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gurdy player plugged his hurdy-gurdy in a little tube, and it sounds not like a guitar but a dirty
sound. Muddy for the sound and gurdy for the hurdy-gurdy.

BiTS: The Muddy is not a reference to Muddy Waters.

Tia: It could be also because Muddy Waters was from Mississippi and it’s also an inspiration for us,
so we have several meanings in this name.

BiTS: [Laughing] Yes, that’s always the best way.

Tell me something about the new album,
“Homecoming”. When you went into the studio,
was it already made? Did you know exactly what
you were going to do, or did it come to life in the
studio?

Tia: We didn’t go into a studio. The second album

we did like we did in Mississippi. In Mississippi,
we went to different places linked with the rural
culture there and we have a little mobile studio,
and we did the same thing here in our region. We
decided to record in some farms, in a volcano, in a

little 12th century chapel and also outside and the
idea was to find songs that had a link with the
places where we’re going to record. We worked on the song before the recording. We chose the
places, and we also have some guests, some people from the young generation of traditional music
in France.

BiTS: How long did the record actually take to make?

Tia: We made this in one week.

BiTS: Really! That must have been exciting for you.

Tia: It was like sport and music. It was really exciting, especially because it was after we were
locked down, so we were in the countryside in the volcano, outside it was very beautiful. For some
places, we had to walk 40 minutes before getting anywhere, so it was like a journey. It was very
interesting to be affected by the places when we played.

BiTS: Do you have a favourite song or favourite tune on the album?

Tia: I think each song reminds me of something. There were some that were not easy to record like
‘Strange Fruit’ because of the meaning and everything, but I don’t have a favourite one. I love each
song of this album.

BiTS: On my radio show actually going out tomorrow night, I played MG’s Boogie, which to me
sounds as though it’s influenced probably by John Lee Hooker, would I be right about that?

Tia: Yes, it’s not wrong, but I also was inspired by a song of R.L. Burnside called Old Black Mattie.

It’s a boogie, but I decided to change the lyrics to have more personal things to say and also, there is
some traditional music that Gilles the hurdy-gurdy player adds between some part of the song. We
call that burette in France. It’s inspired by lots of different things.

BiTS: Have you been badly affected by COVID?