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The musician and former guest seller of Big Issue North is celebrating his most successful solo album yet with a knees-up at Liverpool Arts Club with his 13 piece Amsterdam band on 3 Dec. He tells Big Issue North about unintentional streaking on tour.

What informs your music and songwriting?
Injustices, loyalty, love, death, getting dumped, Ireland, bigotry, Liverpool and my daughter Rosalita.

How have you evolved as an artist over the years?
I oscillate wildly between the Celtic soul and the rebel rock. If I get too caught up in one an internal music compass drags me back the other way. Any fan of my music will notice that you never quite know which one will be in charge at any given point. It keeps things very fresh for me.

What are you up to at the moment artistically?
We’re just doing a celebratory lap of the Companeros album which was my most successful solo album yet and completely sold out. We’ll put a full stop to that part of my career with a huge knees-up at the Arts Club in Liverpool on 3 Dec. Next year will see a brand new album recorded and the re-release of my first ever album with [former band] Pele.

What’s it like to operate in the music industry today?
Well, I’ve been through it all – major label deals, indie deals, cottage industry and every permutation therein. I’m doing great these days – better than I have in a long time – so I can’t complain. I do feel sorry for the young bands though. It’s so much harder for them to break through.

What’s on your rider?
Cheap proletarian lager. Don’t Buy The Sun stickers.

Tell us your most embarrassing or surreal experience.
I’ve been known to sleepwalk and twice I’ve walked into hotel foyers in the knack at four in the morning. Once in Glasgow and once in Belfast. Bizarrely the staff acted like it was normal practice.

What’s your worst lyric?
“Fancy doing that with a fully grown cat in the first place.”

Prowse on guest selling Big Issue North as part of The Big Sell 2016

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Ian Prowse

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