It’s fair to say that Vashti Bunyan’s musical career hasn’t followed a conventional path. After a faltering attempt to make it as a pop singer in Swinging London, she dropped out of the rat race and journeyed by horse-drawn wagon to the Isle Of Skye, an experience that informed her startling 1970 debut Just Another Diamond Day, recorded with assistance from members of Fairport Convention and The Incredible String Band.
It proved to be Bunyan’s last recording for more than 30 years, until her rediscovery by freak-folk luminaries such as Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom and Animal Collective prompted a remarkable renaissance, leading to her 2005 Max Richter-producer comeback album Lookaftering and its 2014 follow-up Heartleap.
Lookaftering is about to be reissued for its 20th anniversary, augmented by a host of demo versions, alternate takes and live performances. But before that, Vashti has kindly agreed to undergo a gentle grilling from you, the Uncut readers. So what do you want to ask a wandering soul? Send your questions to audiencewith@uncut.co.uk by Friday January 3 and Vashti will answer the best ones in a future issue of Uncut.
