Singer-songwriter Isla Grant is preparing for her 10th visit to Australia.
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The Scottish performer is in Australia so regularly that it feels like a second home to her.
“We have been there, more or less, every two years,” she said.
“I love the reaction of people over there and am always keen to do concerts in Australia.
“The first tour (years ago) came out of blue. A promoter rang up and said we should do some shows.
“The fan-base here is fantastic. It doesn’t feel like work to play in Australia.”
Grant is a country-folk singer who has put out 23 albums during her career.
“I did 12 with the record company, three in Scotland before that and six or seven have been recorded under my own album label,” she said.
“The latest album is called I’m a Survivor and it is a group of songs I have wanted to record for many years.”
I’m a Survivor includes famous songs by artists Bob Dylan, The Seekers and Willie Nelson.
“They are people I’ve looked up to. I wanted to record some of their songs as well as mine,” she said.
“It had a great reaction when I toured Ireland and Canada.”
One musical icon Grant couldn’t fit on her album was Merle Haggard.
“My hero is Merle Haggard but I didn’t put one of his songs on because I would like to do a tribute to the great man,” she said.
“He is possibly the finest country artist of them all, his songs have got me through a lot of hard times over the years.”
Despite being on the road and enjoying the success of her 23rd album, Isla Grant show no signs of slowing down.
“I have just finished recording a Christmas album,” she said.
“The songs really come to me. I write songs if some someone says something or there is something happening in part of world that I feel strongly about.”
Grant grew up around music. Her father was a piper, her mother was a singer and her grandfather a fiddler.
When she was 14, Grant began performing in the folk clubs around Glasgow and Edinburgh.
“The big acts working the folk clubs at the time were Eddie and Finbar Furey, The Dubliners and Billy Connolly, who was a member of the group named The Humblebums,” she said.
When she performs at Ulumbarra Theatre on September 6, Grant will perform with her husband Al Grant and singer and multi-instrumentalist Glen Flynn.
Head to www.thecapital.com.au/whats_on for more information or to book tickets.