NO DOUBT about it, laughs Becci Wallace – having children is a ‘shock to the system’.
Riding high with one album, Fragmentality, under her belt, some collaborations with fellow musicians on the cards and a teaching position at the University of the West of Scotland, life changed dramatically when the singer-songwriter discovered she was pregnant.
“I had my son, and that was amazing, and then my daughter, and nothing had prepared me for this experience,” she acknowledges.
“Motherhood is incredible, but you no longer have a single second to waste.”
Becci, who is originally from Cardonald, is married to Loki, the rapper, author and activist Darren McGarvey, and the couple have two children – Daniel, four, and two-year-old Lily.
Becci Wallace
“The things that are important become blindingly clear - all the other stuff becomes dead weight,” she explains. “It’s hard to truly describe the isolation, detachment and general sadness you can go through.
“And the problem with feeling sad when you should be overjoyed is that you then feel guilty, which just makes the whole thing so much worse. I had no time to work on music, see my friends, or be anywhere or anything except a mother with two tiny kids….”
Becci pauses. “I felt like I had a platform and duty to write something that gave a truthful account of the trials of motherhood and partnerhood,” she says.
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“I also wanted to look at it from a Scottish music industry point of view. I wanted to bring women into the conversation.”
The result is Present Tense, a soaring collection of songs that veers wildly between hard-hitting and heartbreaking. It has already received rave reviews from critics and fans alike, who praise the East Kilbride-based singer’s haunting vocals and thought-provoking lyrics.
The single Coloured In features Bryan McFarland (the only male voice on the album) and the next release, Focus, is due out on March 31. A third single, Swan Song, is also planned.
“That song broke the drought I’d had, actually,” nods Becci. “That idea that we look graceful on the surface, keeping afloat, but actually underneath…that was how I felt going back to work as a mother and I know it’s how many other women feel.”
An active campaigner on behalf of women in the music industry, Becci is also the creator of That’s What She Said - a series of podcasts featuring panels and performances from women in music. She has collaborated with a range of musicians, from Pearlfishers and Catherine Rudie to her husband.
“The dream is to take Present Tense on tour when we can,” she adds. “I’d love to perform it live once the lockdown restrictions have been lifted.
She laughs: “In the meantime, I have my own mini-audience at home. Lily and Daniel tell me if it’s good. They just sing all day. That’s really cool.”
Present Tense is available now. Focus will be released on March 31. becciwallace.net
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