In Conversation With Colin: Ceri Justice

As the famous adage states, ‘Good things happen to those who wait’…and finally the wait is over. Returning to music after four decades and releasing her debut album, 2018’s Justified, Ceri Justice is back and better than ever with her latest studio album Cut Loose set for release April 4th. Newport City Radio’s Colin Palmer chatted to Ceri and found out more…

Ceri Justice still possesses a powerful and emotional voice. Collaborating mainly with Paul Johnston, the two artists have created eleven staunch country/Americana classics that establish instant communication without sacrificing country credibility. Alongside Justice, she has ace guitar player Tony Kelsey, steel player DB Smith, and adding beautiful strings Marion Fleetwood.

West Midlands based Ceri Justice embraces her Irish ancestry in her writing including the remains of a family castle, Duarrigle that still stands in County Cork. “That inspired the title track of my second album Walk In Shadows Ceri tells me. “The song was nearly eight minutes long and I was very pleased to have done it because I set it in the day of my Irish grandparents and turned it into a love story set against the background of how their lives might have been at that time.”

From an early age Ceri held a yearning to be a writer and singer but it took several years for that desire to come to fruition. “Many years ago, back in the day I entered a competition and it was headed by Polydor and Polygram and I sent in three songs that I had cut randomly and I had no idea about forming a band. So I sent the three songs in and forgot all about it and one day I got a phone call and a lady called India England which is a fascinating name told me I had beaten thousands of entries and we would like you to come along to the Marquee Club with your band and perform, you’re in the semi-final.

“It took a while to sink in and I thought I don’t do gigs and I haven’t got a band. So when I recovered from the shock the word went around with a few musicians who I had by then got to know and we had about four hours rehearsal, and then we went off to London. Richard Skinner was the guy who introduced me, my frustration is that if it happened now I could do a much better job.”

Decades later an introduction to Paul Johnstone led to a song-writing partnership and now with her band The Jury, Ceri has built up a dedicated following and is starting to gain recognition from further afield.

“It’s disgusting the amount of talent one man can have”. She laughs but with obvious admiration. “I was introduced to Paul by a friend, and I was looking for a place to go and record and the idea was just a couple of songs and see how it goes and so I got in touch with him and the next thing I know we had the whole album Justified.

Of the new album Cut Loose Ceri says: “Most of the songs were written fairly quickly probably twenty to thirty minutes and some album tracks I just wrote them out. The song ‘Fragments’ took me about half an hour to get the lyrics, it was one of those wonderful moments of inspiration. Other lyrics are a bit more difficult where I’m wrestling with a melody as I’m trying to get the lyrics to fit in because I always prefer to write the words first.”

Charming and personable, she brings a fresh perspective to the art of song-writing through life stories performed with true conviction and passion.

COLIN PALMER