Folk &
Tumble

Each week we take five minutes to pose five questions to one of our favourite Folksters. First up we have the wonderfully moustached Alex Highton who’s talking pledges, new albums and err… chess.

Who is Alex Highton?
I don’t know really. Maybe that’s what the songs are about, trying to work out who I am and what I’m doing here… or maybe not. It’s hard to tell. I’m certainly a man confused by a complicated world, I know that much.

Photo by Graeme Wilmot

What have you been upto since we last spoke at Liverpool Sound City?
Raising money through Pledge Music to market the album. That’s about it really. I’ve got this record I’m really proud of and I want to get it out into the world.I figured there’s no point releasing it and no one gets to know about it. We’ve hit target now but you can still pledge and get the album a good couple of months before anyone else. Other than this I’ve started playing chess again. Chess and whisky – my favourite pastimes outside of music.

Why have you chosen the unorthodox crowdfunding model to financing your album?
I didn’t have any other options. I’m not exctly a darling of the music industry, trotting out catchy synth pop in my pink espadrills or recording a space-folk triple album on a dictaphone in a Himalayan cave. I’m a thirty something dad of two, who lives a in a quiet village in the countryside, getting by and writing songs. When you state your inspirations as Harry Nilsson & David Ackles, I’m sure it doesn’t set the hearts of the major record companies fluttering. I’m lucky in that the people who are into what I do, are really into it and willing to back to me. For this I’m forever in their debt.

Where can we get our hands on you tunes or even hear them live?
You can hear some of the tunes from the album at www.alexhighton.com, Soundcloud, Pledge Music, Facebook, tons of places. Howard my manager reckons I have more websites than Google. You can get your hands on the album in the next couple of weeks via Pledge Music or you can wait until sometime after February for the offical album launch. The only confirmed live date I have left this year is The End Festival in Crouch End, which is going to be amazing.Check out the line-up – Howard & Bob (who sorts out live stuff for me) are currently putting getting things together, a possible tour in Holland in December, the album launch at Kings Place, some nice supports, etc.

When can we expect the next big news to break from camp Highton?
I’m not sure. I might set up a chess club at The Three Blackbirds. That could be big. I’ll let you know.

Scott Edgar

Tags: album, alex highton, chess, folk, interview, pledge music, take 5