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The Herald Scotland

Laura Silverstone on HebCelt debut and islands and Basque similarities

Her gig will be at the Isle of Harris Gin Ceilidh Tent from 3.15pm on Friday July 18 and she cannot wait to experience the festival. Having spent time living on the Isle of Skye, she's spent the last eight years living the van life and travelling around anywhere she can to perform live music. She has new music in the pipeline too, having recorded at Lipaka Studios in Germany with sought-after producer Bob Vogston, and headline shows in Glasgow and Edinburgh are to take place soon. Originally from the Basque Country, she's been loving how busy she is and cannot wait to get on stage at HebCelt. She said: 'I feel like my feet have barely touched the floor since the album came out. It's been busy, it's been lovely, I feel really grateful. 'I'm over the moon to be there. I'm thrilled. Terrified, but thrilled. I want to breathe in as much of the music as I possibly can. It's a little bit scary, but in a really exciting way. It's like that mix of anticipation, excitement and nerves.' HebCelt festival takes place next week (Image: Supplied) One of the main draws for her about HebCelt is the amount of women who are on the bill alongside her. Lulu is one of the headliners but another Scot is also high on Silverstone's list with Nina Nesbitt also performing. She continued: 'It's going to be quite astonishing to hear so many really great, talented female singers as well. It's going to be amazing. 'I think women have a completely different viewpoint in so many things, so many aspects of life. When women make music, it can be so different and so much closer to me. It gives you a completely different view of the same topics from a very different perspective. 'So I'm really grateful to be able to see so many women. 'I hope I get to meet NATI. We're like the same age and we live in the same area and it'd be so cool. Lulu is just an absolute legend. There's also Eddi Reader and Nina Nesbitt. I'm really excited to see Nina Nesbitt. I love her music.' Silverstone credits living in Scotland as being a big part of her growing career and believes the Hebrides is similar to where she grew up in the Basque Country. She added: 'I've always, always said that about Scotland, how it's so beautifully culturally rich whilst at the same time being so appreciative of other cultures. I think a lot of places in the world should learn from Scotland about that. 'It's a community of its own as well. There's so much going on around Gaelic language and culture. As an outsider, to just appreciate it and relate it back to my own Basque-culture, there was a mutual appreciation and fascination for each other's culture. Read More 'In the same way that I was interested and wanting to learn more about it, the response was always to want to know more about the Basque culture and the Basque language. 'I used to live on the Isle of Skye, which is where I first converted my van. So I did a little bit of exploring while I was there. I went to Harris and Lewis and absolutely loved it. I remember driving and the weather was beautiful and I remember thinking my main worry for today is where am I going to see the best sunset? It was amazing. 'It feels like you're somewhere on the edge of the world. I do remember thinking, oh my God, it's so far away, and then thinking, actually, this is probably one of the safest places in the world. Seeing all the stuff that's going on around the world, in Europe and everywhere, I would just be like yeah, no, I'm happy here. 'I got the sense of community in a way that you only see in areas where everybody knows each other and everybody's so friendly and so welcoming. I didn't get much of a chance to do much music at the time so with HebCelt, that's what I'm there for.' HebCelt will take place on the Isle of Lewis from July 16 to July 19 and a new funding boost has meant that, along with Lewis Wind Power, it can expand its support to Gaelic culture and youth activities. The Culture & Business Scotland Fund has made an investment equal to 50% of Lewis Wind Power's sponsorship of key festival outreach work. It means more funding is available to sponsor engagement projects including the likes of Gaelic-led morning workshops which use storytelling, craft, Gaelic singsongs, a zine wall and more to broaden access to Gaelic arts and culture. Welcoming the news, Chair of the HebCelt Festival Board Iain Macphail said: 'Lewis Wind Power's incredible and long-standing support for HebCelt already plays a vital role in showcasing local talent and creating cultural opportunities. 'Thanks now to the generous support of the Culture & Business Scotland Fund, we are able to expand that benefit into the heart of our community, unlocking new ways for young people, families, and Gaelic speakers to engage with culture creatively.'