Kris Kristofferson and Roddy Hart

The Scotsman

Roddy Hart’s first studio album, Bookmarks, featured two tracks with country music legend Kris Kristofferson. The 28-year-old has been Kristofferson’s UK support act since 2004 when the veteran singer-songwriter performed his first acoustic concert in Glasgow while filming The Jacket with Keira Knightley and Adrien Brody.

Their latest tour begins in Aberdeen tomorrow and concludes at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Hart plays the Leonard Cohen International Festival in Edmonton in July and releases a new album this autumn.

Hart on Kristofferson

'At the South By Southwest Festival a few years ago, I found Kris playing a secret gig nearby and asked him if he would play Here Comes The Rainbow Again. Unbeknownst to me, it was also a favourite of Johnny Cash, who had just died. Obviously no-one in the building knew who I was, but when he said: “this is for Johnny Cash and Roddy Hart” it was a special moment. I had to check what I was drinking to make sure I’d heard right.

I think of how he landed a helicopter on Cash’s lawn to get his attention, then ended up singing with him and Cash recording his songs. In a way, I’ve landed a helicopter on his lawn, asking him to listen to my songs. That he was at Oxford, then became a janitor at Columbia Records, that he had such a varied career before establishing himself is such an inspiration.

I was starting out when I met him and he’s been there throughout my career. Those early gigs, the spectacle and the pressure, it was the first time I’d been in such a huge show with an established name so there were real nerves. He knew I was unsure how my songs would be received but he saw something in me that meant he didn’t discount me.

He does well in Scotland because of the folk tradition here. Folk is different to what we do, but it’s not that different. Bookmarks was definitely country influenced and I think Kris brought some of that, though I don’t think either of us would define ourselves as country. My next record is a bit rockier, pulling in influences like Springsteen and Tom Waits.

I wrote the song Home between those first shows I did with Kris in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Seeing him up there alone, singing some of his most famous songs, it stayed with me as I was writing. When I first played it he picked up on it immediately, mentioning lines he loved. He later told me he wished he’d written it. I was pleased, obviously, but back then I hadn’t realised how much it was a Kris Kristofferson song.

I sent him it to record for that reason. And My Greatest Success too because I had Eddi Reader on it. I think she’s the Scottish Emmylou Harris and I thought it would be interesting to combine their vocals. Kris’ voice has such gravitas. The moment he comes in during Home’s second verse, you just know straightaway that it’s him.

I’m not the best singer in the world but my voice is distinctive, you can tell it’s me singing. It’s the same with Kris and all those guys he’s associated with: Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, John Prine. None of them have a technically perfect voice. But they’re perfect because they’re distinctive.

He’s taught me that you need to be true to yourself as a songwriter, you don’t need to chase record deals, fads or trends. That’s how he’s lived his life and the career I have is in large part down to him, because he put a seal of approval on it.

A few years ago I was playing in New York and got a call from Sofia Coppolla’s casting director for Marie Antoinette. I was nervous, but I got down to the last two or three for a role that Keira Knightley’s then boyfriend Jamie Dornan got. I never saw myself as a count but I think he got to bed Kirsten Dunst, so I was definitely interested.

If I could grow a beard I would, but my moustache doesn’t meet the rest of it properly. It’s like Springsteen’s or Dylan’s in that respect, rubbish. Every man wants to grow a beard but not every man can. Kris is a real man though, a credit to beard wearers.'

Kris Kristofferson was born in Texas to a military family, excelling at sports before winning a Rhodes scholarship to study English at Oxford. He became a US Army helicopter pilot, then resigned to pursue songwriting, working a series of odd jobs before his songs started being recorded in the mid-sixties by the likes of Johnny Cash and Janis Joplin.

He released his first album, Kristofferson, in 1970 and made his film debut, Cisco Pike, with Dennis Hopper in 1972. The 71-year-old continues to make films and record, releasing This Old Road in 2006. He wants his epitaph to be Leonard Cohen’s: “like a bird on the wire, like a drunk in a midnight choir, I have tried in my way to be free.”

Kristofferson on Hart

'Celtic countries have always been good to me. The audiences, for some reason, seem suited to what I’m doing. I imagine that’s why I like Roddy’s music too.

The promoter for the first tour suggested him as support and gave me some of his songs. It’s the sort of music I like, but he was a little tentative about performing back then. He wasn’t sure he wanted to commit to it. I guess he had his degree as a lawyer. But I told him: ‘the world has enough lawyers. We need good songwriters.’

Roddy reminds me of myself because he’s so serious about music and primarily considers himself a writer. I reckon his name is appropriate because he’s got a lot of heart and so have his songs. But I think he’s got a better voice than me, I think he’s selling himself short there. My voice was so unusual that they didn’t want me to sing on my own demos when I first went to Nashville. Eventually I did though, because the publisher couldn’t afford anyone else to sing them!

I sang on Roddy’s songs because they have good melodies, simple as that. I particularly like Home and was pleased we did it live together the last time I was here. I hope we get to record again too because I think we harmonise well. If I’m still above ground that is. I’m getting pretty old.

It took a while for my career to take off. But there were people who helped me out, like Johnny Cash, who gave me the exposure I needed. I’ve always tried to do the same for writers I like, as I did with John Prine and Steve Goodman. I put them on my show at a New York club I was working and they got record deals out of it. I’m sure Roddy is going to be successful. He’s certainly got better in the years I’ve known him. My daughter, whose opinion I respect because she’s come to like Bob Dylan as much as I do, may well be his biggest fan.

When I first started performing at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, a woman who worked on The Johnny Cash Show in Nashville got me a gig opening for Linda Ronstadt. It went well, so they had us over for a week and a bunch of film people would hang out there. I’d never thought of acting but Harry Dean Stanton used to be there, singing Mexican songs, and he brought me my first script and helped me with the screentest. I didn’t even know he was an actor when I met him, he just hung out there and practically lived at Jack Nicholson’s.

If Roddy is lucky enough to be around film people, I’m sure he could do it too. I’ve seen the reaction he provokes, not just in my own family but with the kind of people I play for. I think he’s got the chance to do everything I did anyway. Could he use a beard to make him uglier? Sure, but I think his looks are something he’s got going for him.'