INTERVIEW: Kathryn Williams

Image by: Emma Holbrook

Tender, tranquil and emotionally tumultuous: that’s how I’d describe Kathryn Williams’ new album Mystery Park, which, impressively, is her 15^th studio offering. Over her 27 year career so far, Williams’ work has never strayed from being utterly, unflappably beautiful – a feat once again achieved on album number 15.

“There are quite a lot of tangents to the title,” Williams explains. “First of all, there’s a place in Liverpool – where I’m from – called Mystery Park, and it was called that because it was donated by a mystery owner to the city for the people. And every time someone new would come to Liverpool, my dad would tell that story about Mystery Park. There’s also a track on the album called The Mystery, which is about my dad and dementia, so those things put together rang bells that made it feel like the right title.” This title is paired with an equally fascinating work of cover art, hand-painted by Williams herself and emblazoned with symbols relating to each of the album tracks. “I wanted it to be quite a precious thing, where the art and the songs all interlink.”

Thematically, Mystery Park is Williams’ most personal work yet, with lyrics that pinch at your heartstrings. “I’m 51 now, and there’s this strange feeling of being on a bridge between your kids growing up and your parents getting older, and you’re at this sort of middle point where you’re looking backwards and forwards. It’s about connecting and sharing those parts of my story and my family and hoping that they resonate with other people.” Connection is inevitable, because this album sees emotion conveyed tremendously, each song like a fable on motherhood, solitude, hope and age.

I love the ‘running down the hill, holding hands together’ feeling of writing a song with someone

Mystery Park is a sonic flashback to some of Williams’ earlier work: intimate, woody, folk-adjacent musings – sparse in the most affecting of ways – but it’s fresh in the sense that it welcomes new voices to her work too. The Mercury-prize nominee cites collaboration as a big hero in her life, and particularly on this record. “When everything went big I just didn’t feel like I could handle it, really, and I tried to hide that vulnerability and pretend that everything was okay – whilst not leaving the house. Over the years I’ve learnt that collaborating and having a community of people is a brilliant way to help you through that stuff.”

The community in question on this album is an impressive one – co-writers include rock legend Paul Weller, Polly Paulusma, Neill MacColl and a handful of other critically acclaimed names. “I love the ‘running down the hill, holding hands together’ feeling of writing a song with someone. You have the best laughs when it doesn’t go well. It’s like a fast-track to getting to know someone.”

If you want a fast-track to getting to know Kathryn Williams and her music, she’s taking her new album on an extensive UK tour in October, joined by former Oasis member and talented guitarist and songwriter Matt Deighton. Expect magic, and don’t miss it.

Mystery Park is released on 26^th September. Kathryn Williams plays The Glasshouse, Gateshead on Thursday 30^th October.