Still Juiced

A scan through Edwyn Collins' musical history splits it pretty much into three parts. In the 1980s, it was as leader of Orange Juice, a band that just about defined the influential Scottish indie music of the time. A '90s solo career was centred by A Girl Like You, one of those songs everyone seems to know enough to regularly defile at karaoke evenings. Part three is more problematic, but inspiring. It's the time Wikipedia fairly bluntly refers to as, 'Cerebral hemorrhage and after.'

In 2005, Collins fell ill at a radio interview and two days later was in intensive care. He woke from a coma with his right side mostly paralysed and only able to speak four phrases: 'Yes', 'no', the more remarkable 'The possibilities are endless', and 'Grace Maxwell', the name of his wife and manager, still by his side and on the line with him now as he haltingly but determinedly gets his words out. She encourages, cajoles, adds details, and occasionally takes the piss (“Edwyn! Get back to the point and stop talking about yourself!”).

Collins doesn't shy from his condition – most of his answers start with “Since my stroke…”. While his speech often seems frustrated by the fact that he can't quite get the thoughts out quick enough, some other of his neural paths appear untouched. When he sings, the voice has the same deep timbre as ever and just flows out. Perhaps even more remarkably, in 2008 he suddenly found himself able to write songs again. “It was like a switch,” he slowly confirms, “but different – the choruses are the easy part. The verses, trying to tell a story, that's harder now.”

Something's working. A few months ago he released his second post-stroke record, the maybe ironically-titled Understated, on his own AED label, no less. The respect he has from Scottish musicians is revealed by the names helping out: Aztec Camera's Roddy Frame, members of The Cribs, and particularly, Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos – who narrated a BBC doco on Collins' story. There's also been an Ivor Novella arts award and a self-illustrated children's book, which you might think reasonable for the former commercial artist, until he clarifies one important point: “That took a while. I had to learn how to draw again – with my left hand. It was a bit ropey to begin with, but the animals look like the animals they're supposed to be now,” he laughs.

He admits some holes in memories of his career, “But I think I know most of the words in the songs again now,” he jokes. And even recalls some fashion notes. The clip for Orange Juice's biggest hit, Rip It Up, had the band cavorting down wintry streets in some dangerously loud Hawaiian shirts. “Oh yeah, we did that. In the cold. Stupid. But I still love a bad Hawaiian shirt.” There's another pause, and another loud chuckle.