John has kindly allowed the EIS to publish the interview, and it can be listened to by selecting one of these links:
John: Andy Bell, how are you?
Andy: Hello! I'm all right thanks!
John: Good good good! Erasure are famous for their electronic music, and now you've gone an recorded an acoustic album with real instruments and everything. What's going on Andy?
Andy: Well I think it's a bit of a curve ball for people. We decided to do it, because I wanted to do a country and western album, and rather than doing another cover version album, like 'Crystals Chandeliers', instead of doing that, we thought we'd get our own Erasure songs from albums, some of which people might not have heard of before, and just present them in a new light. We did some acoustic sessions in America for the radio, and they went down so well that we thought we'd do this.
John: And these are Erasure back catalogue songs that you thought could have been singles in the past?
Andy: Yeah they could have been. You know we've had quite a few albums, and tracks picked from albums, and sometimes in hindsight you think that you might have made a mistake with the tracks that you chose. So it's a bit of trying to correct that I suppose.
John: Picking the tracks though, was that an easy process?
Andy: It was quite easy yeah, because they are all quite slow numbers I suppose. We didn't really pick any up tempo ones. I think we just chose ones that we thought were the most beautiful songs that said something.
Vince chose them mostly, he just sent me the list to me and I said yes, that sounds fine. We worked with the guy Steve Walsh, who kind of arranged the album for us already, when we did those acoustic sessions in America, so it was all kind of like a family thing, with his wife Jill who did the vocal arrangements. So it worked out really well, we've really pleased.
John: Yeah, I think it sounds really good, and the new interpretations are very good, and as you said, a bit of a curve ball for people to get their heads around!
Andy: Yeah!
John: "The Acoustic Tour" starts the 14th April, now this is going to be interesting and a rather different experience I guess to a normal Erasure gig really.
Andy: It should be yeah. I'm a bit scared I must admit, as usually I hide behind all the paraphernalia and big costumes and things. This time I'm not going to hide, but I do have the company of the musicians on stage, so I won't be lonely!
John: So no costumes?
Andy: No costumes! Just my own regular garb that I'll wear, and hopefully the songs will speak for themselves.
John: I'm sure! So what do we the audience do? Do we sit quietly and applaud at the end?
Andy: Well they are all chairs, I think they're mostly all seated venues, I'm not sure. And I'm not going to be kicking and dancing around all over the place like I usually do! So I don't know really! I'm sure, there always a good atmosphere at Erasure gigs, with good comradery and everything. So I'm sure it will be very nice!
John: I'm sure, yes! So how different is it for you personally to sing with a live band?
Andy: Well it's lovely actually! The difference from... Sometimes I must admit I feel like a monkey on a barrel, on a barrel organ, when there is just one instrument and instrumentalist there, Vince doing all the stuff and just me! So there's not really must distraction for the audience. So I'm kind of looking forward to that, for the pressure being taken off. But at the same time, singing with strings is a lovely experience, because you kind of, it seems to enhance the vocals rather than keep competing against them.
John: Rehearsals, have you started now?
Andy: We haven't started rehearsals yet. I'm going off to see Vince in New York at the weekend, just for a couple of days. We're performing 'Boy' for the first time at the Gay and Lesbians against defamation evening in New York and then coming back. So, I start rehearsals when we get back in the first week in April, with just one of the singers and the other singer is in America with the all the musicians. Then we all hook up for about 5 days before we go off.
John: Fantastic! Will the band play every track on the concert, or will Vince plugging in at some point?
Andy: No Vince is there for the whole time, Vince is plugging in the whole time, he's got his guitar.
John: But will be plugging in his Mac or is he plugging in his guitar?
Andy: Oh no no no, not at all! I thought you meant his guitar! I don't think the Mac is going to be there, I don't think so, you never know with Vince! He might have it sneakily hidden somewhere, it's his kind of security thing. But I don't think it's going to be there.
John: So the classic songs that we all know Erasure for, they're going to be played in an acoustic fashion as well?
Andy: All in the acoustic style, yeap!
John: Fantastic! Excellent! So if we had to pick a track from the new album 'Union Street', what would you go for, what's your favourite?
Andy: My favourite is the lead track called 'Boy', but I also love 'Rock Me Gently' which is the last track.
