Beth Nielsen Chapman: 'I am always up for a request at festivals'

You’ve recently just released new single Love. Tell me more about the song and why love in general is always a well of ideas for musicians.

Well, love is the glue that can access all, and this song is just beautifully written in such a way that extends beyond the boundary lines of peoples prejudices and biases, I believe. It was written by Sara Groves and it is a song that is haunted me for over 20 years, and I’ve always wanted to see it in my shows, and it is bringing me a deep sense of joy to do that now!

The B-side, Back To This Moment, reminds me of Alanis Morrisette tackling a Joan Armatrading song. It’s light, it’s poppy but has real soul to it. Are these artists who you admire or have been influenced by over the years?

That’s a wonderful description! I love both of those artists, and I love songs that have a depth of field while also being entertaining, which is what I love about this song!

You’ll be heading to South Yorkshire for the Under The Stars Festival. Do you wish to inspire a new generation to pick up an instrument and make art of their own? I believe you were 12 when you wrote your first song?

I was actually 11 when I wrote my first song. we were living in Germany at the time and I was just starting to wake up and look around at the world and it was crazy late 60s bedlam at the time and lots of rich musical influences pummeling from the radio.

I love teaching young people and inspiring them to dive deep into their creative world, because that is what heals us, and keeps us sane and also brings about a sense of humanity, that we need to redirect ourselves towards regularly in the world, so full of craziness and change.

You re-record some of your own tracks on Heart Of Glass. We’re these revisionist artistic edits and amendments or was their a more underlying contractual situation like with Taylor Swift?

Ha ha, no. I didn’t have any contractual issues on that. I was working with a young producer who was quite brilliant, whose name is Sam Ashworth. We were going through lots of songs, deciding what to record. I have a lot of new ones and he really loved some of the songs that I had previously released. Sam is also a songwriter and an artist and he was so excited about revisiting them, so I was quite happy for him to have a go at his interpretation of them. I love all of the versions of these songs, but it was good for me to open to someone else’s idea on how they could be recorded.

Last year’s album CrazyTown, the track Put A Woman In Charge says ‘She’s got the power to change the rules’. With regards music ownership, creativity, artistic freedom, are you seeing a positive change for female artists?

I think positive changes always in the works, but I am frustrated sometimes and how slow things are with regard to balancing and creating a sense of fairness, across-the-board for women artists. And I also think that applies to the responsibilities that women are capable of taking on compared to, the percentage of women who are given an opportunity to fulfill those responsibilities. again, I love for the song to be entertaining, as well as maybe create some consideration of the mind towards forward movement.

How do you decide on a setlist for your shows? Festival audiences tend to be more casual and want the hits whereas someone who has paid money into your own show would be after some real deep cuts I would imagine.

Well, I always throw in the hits because they are always well received. And then I will just do songs that you’re passionate about and, of course, I am always up for a request! I love playing at festivals because I get to be in front of people who might not have ever heard of me, and I have a shot at winning them over, ha ha!

Are there any plans for an album beyond the released singles and when should fans expect to hear it?

Oh yes, there’s always another album in the works, perpetually! These two songs will likely be on the next album along with some others that I am in the process of working on. The songs just keep coming!

If you could create your own line-up for a female only festival, who would you chose from the past or currently?

Now that is one tough question! Here’s my shoot from the hip quick answer, but I know I’m forgetting a multitude of strong women artists that I would also include Ella Fitzgerald, Joni Mitchell, Jennifer Warnes, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, the Indigo Girls, Carly Simon, Carole King, Annie Lennox… And on and on!

Underneath the Stars runs Cinderhill Farm, Cawthorne near Barnsley from August 4-6. https://underneaththestarsfest.co.uk/