Tim Eriksen is currently in the UK for a number of dates and recently visited Robin Hood Bay, the home turf of friend and past collaborator Eliza Carthy. Here they are sat around a campfire, performing 10,000 Miles which featured their album Bottle which was released back in 2015.
We interviewed Eliza and Tim back in 2015 about Bottle. They both shared some great stories including Eliza recalling how they first met:
“I was familiar with Tim’s work through Dad. Dad quite often points people out to me that he thinks I might like, and he was one of those. But I thought he was a bit scary and I didn’t really like punk rock guitar at that time. I have since changed my mind. Comet was a really well regarded album among my circle of friends and influenced a lot of people in my generation. Nancy [Kerr] and I used to listen to it a lot on our first couple of tours.” It seemed natural, despite Eliza’s temporary guitar aversion, that they would hit it off as Tim explains, “Well, at the time there basically wasn’t anyone else remotely our age (or with green hair) who cared to sing the old songs, so that was a natural connection. We also share an incredibly sophisticated sense of humour.” Eliza takes the bait, adding, “Yes, we quickly found a rapport bonding over Team American World Police, South Park and Groucho Marx. We’re also mutual fans of my dad, which helps.” She adds an intriguing aside, “And we both like food.”
Distance of course paid its part in their friendship as Tim explains, “Our communications were few and far between, including cassette tapes, postcards and occasional encounters on the road. We’d talked about playing together more for a very long time, and finally got around to it.” Eliza counters, “I was an enthusiastic letter writer, although I think Tim beat me in that. I believe he once wrote me a postcard while sitting in a hot tub in Helsinki. He sent me random tapes periodically, which I still have, and I’ve even kept a cassette player so I can listen to them. Well, them and Now That’s What I Call Music, 1987 which has the best version ever of Peter Gunn on it.” Read the full interview here.
Eliza Carthy is currently our Artist of the Month along with Norma Waterson. Read our review of Anchor here.
You can catch Tim tonight (June 15) at Ashcroft Arts Center, Fareham and tomorrow (June 16) at Middewich FAB Festival, Middlewich.
Eliza also has upcoming dates including dates with The Wayward band at Folk by the Oak on 15 July, Cambridge Folk Festival on 3 Aug, Sidmouth Folk Week on 9 Aug as well as 27 June at The gatehouse, Stafford (duo with Martin Carthy and Gift Band). More details here: http://www.eliza-carthy.com/tour-dates/