Erasure • Features • Interviews
Andy Bell (2004)
John: Sunday Morning at Lincs FM, they are back and he is here again from Erasure, it's Andy Bell, how are you?
Andy: Hello I'm fine thanks! It's a bit early!
John: Following from 'Other People's Songs', the album of covers, Erasure are back with a great new album of original material it's called 'Nightbird'. Does each new album immediately become your favourite Andy after you release it, until the next one?
Andy: Not all of them no, I didn't really get 'Loveboat', I must admit, I didn't really understand it. It was mixed in a really indy way and was really guitary. Also 'Cowboy' before that was too poppy for me. I mean sometimes it's a bit weird when you go out and promoting stuff and playing live when you are not a huge fan of the stuff. But this one I do genuinely believe in it.
John: 100%?
Andy: 100%!
John: Excellent! Well I would have to agree it's a great sounding album. Tell us a little about the writing process. How does the song writing partnership with Vince work?
Andy: Well we write on guitar and piano, and we are in the same room! And I go to see Vince last time he was in London, or he will come round to my house and he'll bring his guitar and we've got a piano there. He's collecting chords for us, so he learns all these chords, plays them over and over again and I'll keep singing along over the top, wait until we think we have a really good melody. The melody either takes you off somewhere and you can follow it with the chords, or you come up with some new chords and see where the melody leads.
So sometimes Vince likes to go in the most opposite place to what you think you should go in, just as like an experiment. And then it's all recorded to micro cassette, and I'll go away and start working on the lyrics and learn the song as a whole, and then Vince will make the music and send it to me over the internet as an MP3. I'll do the demo vocals at home and send them back to him, and it kind of works like that.
I did all the vocals for 'Nightbird' in this little studio round the corner from where Vince was living in Brooklyn just off from Manhattan. Because we had recorded an acoustic album there already, which isn't out yet, that's not coming out until after 'Nightbird'.
John: 'Nightbird' seems to me to be filled with stories about love, are you Mr Romance?
Andy: I am Mr Romance! I just can't help myself! It's Taurean I think!
John: I'm Taurean also!
Andy: Do you like wining and dining, and home comforts and roses?
John: You've got me there!
Andy: Chocolates?
John: It's like having a reading!
John: What's the secret of being 20 years into your career and still making a fresh sounding album?
Andy: I think by being really influenced and inspired by the young people making music now, and I mean real people that are making electro music in the home. There are loads of stuff happening in quite a few underground clubs going on. All the pop stars now attach themselves to these electro tracks, they're always looking for top lines. I get quite a lot of stuff from Sony and they are looking for top lines on these electro tracks and they all sound like Blue Monday or something.
For me it's not the right way of doing it, you have to do it up from the grass roots level.
John: They're all stealing ideas from you!
Andy: Well definitely from Goldfrapp and they're on Mute as well, they're very inspirational. And another group called Ladytron who I really love, so you kind of take it from them really, and people coming up to you asking you for advice and how to get on in the business and stuff. So just don't take it too seriously, just write loads and loads of songs, go out and start doing live shows, that's the most important thing and build up a following on your own. You don't have to go on the TV and join one of those pop shows.
John: X-Factor?
Andy: Yes!
John: So the first single from the album is going to be 'Breathe', and that's out tomorrow, what's the story behind the song?
Andy: The story behind 'Breathe' is 'Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm'. Out with the old and in with the new!
John: Right, and you wrote this quite a while ago?
Andy: Well no, 'Breathe' was the last song to be written for 'Nightbird', which is always the way. It was the same for 'Chorus', 'Chorus' was written the last song, and 'Freedom' was the last song from 'Loveboat'. I think you just kind of get into a rhythm and your better stuff comes out right before the end of the album.
John: Let's hear it, it's a great new single from Erasure, it's 'Breathe'!
('Breathe')
You don't have to sing it or anything! Have you got a bit of a cold today?
Andy: Yeah I have, I've been over doing it a bit, they've been really pushing me, I've been to Berlin, Hamburg, all around the country. Vince isn't here so I've been doing it by myself. Press, foreign press...
John: You're doing great!
Andy: Yeah...
John: Let's carry on! It's 'Breathe', its Erasure and Andy Bell is here for a Sunday morning natter. 'Breathe' is no doubt going to feature on 'The Erasure Show' tour you're doing soon.
Andy: It is!
John: The last one had a Victorian spectacular theme, have you got a theme planned for this one?
Andy: The theme for this one is a fairy forest where Elvis meets Marilyn.
John: [laughs] Well I thought it might be something a bit imaginative! And you seemed to have hit the note there! Give us a little bit of an insider into the set list, what can people expect?
Andy: The set list is fantastic, I was very excited about a week back, Vince sent me 27 MP3's through on an iDisc which is like a little crystal ball on the internet, and I couldn't sleep for two nights! It's not for taking illegal substances or anything like that, it was just purely from the music and being so excited.
We're starting off with 'No Doubt', which is the first song from the new album, then after that is 'Hideaway' which is kind of the coming out song. Then after that 'Brother and Sister', which is family, and then there's 'Knocking On Your Door' from the Cracker EP, then 'Drama!' from 'Wild!'.
