memories from a live performance?
Lots! The two major ones would probably be opening for Coldplay at the Cardiff Millennium Stadium with Embrace. That’s the biggest audience I’ve ever played for and it was such a buzz. The other one is duetting with Keith Urban at his London headline show. He’s such a killer performer and guitarist and it was a total honour to share the stage with him and learn from a pro.
Is there a ‘dream collaboration’ you would like to work on?
I’m so in awe of Sheryl Crow as a writer, I’d love to see what we could come up with together in the studio. And in terms of an on stage collab, it’s an absolute dream to tread the boards with the blues rock n roll band Vintage Trouble. Their front man Ty Taylor is the best live performer I’ve ever seen, absolutely bursting at the seams with energy while maintaining the coolest exterior. I’d love to work up a crowd with him.
Is there a song that you like and think, ‘I wish I wrote that’?
Something, or actually just anything by Elton John. Let’s say ‘Take Me To The Pilot.’ You’d just never get sick of playing that groove!