Five minutes with Gwenifer Raymond
Ahead of officially showcasing at WOMEX 2024, British Underground take five with Gwenifer Raymond, who began playing guitar at the age of eight, shortly after being exposed to punk and grunge. After years of playing around the Welsh valleys in various punk outfits, she began listening more to pre-war blues musicians as well as Appalachian folk players, eventually leading into the guitar players of the American Primitive genre.
Interview: Steph Wilkinson
Can you describe your music?
It’s known as ‘‘American Primitive’, which is instrumental, acoustic finger-style guitar.
What are your musical influences?
The first album I ever liked was Nevermind by Nirvana – that was when I asked for my first guitar. Later on, I got into listening to pre-war blues – people like Skip James and Mississippi John Hurt, Blind Boy Fuller, Blind Lemon Jefferson… all the blind guys!
How did you get into playing instrumental music?
I don’t sing, so I was writing more complicated finger-picking compositions. Then someone played me a John Fahey record, and said: ‘What you’re doing is the same as this’, which was a revelation.
What can audiences expect from your performance at WOMEX?
I don’t like chit-chat and there’s not many jokes! I’m one of the harder, noisier players. Primitive music by its nature is quite trance-y and meditative, and you want to lean into that.
“Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”
What is your biggest ambition for WOMEX?
Finding opportunities to compose for films is a real aspiration for me because I’m a big movie nerd.
How do audiences react to your performances?
Sometimes you get a ‘listening room’ crowd, where people are polite and respectful. But I remember one show in Reading. I was doing my thing, and some guy started fully raving at the front.
Best gig you’ve ever played?
Probably a recent tour I did in the States, I played with Max Oches – who is a legendary American Primitive player – we ended up on stage together jamming to some old-time tunes. That was pretty cool.
Most rock ‘n’ roll moment?
Catching a speedboat at midnight to an island off the coast of Sweden – that felt quite rock ‘n’ roll. But I was also terrified because it was pitch black and I’m not a very strong swimmer.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
I’ve gone back to my roots of blues and parlour music, but also avant-garde, ambient music. I’ve been listening to Willburn Burchette and Mort Garson, and I got obsessed with Clara Rockmore (the world’s greatest theramin player from the 1930s/40s). She was an interesting character.
Who are your top three artists of all time?
I can’t answer that question, so I’ll say Groucho, Zeppo and Harpo.
What do you love about music?
It’s the most primitive art form. It is accessing something on an un-intellectual scale.
You also work as a computer games programmer – any recommendations?
There’s a new 2D puzzler out that’s set in Yorkshire, and it’s called Thank Goodness You’re Here.
Gwenifer Raymond will be performing on the Horizons Regional Stage at WOMEX 2024 on Sat 26 October at 9pm.
