Sailing off on her own

Published on Saturday 2 June 2007 01:02

WHEN WE MEET IN A BOOKISH café on Glasgow's Woodlands Road, Jenny Reeve looks every inch the demure indie girl, her tall frame wrapped in a vintage black dress cinched at her tiny waist with a large red belt to match her long hair. But as we settle down to chat, it becomes clear there's nothing particularly demure about Reeve, a veteran of Scotland's indie scene who, at 27, is about to strike out on her own.

For the last decade, singer, guitarist and violinist Reeve has been associated with the great and the good of Scottish indie, usually in a supporting role. She has played with Idlewild, performed on Snow Patrol's records and toured as part of Arab Strap's band, all of which has left her with more than a few tales to tell, but more importantly, provided her with a wealth of experience.

Now Reeve is putting all that experience to good use. Fronting her own band, Strike The Colours, she's about to release a debut mini-album, The Face That Sunk A Thousand Ships. It's not the first time Reeve has been centre stage - she fronted a band called Eva a few years ago - but it's the first time she's been in control of the creative process, start to finish. And she's loving it.

"I never had much confidence in my own ability before," she admits. "Years ago, I was with a big management company who, from an early age, put certain ideas in my head, like that I shouldn't be thinking about songwriting, or playing certain instruments that would take me away from the front of the stage. They were trying to manufacture me and put me into a band they had ready for me.

"When I realised that was happening, I said no way, but that bashed my confidence a bit, and took me away from what I wanted to do. But now, with Strike The Colours, I'm able to write songs and carry that responsibility on my own, but also have people come in and collaborate on the songs when I like. I finally got there."

The mini-album is a subtle and expertly crafted display of folk-inflected guitar pop, Reeve's confident songs showcasing her delectable voice and skills with both violin and guitar.

"Recently, I've got a lot more confident with my guitar work," she says. "I've been listening to a lot of people who are amazing guitar players. People like John Fahey and Joan Baez, and Malcolm [Middleton] got me into a guy called Jackson C Frank."

Reeve is now happily combining her own band activities with collaborations. Today she's recovering from a six-week stint around Europe with ex-Arab Strapper Malcolm Middleton, both as guitarist in his band and as solo support act. In a few hours she has to go off and rehearse with Idlewild for a one-off acoustic show. As well as all this, Reeve does youth work, helping run a community studio, and working around Glasgow with kids on songwriting and recording.

"I try to help the kids with songwriting, but they get really hung up about it," she says. "They'll say, 'I can't write that, I'll get a pure slagging', so I explain that nobody ever has to see or hear what they write. Seeing that process is amazing, some of the kids are really talented, and they wouldn't have the chance to do it otherwise. It helps me, too, because I get to learn how the studio works, and to think about the songwriting process. Plus I'll sit and pinch their ideas."

With this, she dissolves into a fit of giggles. "I'll tell them it's crap, then steal their songs. I'm laughing about it, but it's probably true."

Reeve's life has been steeped in music. Born in Glasgow of an Australian father and English mother raised in New Zealand, there was always something interesting on the turntable growing up.

"My mum listened to Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez, while The Beatles and Pink Floyd were my dad's thing. Also, there was a lot of folky stuff, my mum listened to a lot of traditional Scottish folk music. Then my older brother started playing guitar, and got into Hendrix and all the prog bands like Yes and Deep Purple, so I used to hear all that as well."

Meanwhile, Reeve was learning classical violin and performing in youth orchestras as a means of escape from a not particularly happy time at school. Later, while at college, she started performing in bands, and it wasn't long before she was spotted by producer Tony Doogan, who was working with Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody on his Reindeer Section side-project. Singing on the first Reindeer Section album introduced her to a whole new world of Scottish indie, where her skills were immediately in demand.

"If I'd never played the violin, it would've been very different," she admits. "It's hard to get people who can play violin and fit into a band as well, but I had a foot in both camps, so I knew what was needed."

And that knowledge and confidence look set to launch her into the next stage of her already remarkable career.

• Strike The Colours play The Goat, Glasgow, 10 June; Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, 21 June; Peacock Visual Arts, Aberdeen, 22 June; Nice 'n' Sleazy, Glasgow, 23 June. The Face That Sunk A Thousand Ships is out on Deadlight on 18 June.

What other people are saying...

"A form of shimmering indie pop in which catchiness radiates brightly over strings, guitars and percussion. Reeve and her bandmates play with such delectation and ease, making their glossy pop hooks noticeably consummate as they glide smoothly over Reeve's lightly cherubic vocals."

www.obscuresounds.com

"Strike the Colours play folk along the lines of Pentangle and Espers, weaving stories through finger-picked guitar, Jenny's voice gliding along the long violin notes. Everyone watching is mesmerised and completely silent."

www.bbc.co.uk

"Strike The Colours adeptly become the string that ties together the foraging heart of Ani DiFranco and the lush crispness of Joan Baez. Safety In Numbers slowly whistles around maudlin reflection and crisp vocal projection with a comforting instrumental slide. "

www.collectedsounds.com