An international folk artist of great distinction, Julie Felix is celebrating 45 years in the music business in 2008. To mark the occasion, she's releasing a brand new CD called Highway of Diamonds and bringing her tour to London's Drill Hall on 18-19 April.

Part of the great folk movement with Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Tom Paxton, Julie's rich, distinctive voice and powerful songwriting have ensured her continuing success through to the present day. We caught up with Julie to find out more about her start in the music industry, being an artist during the 60s, her famous gig at The Isle of Wight Festival, singing out against world injustice, her upcoming tour and her own highway of diamonds!

Tell us about your upcoming album Highway of Diamonds.
This is the first album I’ve recorded in three years and I’m really pleased at the way it’s come together. It includes several self-penned songs, five Dylan songs and compositions by Tim Buckley, Buffy St Marie and Dino Valente. I chose these titles more or less intuitively but find there is a theme that runs through most of them. This theme is that of choosing between maintaining the status quo or engaging in the adventure of discovery and change. This is especially illustrated in 'The Walls', 'Morning Glory' and 'The Heart of the Music'.

Is there any particular track on the album that resonates with you in a special way?
The title track 'Highway of Diamonds' is close to my heart because in it I sing about discovering a highway of diamonds which is in fact the spiritual path we all follow. In a way it reflects my forty plus years of being a travelling musician - "Life can get hard and the road gets so long, but the road is my home and my life is the song."

You’re bringing your Highway of Diamonds tour to the Drill Hall. Do you enjoy touring and performing? 
Yes I do – my music has taken me all over the globe. I have met amazing people and had remarkable experiences. I consider myself blessed to be able to make a living from singing my songs and sharing my feelings and ideas with so many different kinds of people.

Do you have a favourite gig you’ve done?
Every gig is unique; I enjoy the intimate clubs and I enjoy the huge festivals. I remember singing to 28,000 people at Western Springs in New Zealand. That was extraordinary, but if I were to choose one particular experience it would have to be the Isle of Wight in 1969. There were people as far as the eye could see. I went on just before Bob Dylan and I remember having a conversation with him before he went on. He was quite nervous because he hadn’t performed for five years. Three of the Beatles were in the audience. I guess you could say the Isle of Wight was the british version of Woodstock.

You’re celebrating 45 years in the music industry; how do you feel your music has evolved over all that time?
I have always sung from the heart. I have always cared about the challenges we face collectively and individually. I believe that the experiences I have gathered over the years have helped me to understand how important it is for all of us to nurture and develop our own individual spirits. In order to come together in a peaceful way, we must find an inner peace. I strive with every concert to use the songs and the music to help others understand and accept their personal beauty and power. If we can begin to understand who we really are then we can begin to dissolve the fear that we have gathered and that has been imposed on us. I am always singing for NOW, always in the moment.

"On reflection, I think the 60s will prove to be a unique period; there was a zeitgeist at work and it was indeed a window into the possibility of living in a peaceful world."

How did you get your start in the music industry?
When I came to England in 1964 I was singing in folk clubs. A man called Bruce Dunnett made a tape of me singing Woody Guthrie songs. He took the tape to Essex Music and they took it to Hugh Mendel at Decca Records and he signed me as the first folk artist on any record label in the UK. Shortly after that I met David Frost in a lift and that led to my weekly appearance on The Frost Report.

Was singing always something that you wanted to do?
I always like to sing and make music but I never thought I would be a professional musician. I went to University and studied English and Drama. I never learned to read music and I believe it was fate that led me to singing/songwriting, rather than any plan of mine.

You were part of the great folk movement during the 1960s with Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Tom Paxton. What was it like to be an artist and performer at that time?
During the sixties we were all caught up in the incredible experience. On reflection, I think the sixties will prove to be a unique period; there was a zeitgeist at work and it was indeed a window into the possibility of living in a peaceful world. The era of Thatcher and Reagan seemed to slam the door on that possibility, but the seeds were planted and it is the optimism and vision of the sixties that will carry us into the Aquarian Age.

You were given your own TV series in 1968 and your guests included Spike Milligan, Richard Harris, Leonard Cohen and Dusty Springfield. Are there any guests who were particularly memorable for you?
I loved having Spike Milligan as a guest – he was truly a unique and incredibly creative artist. Being in his presence made one feel incredibly alive. I also loved singing with Tim Buckley – a beautiful and sensitive artist. It was fun singing with Billy Preston and it was very special singing with Leonard Cohen on his UK television debut.

In the 1980s, you became a prominent figure in women’s and gay rights and peace protests - including protests against war in the Gulf - which was reflected in your work at the time. Can you tell us more about that?
In 1986–1987 I participated in a peace march in Central America. There were over 300 of us coming from 30 different countries. It was a dangerous march and many celebrities who were supposed to participate pulled out because of this. The experiences on this march made me re-evaluate my position as a singer. I had always been known as a protest singer but when I came back from central America, I knew I needed to add my voice to those who sang out against injustice, wars orchestrated against the wishes of ordinary people, and man’s inhumanity to man.

"I knew I needed to add my voice to those who sang out against injustice, wars orchestrated against the wishes of ordinary people, and man's inhumanity to man."

Who have been your biggest musical influences over the years?
My father, a self taught musician from Mexico. He taught me to play guitar, taught me the rhythms and styles from his native land, and songs that are still a seminal part of repertoire today. John Renbourn taught me how to clawhammer, Bob Fripp taught me how to flatpick, but mostly my music is a synthesis of the myriad styles I’ve absorbed over the years.

Do you have any favourite contemporary artists?
Ben Harper, Nickel Creek and Uncle Earl, Magdalena Angeles.

What’s next for you?
I think the beauty of life is to be found in this moment, and I trust that the Goddess, the universe, the angels – all these forces will lead me further along my highway of diamonds – they’ve been pretty wonderful to me so far.

For more information, visit www.drillhall.co.uk/felix and www.knibb.net/juliefelix.

Want more? Buy Julie Felix's earlier albums The Rainbow Collection and Scarborough Fair online now and save!