“I see reviews saying: ‘The band were great.’ Yeah, the ‘band’ is me”: Joan Armatrading on her new music, riding an elevator with Leslie West and walking with Nelson Mandela

Joan Armatrading made waves with her orchestral-backed rock-soul single Love And Affection in October 1976. It catapulted the reserved and enigmatic St Kitts-born, Birmingham-raised singer-songwriter to stardom, where she’s remained for five decades.

Being awarded two British honours for her services to music – an MBE in 2001 and a CBE in 2020 – placed her firmly in the songwriting royalty tier, and her honest, observer’s approach to life and love remains on her most recent record album How Did This Happen And What Does This Now Mean, on which she engages in some sizzling guitar playing.

Tell us about How Did This Happen…. Who’s on it?

Everything you heard is just me. I’ve been doing that for years. I see reviews saying: “The band were great.” Yeah, the ‘band’ is me.

You’re a multi-instrumentalist, and you also do production.

I started writing at age twelve, thirteen, and as soon as any new technology came in I was on it. I went from two-track [recordings] to four, eight, sixteen, twenty-four… and I would engineer myself. Then from 1986 I started self-producing. I’ve never had to play catch-up, I’ve always been there when technology moves.

How did you find themes for your songs?

I write from observation of what’s around me, and that hasn’t changed since day one. I think: “What’s it like to be in that person’s shoes?” Situations that inspire me are things like when I was on the train recently and there was a group of girls aged about fifteen, sixteen, and one of them was super-excited because she’d just discovered olives [laughs].

That’s very wholesome. And unexpected fodder for a rock song.

She was telling her friends how wonderful olives were. I just thought: “That’s what youth is, the joy of discovery.” Another story is seeing a couple in love, whispering to each other, and things seem meaningful and important. What they’re probably saying is: “What d’you want for tea?” Different ways of describing moments, that’s what I like to get into.

The new album is a real mix of genres, with even some modern pop flavours. The opening track, 25 Kisses, is waiting for some ‘doof-doof’ to be added.

Well that’s right because I’m alive in 2024, like I was alive in 1976 and did what was happening then. I can’t do 1976 now, I have to reflect on where we are and live in this age, else I might as well stop being an artist.

You also rip into two proggy jazz-rock instrumentals: Back And Forth and Now What.

Because people think of me as a singer-songwriter, they don’t necessarily notice that I play great guitar. On the last record [Consequences, 2021] I did an instrumental that was more acoustic. With Back And Forth I woke up one morning and really felt like playing like that. It flowed out, in one take, originally twice as long.

Guitarist John McLaughlin is an influence for you, and who else?

John McLaughlin is a guitarist I really love. The list of who I admire is pretty huge – and Jimmy Page has to be on there – but my favourite is Mark Knopfler. He’s very lyrical, and the tone he gets… He’s a lovely bloke as well. Before him my favourite guitarist was Leslie West.

Did you ever meet Leslie?

One time when I was in New York in the 70s I got into a lift and he was there. I was so excited. Did you say hello? No, I didn’t. I’m not a ‘hello’ type of person. I was just really, really pleased to be in a lift with him, breathing in the same air.

When you started out in the 70s there must have been expectations around what a female artist should be doing, and a Black female artist – your appearance, your music and so on.

That part was over my head. Initially I was a songwriter and wanted people to know my songs. All I was doing was being me. If they wanted anything else it wouldn’t even get in one ear to go out of the other. I didn’t get involved in any of that. I was just being Joan.

However, you did have a kind of ‘signature’ look for a while: wearing a key. What did that mean?

I wore the key around my neck because when I came home from school I’d have to let myself into the house. Then I wrote an album called The Key [in 1983] – and stopped wearing the key. “I’m grown up now, I don’t need to wear the key any more.” [laughs].

What’s been your biggest ‘pinch me’ moment so far?

I was playing in South Africa and was asked if I would like to meet Nelson Mandela. I said yes. I’m driven to his house, and I’m expecting a crowd of people to be there, but it’s just me and him. We talk in a room, then he says: “Would you like to go in the garden?” And I say ‘Yes!’ thinking that’s where the other people are. But it was still just me and him, for the whole visit! A very nice guy. And I was fortunate to meet a bunch of other freedom fighters too, who told me their stories, and also told me they took my music with them when they had to leave South Africa, which was great. I loved that.

It must have been such a thrill to write and perform your first classical piece last year, Symphony No 1, with the Chineke! Orchestra, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London.

I knew I’d write a classical piece one day. A little like with Back And Forth, I just woke up one day, went into the studio and wrote. I know I’ll be doing more – I’ve already started. The Birmingham Symphony Orchestra came to the event and asked me to write a choral piece for a hundred-strong choir and orchestra. It’ll be performed next year [2025]. If I do say so myself, it’s very good.

How Did This Happen And What Does It Now Mean is out now via BMG.