John: I heard you didn't want to do 'Drama!' anymore Andy?
Andy: Well I have my moods every now and then! But you have to bring them back and let them see the light of day, it's not that bad really. I think my worst one is probably 'It Doesn't Have To Be Like That' from 'The Circus'.
John: Really? You see I think that is a great song! I've heard you say that before! What about 'Phantom Bride', did it make the list?
Andy: It did make the list and it's on! Vince is doing that right now!
John: We had better not give too much away with the set list! The last time I saw you was at the Erasure fan club convention.
Andy: Oh god!
John: I'm watching this tribute band Eraser perform in Leicester, and this rumour starts flying around the hall that you are in the building, and I said no he won't be here, there's no way. And then the Eraser act went off and on you came and nobody could believe it I think! Did you enjoy that? I don't think that there have been many pop stars that have put themselves into that full on environment. Did you enjoy it?
Andy: It was really good yeah! I think the Erasure fans aren't really rabid, they're very respectful. And it's my neck of the woods anyway, so it wasn't that far.
John: And you stayed for about two hours to say hello to everybody which I thought was really good of you.
Andy: We did get blindingly drunk afterwards! Urgh!
John: Yes I've heard all the stories! A lot of fans, I've got to ask you, will be worried about the press release regarding your health, but it sounds like your attitude is to plough on and be as normal as ever.
Andy: No it's fine, I'm fine you know. I had pneumonia in 1998 when I found out I was HIV+, but since then it's all be OK. I've had my hips done and that was this year as well, both of them done. I'm raring to go really, I really am!
John: Good for you! So what comes next? I know you've got this solo album done, what's the latest on that?
Andy: We're on our last two tracks, I think there's either 20 or 21 songs on there, we're on the last 2, and that's because one is with Jake Shears form the Sister Sisters and the other is with Cindy Wilson from the B52's. That's being sent back and forth as well over the internet. But the rest, we did a couple of songs with Claudia Brücken... It's all very up 80's. I was looking forward to the Gwen Stefani album and I must admit I was a bit disappointed because it's very full on and in your face and all about material things, which doesn't turn me on really! But I love the single, 'Tick Tock Tick Tock' or whatever it is called!
John: Is there a title for your solo album?
Andy: There's not a title so far, it might be called 'Mirror Work', but I've been working with two guys, DJ's from Manhattan Clique which I think is quite a good title.
John: Oh I see, that could be the title of the whole album?
Andy: Yeah.
John: And will you tour solo after the Erasure tour?
Andy: We will, but there are so many, as we've got the acoustic album as well and I'm so looking forward to doing that with guitars and stuff.
John: That sounded really good, we heard some of that at the convention as well, and the tracks sounded really good.
Andy: So it just depends what's going on. I don't think it will be extensive with the acoustic stuff. I think rather than having a twenty year anniversary, we'll wait until twenty one!
John: Will you?!
Andy: Yeah!
John: A little birdie has told me about the next Erasure project, is a dark take on Christmas songs called 'Sweet & Sinister', now is this true?
Andy: No that's not true! It might be called 'Sweet & Sinister', I haven't heard from Vince yet, but it is an album of nursery rhymes...
John: You are joking now?
Andy: No! It includes the 'Little Matchstick Girl', and 'Rock A Bye Baby'.
John: Erasure are bringing out an album of nursery rhymes?!
Andy: Yeah we are! You see the world has gone completely surreal. Surreality is the new reality! Wake Up!!!
John: Look I've got a few questions form the EIS members if that's OK. From Janine B, "Can you ask Andy, does he go commando style or wear PJ's when he's in bed"?
Andy: In bed, totality commando, can't do PJ's!
John: Good man! From Mister Mig "What would Andy like to have done with his life if he hadn't been a pop star"?
Andy: If I hadn't been a pop star, I would probably be working in a west-end shop.
John: Right! And Shazza B says "Ask Andy if he and Vince would consider doing an Erasure calendar for the fans". She wants some poses I think Andy!
Andy: An Erasure calendar? Oh right, so all completely naked? Or hiding the bits?
John: I don't think she would mind! I don't think many would to be honest!
Andy: Well we might do, never thought of that before!
John: And Jeff finally says "Ask Andy about him and Vince's venture into DJing" which I know you're doing soon.
Andy: Yeah we are DJing soon, we're doing a slot at G-A-Y. But they've got their rigid play list of Kylie and Danny Mignoue or those kind of things, S Club kids or whatever they are called, so we have to play those which is not really right, is not really fair as we can't play our own music. But I'm doing one at Madame JoJo's and that's on Thursday for The Penthouse Party, so that should be quite interesting. So I'm just going to be playing a lot of electro.
John: Do you have the decks, do you do all the mixing and everything?
Andy: I did, I got some decks bought last Christmas for my Christmas present, and I've only just got them out because we've been doing so much stuff. I got them out to do a little rehearsal and they're fantastic, they're so addictive I can't believe it!
John: I used to have some bit I sold them, and it's my biggest regret in life! No never get rid of them!
Andy: Can't you get some new ones?
John: I should do shouldn't I! It's been great talking to you Andy as ever, and good luck with everything and I'll see you on the tour no doubt!
Andy: Thank you sir!