Tim Edey excited to return to Inverness

ONE of the most exciting multi-instrumentalists around, Tim Edey, says he is delighted to be returning to Inverness for a live date on Friday.

Tim, a former Radio 2 Folk Awards folk musician of the year, is known as an exceptional melodeon and guitar player. He has toured and recorded with everyone from The Chieftains to Natalie MacMaster and has also played with north group Session A9 and Julie Fowlis.

“We recently moved back to Perthshire from Donegal,” Tim said. “And I’m so excited to come back to the Highlands. We are always threatening to move up. Every time I come up there I’m tempted!”

Originally from Broadstairs in Kent where he taught himself to play by watching his guitarist father, Tim is of Irish descent and specialises in Irish and Scottish music but takes inspiration from across the world.

Looking back to winning the folk musician of the year title in 2012, Tim said: “I was very lucky I ended up winning it back in 2012 and it was quite an amazing experience.

“For a long time the awards seemed very English and wasn’t Celtic – which now it is.

“I’m a strange one because I am officially an English man – even though I never admit it – well, I’m half-Irish. And I play Irish and Scottish music of course. Christy Moore was there too so it was almost like a Celtic celebration that year!”

“I’ve been playing since I was 15 or 16.

“But I guess it could have a negative effect if you won and thought you had reached your peak – ‘Now I don’t have to do anything!’ – that kind of thing. But it would take a lot to stop me playing,” he laughed.

“I was never in it for the financial aspect.

“It’s such an honour to be able to play a bit of music and it’s easy to forget that we are so lucky to do it.

“I was touring with The Chieftains for quite a long time – and they were heroes of mine from when I was a kid – and every night they used to say I was ‘BBC folk musician of the year’, so it was good!”

An exciting recent development for Tim, he says, is giving Skype lessons to pupils, thanks to an idea shared by Shetland fiddler Kevin Henderson.

“When you are on the road it is very difficult to do lessons. But Kevin started doing these Skype lessons. At first when I heard about it, I thought ‘How on earth does that work?’, but I’ve eaten my words because it’s only about three weeks since I started it. I just put the word out on Facebook. Kevin was ever so helpful and advised me about how you go about it.

“I think I’ve taught 14 people in that time.

“I was teaching someone in New Zealand yesterday!” Tim said.

Tim Edey plays the Inverness Folk and Acoustic Club at MacGregor’s Bar, Inverness, on Friday, March 15, though it is sold out. Check with the venue for any possible returns. Tim will return to Inverness when he plays Eden Court on June, Wednesday 19. More info: www.timedey.co.uk/