COLERAINE’S Peter Wilson (aka Duke Special) has taken inspiration from Belfast poet Michael Longley for his latest album ‘Hollow’. The twice nominated Choice Music Prize musician told Limerick Post that he only became aware of Longley’s work recently.
“I first heard him reading at an event at Belfast City Hall. He was on a panel with ex-president Mary Robinson. I was blown away not just by his poetry but what he had to say in introducing the poems.
“I didn’t know his work very well. I bought a book of his poems afterwards, immediately set one of them to music and sent it to him.
Duke Special has long taken influences from literature and art for his projects, he wrote an album entirely based on a Paul Auster novel and another record was inspired by photographers exhibiting at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The 78 year-old poet was encouraging and found Duke Special’s renditions really interesting. Some of Longley’s poems such as ‘Brothers’ and ‘Grace Darling’ are performed verbatim as they appear on the pages.
“There aren’t any choruses in poems,” Duke laughs. So he would sometimes use the title of a poem as the chorus and moved words around and omitted verses.
“All the words are his original words but I have played around with them – and of course he gave me his blessing to do that.”
“With all the songs, the key is the words to me. Each song was like a little puzzle. So many of his poems are stories and painting a picture of places. I loved working with them in song.”
The result is a collection of beautiful mellow songs, letting the lyricism of Longley’s poetry breath.
Granddaughters
You have buried me up to my shins
in Autumn leaves
I’m taking roots and turning into branches
My head is full of chestnuts and acorns
The track ‘Granddaughters’ is a particular delight, all wide eyed innocence that would soundtrack an animation short film for kids perfectly.
“He played it to his granddaughters – it was just a little four line poem. It just felt so playful, that childlike way of singing in the round was the way it developed.”
Duke Special will tour this record in the company of support act Emily Maguire (Her latest album ‘A Bit Of Blue’ was released in February).
Expect a show in two parts. First the new record ‘Hollow’, followed by a mix from Duke Special’s back catalogue. Recent gigs have seen the dreadlocked purveyor of hobo chic gig in some unique locations such as barber shops in Dublin and Hollywood, Co. Down where the proprietors are music obsessives who live-stream from the shop.
So! Did they offer you a deal on the dreadlocks? Laughs – “I wouldn’t let them near me!”
Duke Special plays Belltable this Wednesday October 25.
