Martin Carthy - 'Transform Me Then Into A Fish' • DIY Magazine

In an industry that often raises newness and youth to the top of its priority list, there’s something innately wonderful about the inclusion of Martin Carthy’s 19th studio album on the 2025 Mercury Prize shortlist. The fact that ‘Transform Me Then Into A Fish’ is a revisiting of his boundary-pushing self-titled debut makes it feel even more profound; a reminder that music - whether that be folk or otherwise - is a truly living, breathing entity that will continue to shapeshift throughout an artist’s, and its listeners’, lifetimes alike.

Congratulations on being shortlisted for the 2025 Mercury Prize! What does this mean to you as an artist?
I’m stunned! I thought someone was having a great joke at my expense. I didn’t know what to do, because this puts me on a level with my late wife [1996 Mercury Prize-shortlisted artist Norma Waterson], who was an astonishing singer; she was fearless. And then, twice for Eliza [Carthy, his daughter, who was shortlisted in 1998 and 2003, respectively], who is another fearless human being. If there is a lesson to be learned here, it’s to be fearless.

Can you tell us a little about what inspired you to revisit your 1965 self-titled album for this new, present day version?
With the album, I just decided to do this preposterous thing of celebrating 50 years, and taking a wedge [of songs] and going, ‘You’re going there, and we’re going to build something around that and see what happens’. It was very exciting, because I had a chance to try a few things out. That’s a fantastic opportunity.

“If there is a lesson to be learned here, it’s to be fearless.”

Around the original album’s release, you brought folk music to a whole new audience; how did it feel to be a part of that?
Making an album in 1965 was a massive privilege in itself, and it was followed fairly shortly afterwards by people like Bill Leader starting a label called Trailer; he had two labels, one was Leader and one Trailer. [It was about] trying to make sense of the fact that there were dozens of musicians around on the folk scene, who never got a look-in, and Leader and Trailer became a part of the breaking down of barriers between the people who actually made the music and the people who record and sell it. It was hugely successful - they didn’t sell
a million records! - but they made it less unusual.

How did it feel to work on this album alongside your daughter Eliza?
Eliza came up with the name; she’s a real dreamer. I was just very happy to be doing this, and very happy to be doing it in front of Eliza. She’s fabulous, and she’s made life very easy. She also has access to people - like Ben Seal - who are foremost in their field; he’s a fabulous engineer, and a dreamer too.

DIY has teamed up with LNER - the Official Travel Partner of the 2025 Mercury Prize Newcastle - to celebrate the power of journeys, both musical and literal. Read our full 2025 Mercury Prize Newcastle special edition below.

Tags: Features, Martin Carthy