Denis Parkinson’s name has been quite rightly become part of the ever-growing mass of talented musicians plying their guitar strung wares round the city of Liverpool. Whether to be found in the demanding social scene of the open-mic nights or playing with the cerebral boon associated with the Liverpool Acoustic brethren, Denis Parkinson has the eye and ear for an observing lyric and a strength of conviction to follow through the process, even after many years away from the natural home for his talent.

His album, Liverpool Skyline, was one of crafted beauty and listening to it was one of those rare pleasures in life that remind you of what it is to love the city you keenly represent, whether you were born there or not. Catching up with Denis is a hard task, quite rightly a busy man, I finally manage to spend time talking to him about music and the album rather than being entertained by the sight of one man and a guitar on a stage.

Liverpool Skyline – how long did it take for you to come up with the concept?

DP: “To a certain extent, it was all a little bit accidental, in so far as, I’d got back into music after quite a long break and there was a friend of mine who has a home recording place set up and we decided to put a couple of my songs down as demos to just see what they sounded like and to possibly see if I could use them to get some gigs. We just kept going and going and we ended up with a ten track album which we did, which I’m really pleased with. As this was happening, I was getting into playing more and more around Liverpool and my kids had grown up a bit and I was going out more and seeing more things again and felt very much in touch with Liverpool as kind of place, a concept and a lifestyle. Quite frankly, it just struck me as a good thing to use as the basis of the album, the artwork and the name of the album because it sort of summed what I was doing at the time. It’s also a nod to Bob Dylan’s Nashville Skyline as well as I’m a big fan and I quite liked the idea that it was my music being connected to where I was from.”

It’s interesting that everything seems to be connected in a way but it sounds as if you lost connection with your home town for a while with having children for a while.

DP: “No, I wouldn’t say I’d lost connection. I’m not from Liverpool, I’m from The Wirral. It’s not that I lost connection it was just I had other priorities, that’s the only thing. I didn’t lose anything, it was just different. Basically what happened was I signed up to Facebook when my daughter was abroad for a year as part of her university course to keep in touch with her, that was easy and free. As a result of that, someone popped up saying hello who I hadn’t seen for over 30 years who I was in a band with when I was at school, he now lives in Bulgaria and he comes over to the U.K. a few times a year and we basically put the band back together from when we were in school and did a couple of gigs, me and him and the drummer who I was still in contact with. It was so much fun but then it was so difficult to keep going because he lives in Bulgaria so I thought, right that’s it, I got my guitar and I started going doing open-mics just for the fun of it and so that’s how it where it came from. It wasn’t a big decision; it was just a bit of fun. Through the Bulgarian connection, I’ve actually been out there the past two summers; it was about three years ago that he got in contact with me. We played a festival out there in Bulgaria two years ago – the July Morning Festival it was great and we did a little tour, we did three gigs – in the capital and two other towns. That still happens but I’m still doing my own thing.”

You’ve gone down very well at the venues in the Liverpool area over that short space of time and quite rightly too!

DP: “I suppose really I’m pleased with the way it’s gone, I’ve had some really good positive feedback from people, as far as I’m concerned, the last year’s been quite a success, I didn’t really set out to do anything. I just thought I’ve done that, what can I do next? I’ve had a few offers, I’ve done open-mics which I’ve loved but I’ve also had a few offers to play other things as well and get involved, it’s just snowballed really.”

You’ve played the Kazimer Gardens recently, which went very well; it was a lovely set on a lovely afternoon.

DP: “I was really pleased to be offered that by Stuart and Graham from Liverpool Acoustic. It was nice; it was one of the highlights of the year so far. It’s kind of like one thing’s led to another and I sort of think that was good, what’s going to happen next? For example, I played for the We Shall Overcome weekend and you know Val Colvin who’s organised that, she actually sent me a message and I can’t believe she said is it O.K. for you to play with Robert Vincent? This is at the Lantern Theatre, he’s doing a few numbers over the weekend and I thought yeah, I’d have paid you to get on that bill. So that’s the next highlight – hopefully tomorrow.”

Did you think this, going back to your days as a kid, playing in a school band, in the intervening years, being at work, becoming a dad that you would ever come back to this point of doing music?

