In Profile: Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

Oh joy and jubilee! April brings Bonnie Prince Billy's return to Scottish shores, a cause for revelry among his followers, and a chance for those who have been intrigued, but not yet exposed to the enigmatic claimant to the alt-country music throne to see him hold court at the Queens Hall.

Since 1998, singer-songwriter Will Oldham has been sighted rarely, the former child actor, sometime Slint photographer and founder of Palace Records has been cloaked in the guise of heir apparent to Americana, Bonnie Prince Billy. A moniker which alludes to both American outlaw and Scottish folk hero, the name encapsulates perfectly what already existed in Oldham's music; the haunting strains of celtic lullabies, resettled through the instruments of American music – like porridge laced with Kentucky bourbon.

Represented by Domino in the UK, the label's site features an absurd article in which Will Oldham argues with his alias, calling Billy, "my marionette". Whatever the truth of this "curious arrangement", musically it seems that Billy is able to assimilate the best of Oldham's Palace creations as well as providing the singer with the freedom to pursue a wide range of projects.

After three studio albums, from the intimate, whispering and at times ecstatic 'Ease Down The Road' to the confident maturity of 'Master and Everyone', 2004 saw the release of 'Bonnie Prince Billy sings Greatest Palace Music'. The upstart royalty adopting a calming approach to songs that could previously sound abrasive in their dejection or manic in their ebullience. The triumphant vitriol for example, of New Partner mellowed into a sweet, harmonious duet creating a far more accessible sound than Palace ever provided.

Whilst the music has moved on from the inexpert, innocent approach of Palace, this has not heralded a dilution of the melancholia in Oldham's lyrics. The man who brought us You Will Miss me when I Burn is still very much in evidence, as Billy utters refrains such as "maybe you'll kill me, honey I don't blame you", the crippled cowboy blues every bit as biting and bleak. In 2005, live album Summer in The Southeast proved that the most sparing of his songs could be taken just about anywhere, a Doors-style take on Oh Let it Be just one of the highlights. Collaborations with Matt Sweeney on last year's Superwolf album and his recent collaboration with Tortoise are indications that the Prince has plenty to offer during his reign.

Live performances are an incredible sight, Bonnie Prince Billy not so much occupying Oldham's body as being channelled into it, the bizarre spectacle of a spirit writhing to break out. Known to be made physically ill by press and interviews, and always reluctant to 'open up', to pursue the pseudo-sharing relationship between artist and fan, it could be that Oldham's alias acts as another layer of protective gauze between songwriter and audience. Yet paradoxically, his best known work is the paean to friendship in hard times that is the seminal I See A Darkness and despite Oldham's shyness, Bonnie Prince Billy is beloved by his subjects.

Perhaps what draws fans in so close, the truth that Oldham touches on in performance, is that stronger sometimes than the shared musings of friends, is the rare, fleeting moment of understanding in the reciprocated glance of a complete stranger.