Jade's Music Blog

As I bowl up to the cafe, late for breakfast, he’s already there – sitting reading the papers with a coffee, and a grin. Considering the early hour, and most musicians’ reluctance to open their eyes before midday, he’s alarmingly cheerful.
But then he has reason to be – after months of hard work, the band’s second studio album, Arm in Arm, is almost ready to be released, and he can’t wait to show off the new songs tomorrow night when they headline the Carling Academy.
“I’ve been playing the new tunes to everybody who comes into the flat,” he chuckles. “I’m outside standing on North John Street grabbing passers by in a big butterfly net and making them come in and listen.
“Everybody stops dead at the same point when they hear the record, you see them react. It’s when Christy Moore’s voice comes in.”
Ian signed up the folk legend to perform the album's centrepiece, narrating a poem as part of Nothing's Going Right. A long-time admirer of the Irish star’s work, Ian approached him after hearing that he was covering Amsterdam’s Does This Train Stop On Merseyside, from their 2005 debut album, The Journey.
“He went into a studio in Dublin and did it for us,” says Ian. “I was in Liverpool on the phone to him at the time, and he sent it over to our studio electronically. When our producer put it together with the track, there wasn’t a dry eye in the studio.”
It’s clearly been an emotional album to produce and one of the tracks, Hey Hilary, hints at a particularly emotional relationship. So who is Hilary?
“She’s the muse for the album,” blushes Ian, staring at his coffee cup. “We went out for a while, but we’re not together anymore. She’s a doctor, very clever.” He trails off. The normally talkative Mr Prowse is suddenly stuck for words.
A subject he’s happier to talk about is the new additions to the band, including fiddle player Anna Jenkins.
“I found her on MySpace and she’s amazing,” he explains. “She came along and did a gig with us – last year’s Mathew Street Festival.”
Amsterdam were also due to headline this year’s festival before the outdoor stages were cancelled.
“Yes, that was an odd one, but I suppose we should make the most of the one headline gig we’ll be doing in Liverpool this year,” he says.
"I really can’t wait to get out there and play these songs to our audience. I can’t remember being this excited about anything before.”
It promises to be a fantastic gig - supporting Amsterdam will be fantastic indie-folk act The Prelude and Scouse legends Rain, doing their first gig in 16 years.
“The last gig that Rain did was with Pele, my old band, at the Royal Court, and then they split up the next day, so for them to play their first gig with us after all those years is kind of cyclical,” says Ian. “I’m really looking forward to hearing them again.
“The Prelude and like a young Pogues, so it’s going to be a great night. Plus, Tranmere are second in their division, so we’ve got to have a party for that.”
It will be a triple celebration for the devoted Tranmere Rovers fan, for as well as showcasing songs from the forthcoming studio album, and marking his team’s football glories, the gig will also launch Amsterdam’s new live album 1-2-3-4!, which will be released on the night.
“The live album was done last year in London,” Ian explains. “It’s to bridge the gap before Arm In Arm comes out next year. It’s got a bit of everything on it, uplifting, sing-a-long stuff and songs that’ll bring a tear to your eye. I’m really pleased we’re launching it with a live gig in my home town.”
After years living in his native Ellesmere Port, it truly is a home-town gig. After moving over the water he’s now living in his city centre bachelor pad.
“I’ve always been pathologically gregarious, now I’m in the middle of the city it means that I’m out even more,” he laughs. “I feel so alive living in the city. I love it.”

Amsterdam play Carling Academy Liverpool tomorrow. They also release live album 1-2-3-4! at the gig, and second album proper Arm In Arm follows in January 2008. Keep up-to-date with the band's progress via Ian's monthly blogs on liverpool.com and via the band's website amsterdam-music.com.