John: Andy lets talk a little bit, going back to your really good solo album which was out last year.
Andy: Yeah! How do you know??!, You must be one of the few people on the planet that knows!
John: I came to see you perform it live and everything!
Andy: Thank you!
John: There were so many potential singles on their, seriously! And just one came out. Are there any more plans for more solo stuff?
Andy: There is yeah. We haven't given up on the album yet. Sanctuary had loads and loads of problems financial wise, so it wasn't really a good time. And you can't really pick and choose these things!
John: No!
Andy: So after the tour is finished, the Erasure tour we're thinking about putting out another track out from the album, which is 'I'll Never Fall In Love Again', but it's all down to you guys really.
John: We do out best!
Andy: Thank you!
John: You mentioned Sanctuary with their financial problems, how come Mute didn't put it out for you Andy?
Andy: Well to be honest, I was looking around and shopping around to see what my worth was in the industry really.
John: Right!
Andy: And also Mute is quite a small label, and it's roster is always really full, and because we had already had 'Nightbird' out that year, and they had Goldfrapp coming out, and Depeche Mode coming out, I didn't really feel like they could be concentrated enough on me. So I went somewhere else and then got shafted anyway! So it doesn't make much difference really!
I mean Mute is always really good, they're very good and I would have preferred to have hung around and waited for them to put it out. But then I thought how long would I be waiting for, because now we have got 'Union Street', and so it would have taken forever.
John: You've got some great songs on that solo album, so I hope something else does come out.
John: After the acoustic album and the acoustic tour, tell us what's next for Erasure?
Andy: Well we've started writing some new material, Vince has sent me ten tracks - which was inspired by the solo record. How we tend to write is to get together in the studio with a guitar or piano and then write from scratch. But because he heard these tracks which I had written from pieces of music that people had sent me, he thought right this time I'll send you these pieces of music. So he's sent me ten pieces of music so far, of which we've got about six melodies working on them. So we're doing that, and there's also a nursery rhyme record that we've started, half started.
John: 'Fractured Fairy Tales'?
Andy: The 'Fractured Fairy Tales' one, yeah.
John: Is that going to happen then?
Andy: Well I'm sure it will do, it's not urgent you know! It's like one of these, I love talking storybooks, so it's that kind of vibe. But it's going to be one of those more laid back... and I hope also like the 'Erasure' album, it's not going to be rushed or anything because we've been doing loads and loads of work recently.
John: These days do you set deadlines? I mean do you have any idea when that new next Erasure album might be out?
Andy: Well we kind of do. It will probably be recorded towards the end of the year, the beginning of next year. What happens is that you go out for lunch with the boss of Mute Records whose Daniel Miller, and he says "When's this going to be done, when's this going to be done? We'll put it in the diary", but it's all flexible.
John: Do you find day to day, do you constantly think up new songs, or is this something you do when you think, now lets write a new record?
Andy: It kind of goes in waves, you sometimes you are around your friends or at home and you are in a good mood, and you listen to music, and you get some ideas coming in to your head. And sometimes ideas for lyrics will come into your head, and you kind of write them all out without a tune. And other times you'll have bits of tune come into your head, so you're trying to remember them. I'll sing them into my iPod, or on my telephone and then more often or not, if the tune is good enough then it will stay in your head anyway so you can then use at a later time.
So it's all kind of bits and bobs, and they all kind of slowly come together at one point.
John: Well it's very interesting to hear! There's a big anniversary - 20 years since 'Wonderland', this year.
Andy: Yeah 20 years!
John: Is there any sort of plan to celebrate in anyway Andy?
Andy: I don't know really. It's lovely when I see Vince, because I don't see him that often really, apart from when we working. We did do a Palm Spring AIDS benefit in February, which was lovely - we got some sunshine although it was really dried out in the desert. And Vince lives in Maine, so he's fed up with snow by now! So I'm looking forward to seeing him in New York at the weekend.
But every time we met, it's just like two old codgers in a bar having a drink! He loves my company, and I love his company as well. So it's always like party really!
John: And you'll be doing baby sitting at the weekend maybe are you?
Andy: Well I might be - you never know! I've very good at it, and can do all the stuff, as I'm the eldest of six children I've had lots of practice!
John: Absolutely! Do you ever feel that Erasure are not highly praised by the media?
