Approaching the writing of any book as a first-time author is a daunting prospect.
The enormous task ahead, no matter how motivated by the fact or fiction you are, fills you with all kinds of self-doubt. The planning, the research, the chapter breakdown and the sheer amount of time it takes to actually put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) can be nothing short of terrifying.
My own weighty tome has taken me roughly a year and half to write and was constructed mainly on weekends, holidays and occasional days off at my long-suffering mother's East Lothian flat, in my old bedroom no less. I think I needed the lack of distraction and internet access, the cosy familiarity and comfort of surroundings in order to focus my mind. Not to mention the bowls of soup and hearty meals whenever it was time for a screen break.
Let me just assure you that talking about writing a book and then actually delivering on that promise requires two quite different mindsets. When it became a reality, there was absolutely no way of bluffing it or backing down.
With Songs In The Key Of Fife (a gift of a title graciously stolen with permission from The Aliens' MySpace page) I soon realised I was embarking on almost eight biographies in one. Originally I'd planned to plot the intertwining stories of The Beta Band, KT Tunstall, King Creosote, James Yorkston and the Fence Collective – as the tagline reads on the cover. I also wanted to show some psycho-geographical link between them if possible. Why has the East Neuk and St Andrews in particular created so many talented musicians recently?
That in itself sounded like a mammoth undertaking, but I soon realised that the book had to elaborate further to do the complete story justice. Hence extra chapters appeared dealing with Lone Pigeon, Pip Dylan, Pictish Trail and Steve Mason's (ex-Beta Band) solo material. A small, untamed beast slowly but surely grew into a monster. But I fought it, wrestled it to the ground and came out alive on the other side. In its own way, it has been quite exhilarating.
Many budding rock scribes take a subject close to their hearts – whether that is a specific group, a scene or an esoteric concept surrounding a favourite songwriter – and then attempt to authenticate the story in their own words, dousing it with personality and poetry. Well, that's the idea.
My agent was confident that my debut book should be about people I had a real connection with. He was right, but therein lay my own greatest dilemma and worry. Not only was I fretting about getting it right, but subsequent paranoia crept in, being personal friends with the central characters. I only hope when the book is published in August, I still am.
That said, I did have unparalleled access to personal interviews and anecdotes from everyone included, who kindly offered up their time, insights, photographs and personal effects for my use. I did receive a few fevered phone calls from various protagonists, eager to make sure I hadn't disclosed anything untoward. But I was quick to reassure them that I wasn't trying to stitch anyone up, and that the book isn't some salacious, gossipy rag digging up the dirt and burying them in it.
Throughout the process, close friends and colleagues have been really encouraging about the project, generously saying I was the right man for the job. I've known James Yorkston since I was three years old and became acquainted with Steve Mason a few years later, growing up in the East Neuk of Fife myself. Going on to play in two separate groups with Yorkston, as well as another with Kenny and Een Anderson (aka King Creosote and Pip Dylan), I've spent many of my formative years with these people, bonding socially and creatively. Fence Records even released a particularly bizarre album of mine a few years ago, and I've known KT Tunstall since my early twenties. So it's extremely important that this book is as close to the mark as it can be.
Even in the worlds of BBC music radio and TV presenting, you tend to deal with short-form journalism, sound-bites and quick-fire comment. Equally in lengthier newspaper articles, it's hard to get to the absolute core of the subject matter. In a book format however, that changes and you can wax lyrical in increasing depth while simultaneously attempting to make it a page-turner.
For me, it's been a real challenge and a labour of love, but an enlightening and hugely rewarding experience. As I mention in the book's introduction, all these musicians are more than capable of writing their own autobiographies in even more miniscule detail, so maybe one day they will.
As a friend and a fan of those concerned, I've tried to truthfully document a set of stories for their existing supporters and turn on a completely new audience to the wonderful music they've released so far and continue to create. I hope it's an intriguing and interesting read for those who buy, beg, borrow or steal it ... Just don't tell Stevie Wonder!
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