DP: “Probably not, I never stopped listening to music, or playing but I was only playing for myself. I probably thought I’d retired really so as soon as I started playing again I thought I really quite missed this so off I went. So it wasn’t a plan. To be honest with you, I never thought about it.”

The album is an exceptionally personal piece, it’s almost like your thoughts are being interrupted by the Liverpool Skyline.

DP: “That’s a good way of looking at it. One thing I’d say is that the songs are personal, that’s kind of what part of the attraction of it is, because it allows you to have a bit of an outlet. Although I’m saying I drifted back into it, I do take it quite seriously and I do put quite an effort into it, it’s a thoughtful, creative thing. I’d like to think that’s what I’m doing.”

Was there a particular moment when you were recording that you thought that you’d done it again – reinvented the lad as it were?

DP: “To be honest, I don’t think there was a particular moment but it soon became quite obvious that I impressed myself. Now that sounds very immodest but I was surprised at how pleased I was about it. I realised that the result was something I felt comfortable playing to people because I thought it sounded proper and it was a reflection of what I was trying to do.”

I actually think it’s a reflection on how I found Liverpool and its music over the past twelve years, that there’s been a resurgence of the singer-songwriter once more in a city that is famous for its music. Whereas, there was almost a dearth of stuff now you have two, even three generations producing something that is very cool but also very viable and you’re part of that.

DP: “It does feel that there is a vibrant music scene in Liverpool and I’m sure that’s ebbed and flowed over the years but at the moment, stepping into it, there’s loads of really talented people, there’s loads of great places to play and what’s most important is that there is a real mix of stuff both in people and in music.”

It’s not confined to one particular genre which you could almost very detrimental to the ‘60s, there was one then and one in the ‘80s which dominated, now there’s so much different styles going on.

DP: “It’s great to be a part of it.”

Is there somebody you particularly look out for to go and watch?

DP: “On the local scene, who do I like? You’ve put me on the spot now! I’ll come back to that if you don’t mind! There are loads of people that I like but I’m trying to think of someone who particularly stands out.”

You must find that by having come back out into the Liverpool world of night as it were that you are enthused by other people’s words.

DP: “Part of the fun of getting into the open mic scene is that it’s obviously fun playing but it’s also the whole experience of watching other people play; it’s really good.”

You’ve done the Magnet open mic, what about others that you’ve done?

DP: “I’ve done loads, the Cavern Pub one on a Monday night, Ian Prowse’s one, he’s good, I’ll give him that! Sound, Food and Drink, the Leaf one with Johnny Sands a few times, Hebegeebies that he does as well on a Saturday, the Cornmarket’s a great one, Constellations – the writer’s club, I’ve done that as well. There’s a whole bunch of them!”

That must all seep into you as a writer and a musician, seeing these other people take their own stance, not so much going back to the genre thing but making this whole viable, pantheon of Liverpool music.

DP: “I suppose everyone contributes to the general feel of what music is like now and the state of play of music now in Liverpool. It’s quite an interesting idea as to whether it’s influencing me at the same time you know. I have spoke to people about song writing and I tend not to think about writing a song in a particular style, they just sort of come out as they are. So I’m sure I’m being influenced but I’m not entirely sure how I’m being influenced if you know what I mean. There’s thought gone into it but I don’t sort of go here we go, let’s write a jazz-themed song or something like that. The songs are what they are and the fact that I suppose that I quite like them and I’ve had some positive comments about them from other people is a bonus. Quite frankly, even if they weren’t as they were or everyone was telling me oh what a racket, they would still be the songs. They are something I’ve created.”

Is there going to be a follow up to Liverpool Skyline?

DP: “I’ll do something, one of the things about that album is, because of the time I hadn’t really started playing live, I was just starting by myself, I found I had a really full album, it’s essentially a band album using my songs. To an extent, it doesn’t represent what I sound like when I get onstage by myself so I fancy doing something else very much more acoustic that what that album did.”

What about a live album – Denis Parkinson – Live at Leaf!

DP: “I don’t know! It is possible to get a nice quality recording these days but that’s possible. I’m more likely to do an actual acoustic recording, may be not an album straightaway. I’ve got loads of new songs since then, I’ve probably got enough for another album at the minute.”

Ian D. Hall