We chat to James Yorkston ahead of his solo Bodega show

You’ve had a long and storied career. With a solo tour coming up, are you going back and listening to your back catalogue, to remember your early songs?

I'd be lying if I said it didn't. My first record came out 25 years ago, so I've been dragging out old songs recently. People always catch me out though, I’ll take requests and they'll ask for something that I haven't played for a decade. Then it's kind of an internal muscle memory thing that goes on. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it's just a disaster!

But even this morning, I came down to my studio and I printed out lyrics for one of the old songs so I've been working on remembering them. The best way is just to sing it or bring it back from the dead somehow. 

The people who request the obscure songs know they're obscure. That's why they're requesting them!

I've got a friend who does that exact thing. He goes to gigs, and he asks for the B-side of the second single and things like that. Sometimes that's the great stuff. 

When you revisit some of the early songs, what’s your relationship to them like?

I can see that I made a lot of effort with them. I think most of the decisions were good, but there are a couple of things that haunt me. There's a couple of lyrics that I just think, ‘Oh, my God, and what was I doing?’ 

I'm pleased that I didn't go through a kind of indie-pop phase, you know or something like that. In general, I'm pleased that I've stuck to my guns. I signed to Domino when I was 30 and I'd had a 20s full of being in kind of punky bands and a very folky band and so by the time I'd started recording for Domino I was already quite old and I already knew what I wanted to do and who my main influences were.

You’ve released three novels. Is there a relationship between writing prose and songwriting? Are they compartmentalised?

There definitely is a relationship. The first bit when you start to write is kind of the tricky bit. But then when you get going, you get into a flow and at the very least that’s how writing books helps with the lyrics: it just means there's no fear of going with the flow of writing, and continuing to let it come out of your imagination. I find it really helps, and I love doing both. 

I love writing longer form and in prose, especially because I'm trying to cut my songs back and make them simpler. I'm at an age where I can't really start another career - I've just got to do what I do. Maybe 10 years ago, I came to the conclusion that I just have to create what is there in my mind and not think about what's going to follow, just get on with what's interesting to me at the moment. Also to try not to worry about money, which is kind of impossible.

I think anyone who's making a living out of anything they want to do is doing very well. I know how tricky music is at the moment, so certainly anyone who's making a living off music is doing really well. It is quite a precarious living to choose, but then you'll know yourself if you're writing, you don't really choose it; it's almost more like a curse, right? You're going to do music, so just get on with it. 

You’ve had a long, long list of collaborators over the years. Obviously, Nina Persson (The Cardigans) and Johanna Söderberg (First Aid Kit), who you worked with on Songs for Nina and Johanna this year. Also Jon Hopkins, John Thorne, and you’ve played with Philip Selway (Radiohead)... 

As an aside, one of the punk bands I was in supported Radiohead when they played Edinburgh, and they'd just released Creep. We did a double header show with them and that's when I first met Phil. I think the next time I met him was at Folk Awards maybe 12 years ago. I said, ‘Oh, we supported you’ and he said ‘I remember that gig.’ I said, ‘Oh yeah, what do you remember that gig for?’ and he said somebody had stolen Colin’s (bassist, Radiohead) wallet, which is terrible!

Where did your collaborative spirit come from? Is it something you consciously try to reach for, or do you just find yourself in these situations?

I'm in my studio at the moment, which is full of instruments and stuff and I've got a nice little kitchen, but there’s nothing else here – it’s just me. When I'm touring, I pretty much tour by myself.

So working with other people I just find very great, socially. Also, for whatever reason some people seem to like what I do, and when I ask people most of the time they say yes, and then I'm in an amazing situation where I'm in a studio with Nina, in a studio with Suhail Yusef Khan, in a studio with Johanna or getting remixes done by people like Jon Hopkins or Four Tet, or Vince Clarke.

I mean, I'm a fan of music and it’s a great thing where this can happen and work. I don't really have the ego, such that I have to be singing every song. I don't feel as if I have to be the main dude. I just love experimenting and trying different things out. We've had two new albums out this year; one was Songs for Nina and Johanna, and one was called Yorkston / Jaycock / Langendorf, with David Jaycock who's a Cornish experimental musician and Lina Langendorf, who’s a jazz saxophonist from Stockholm, and I value that just as highly. 

I don't want to say it's the spice of life, but it also is. It's really exciting and a great thing to be doing. When we’re with the Second Hand Orchestra, they won't know the songs at all initially, but two minutes later the songs have bloomed and it's such a joyous thing to do. Music is a wonderful thing and it's a wonderful thing to share. 

Speaking of working with people, you run Tae Sup Wi’ A Fifer, which has a couple of tours in 2026. Ever think of bringing that south of the border and doing a bit of a cultural exchange? 

Yeah, I’d absolutely love to, but somebody would have to approach me with a lot of money, not for any reason other than it is heavily supported by Creative Scotland, which means that all the musicians get paid properly. It's all about taking the musicians to areas that in Scotland are usually missed out by touring; bringing high quality acts to small venues. It's a very fun thing to do. 

Lastly, what can we expect on this solo tour in December? You mentioned taking requests, is it going to be fairly informal?

No, it's completely informal! I'll plug in and a lot of the time I won’t even know what the first song is. I just try to be honest and not ill-prepared, but spontaneous. I don't know what's going to happen. I will have the piano with me and I will have a guitar with me. I guess I've been rehearsing something like 30 songs. I've been toying with some old trad stuff, so I might play a bit of trad stuff, but honestly I don't know.

And if somebody calls out for something old and wonderful, then I'll do my best to play it. I’m there to enjoy and have fun. That's what I try to put over to the audience and I hope they feel the same. Playing music for a living is an amazing thing to do and I feel very blessed to be able to do it. And I never throw a gig away. I always absolutely appreciate that people have come and spent their money on a ticket.

I know The Bodega well. They sent an email through and it said they've got a new dressing room with two couches on it - because for years and years, the dressing room was basically the lavatory downstairs - so I can't wait to experience Nottingham! 

I bet you regret doing a solo tour now – with two couches you could have brought someone along. 

The solo tours are different beasts, really. With the solo tours, I can do whatever I can remember, which is most of the back catalogue. I can do requests, and all that sort of stuff. So it’s easier, more fun. Or at least a different kind of fun. 

James Yorkston will perform at The Bodega on 14th December 2025.