Watching someone prepare spuds for the evening meal might not be exactly riveting for many but in this case watching singer, songwriter, playwright and novelist Damien Leith decide to prepare dinner on social media is well, social.
It’s even more social since it’s from a garrulous Irish man, with a gift for the gab and the written word as well.
As for being a bit of an eye (forgive me potatoes) of a storm, a storm of visitors, like his children Jaegar and Kikki popping into Leith’s Facebook kitchen to make a comment or sing a spontaneous song because of course, the apple or in this case the pomme de terre (sorry! again potatoes) hasn’t fallen far from the tree!
It’s always a joy to chat to Leith and I have been lucky enough to have done many interviews with him throughout his career.
What always impressed me is his status has a Renaissance man. I think if he put his hand to visual art, he would ace that too, maybe he has?
However, this chat is about Leith’s new children’s book ‘The Extraordinary Misadventures of Lake and Birdy’ and about his upcoming tour that focuses on Irish music and has been receiving standing ovations around the country.
Jokingly before we begin, I asked Leith the most important question: how did those smashing spuds manifest before being consumed? Were they roasted, mashed or made into fries?
“Mashed,” he said, and a special one at that, mash with parmesan, because “the children like it like that.”
That is a good segue into the new novel which I know from previous chats has found its genesis in the hundreds of stories Leith has read to his children at bedtime.
He explained that he always told the children bedtime stories and as time went on and the children got older, they were interested in stories that stayed on theme, were more episodic or serial based. And this became the trend.
After a while the boys grew out of the stories, and it was little sister Kikki that still enjoyed the stories and so ‘The Extraordinary Misadventures of Lake and Birdy‘ was born.
A feature of the story is, in Leith’s words, ‘The fearsome strong’ sisters (and the feisty little one) who stand up for themselves.” The book is full of twists and humour, with a dastardly villain in Miss McGregor.
Leith said he’d like to revisit the book with a sequel and concentrate on some of the minor characters from the book, like Lake and Bridey’s school friends.
The other project we chat about is Leith’s present tour, a labour of love to Irish music. He is accompanied on the tour by a full orchestra.
He told me there will be good balance of twenty-seven songs, some we know and some only an Irish person would be familiar with. There are also tunes with special significance including Leith’s tribute to his dad, who “had my back through all the years” with a favourite ‘The Old Man’.
Leith let me in to a little secret or maybe it isn’t really a secret and won’t be when this article is published. He confessed that writing is his first love, particularly play writing; Leith has written and performed a play ‘The Parting Glass’ which toured Australia.
He joined the drama group at school for this express wish of playwriting and because the drama group worked in close association with the music department, he naturally found himself involved in music and of course the rest is history.
As for the future, well, Leith said he’s not considering a cookbook!
Tickets are available here for Leith’s Irish show: Saturday 14 Jun – Princess Theatre, Launceston.
His children’s book ‘The Extraordinary misadventures of Lake and Bridey’ is out now, published by Walker Books.
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