Andy: Yes, yes I do.
John: Let's have a whinge about it together!
Andy: Well I just think that the whole music industry is... there are a lot of gay people working in the music industry, but then it's also like this big boys club. The bigger the size of your do-da, the higher up you seem to be in the music industry, which I don't know what that's got to do with!
But also, you kind of get all these magazines like FHM and Q magazine and NME, and they never ever give us any space in their magazines, down to reviews, interviews or anything.
There is this big boys club where you're not really included because we're not seen as being macho enough... you know.
John: Maybe not, but a long and successful career! I think you should be getting some sort of Brit award, lifetime achievement and all that!
Andy: Well your really sweet! Somebody asked me last year who I think should next be up for an accolade and I said Blondie, and lo and behold they're inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame this year in the US!
John: People are listening to you! Is there anything left in your professional list for life that you've yet to tick off that you would like to?
Andy: Well I wouldn't mind... I was in one play one time, which was called "The Night We Buried Julie Garland" which was about the Stonewall riots in New York which I played Judy Garland - there were a whole cast of Judy Garlands actually! Which I was really terrible, as I couldn't learn my lines, and didn't learn the songs until the last night which is not very good!
John: No!
Andy: So i would like to do something on stage where I know my lines, and do it all perfectly. I don't want to go into the Big Brother house, even though they keep asking me time and time again, or The Farm or anything like those programmes, although they ask me all the time. I would like to do either Country and Western or Three Penny Opera / 1940's croonerish type record.
John: It's never a standard answer with you with that type of question is it! [laughs]
Andy: No! [laughs]
John: I've got some questions here from the Erasure Fan Club people. B2D2 wants to know if on the tour, you will be performing 'Don't Suppose'?
Andy: 'Don't Suppose'? Well we did have a request for that as well, as there is a banjo on the original version. And we asked in Palm Springs and we did put it on the list, but the list is now so long, so I don't think we'll be able to do it. But there are some surprises on there... So I apologise in advance for not doing 'Don't Suppose', but I did send it to Vince, I did send it to Vince, but he just said "Woh Hold on a minute!" Along with 'Waiting For Sex' which was another b-side.
John: Naz from Costa Rica says, of all the Erasure songs never performed live, is there one that you would love to perform live?
Andy: Somebody else doing it?
John: No you - there are some songs on the albums that you have never performed live...
Andy: Yeah
John: Anything that you are looking forward to doing this time?
Andy: I'm quite looking forward to doing 'Tenderest Moments', which was a b-side and is on 'Union Street'. And also there are some tracks that we sort of shy away from, that I wasn't really a huge fan of at the time, like 'Heavenly Acton', which was from 'Wonderland' album. Or 'Push Me Shove Me' which we have done that live before, but I really like it.
John: I saw you do that at the NEC, it's a great track. We're nearly done! Stephano in Canada said if someone put together an Erasure tribute for your anniversary, is their any particular artist you would like to hear sing one of your songs?
Andy: For an Erasure tribute? Let's see... I would love maybe someone like Sinead O'Connor, she could do something. Blondie, as I'm a complete Debbie Harry fanatic, and I wouldn't say no to Madonna!
John: And I've got one more from Brooklyn Sue, who says since your a huge Debbie Harry fan who will be touring the states around the same time as you, will you try and catch a gig?
Andy: Well I did see them last year and they were fantastic, at the Shephards Bush Empire, which is where we are playing in London this time. I do tend to bump into her a few times, I met her last time on my birthday, last year in New York, so I'm going to name drop here, was with Kelly Osbourne and Nena Hagen on my birthday, and Debbie Harry, so what more could a man, a gay man want?
But also we are going to do this festival in America called True Colors, which is for Civil Equality. And all under 12's families go free, and it's with Cindy Lauper, B52's and the Scissor Sistors and us, so it should be a laugh! So maybe Blondie might come along, you never know!
John: Fantastic! Is there an act you would love to jump up on stage with and sing a track with? Would that be Blondie as well?
Andy: Yeah It would have to be, I would be in heaven, I'd be in complete heaven to do that!
John: Andy it's great to talk to you and thank you for your time, and I'll see you in Manchester and Nottingham and everything on the next tour when you get going on Union Street.