Why Nick's on cloud nine...

NEW ALBUM IMMINENT . . . Nick Heyward

IT'S little wonder the epic Cotton Clouds Festival is edging ever closer to becoming a sell-out when you've got legendary artists like Nick Heyward on the bill.

Kent-born Heyward, now 56, will always be most fondly remembered by many as the frontman in early 80s popsters Haircut 100, but far fewer of those punters will probably realise that the Fantastic Day and Love Plus One star has been a solo artist since 1983 and released eight other albums in the intervening years.

Limelight

The remainder of the 80s and well into the 90s saw Heyward in and out of the limelight, but now he's back with a first solo album in 18 years, namely Woodland Echoes, which is to be released on the Gladsome Hawk label on August 4.

Now a huge lover of all things connected with nature, Heyward is clearly excited about Woodland Echoes - a clutch of tunes which will presumably be extensively featured on his Cotton Clouds setlist on August 12.

Heyward said: "The album is a celebration of nature, but it's also a celebration of life and, well, everything really.

"It has fallen into place a little bit like snow I guess.

"I wanted to capture the emotions of nature on the album, and the love that comes through nature.

"I had a choice around 10 or 15 years ago, to either save up to buy a house, or to save up and make an album. So I chose the album route because I thought it was time to invest in Nick Heyward, the artist.

Potential

"I wanted to make a proper album that is really as good as the ones I've made before, so that did take a lot of investment.

"That's what I've done, and I'm 100-per-cent happy with it. Every song has reached its full potential, and as a songwriter, that has been my main job.

"I wanted to turn round at the end of the process and go 'yeah'.

"The music is more juicy than it's ever been for me at the moment - that's how I feel anyway."

Cotton Clouds is one of a number of festivals Heyward is still in demand to play this year, and that's something the popular singer/songwriter continues to be grateful for.

"I'm thankful for everything that's happening," he said.

"Once I had made it as a creative person, you just say 'my job's done and that's it'.

"The rest of it is like little cherries on the top of a cherry bakewell, so anything that happens now is very exciting. It's like 'wow'.

"Just to make it was enough for me, but the fact that my new album is getting a lot of attention is all good. I love it."

So as he now begins gearing up for Cotton Clouds - which comes either side of a couple of Rewind Festival appearances - with his backing band, Heyward appears genuinely excited to be heading north to Saddleworth Cricket Club in just a few weeks' time.

Asked about the line-up in particular, which also features the likes of The Coral, The Sugarhill Gang, The Whip and Clint Boon among a host of others, Heyward said: "It's really eclectic.

"The bill is so good and I'm just so looking forward to being there.

"I haven't seen The Coral so that'll be good, but the venue itself sounds nice and it'll be perfect for some summery songs.

"I do love the stuff on my new album so I'll be saying 'sorry, guys, I'm playing some of that', but I'll also be playing 'Whistle down the wind', 'Blue hat for a blue day' and 'Take that situation'.

"I'll be playing some Haircut tracks too. To leave songs like 'Fantastic Day' out wouldn't be right.

"They are songs I learned to play guitar to in my bedroom when I was a teenager listening to punk and stuff.

"That's where that song came from believe it or not.

"All gigs are as good as the people there, though, so if everybody's up for it on that day it'll be brilliant.

"If everyone is up for it you're just lifted, and to be honest if the weather does turn out to be bad, sometimes people can be even more uplifted."

Check out www.nickheyward.com for all up-to-date gig and future release dates.