Sophie interviewed by Gay Mag

You can read the interview and the rest of the online mag right here - http://www.boyz.co.uk/onlineViewer/viewer.php

Boyz Mag had a little chat with Sophie. Their recent issue has a picture of Sophie on the cover of the magazine, which was already on the cover of 69 degrees. Also, the picture used in the magazine was also a cover on Oxford Life magazine.

Sophie will be performing at G-A-Y Heaven on 26th March. So if you attend, make sure you leave a review here, or link to your review on a website/blog/forum.

Here's the interview...


With a long awaited fourth album - MAKE A SCENE - out in May, a young family at home and over a decade in the business, singer, songwriter and pop Goddess Sophie Ellis-Bextor has come a long way over the past ten years. Here she speaks to Luke Till about her creative side.

So, how's life?
Really good! Last year was brilliant and this year has been really nice so far. I've been back in the studio and I've just come back from the Little World Festival, which my husband's band, The Feeling, organise in Meribel, France. It's skiing by day and gigs and DJs by night.

Did you perform out there?
Yeah, so did The Feeling and bands like Fictionplane, Ed Harcourt, Squeeze, then at night we had people like Freemasons DJing - it was really good.

It sounds fun! Tell us about your new album, MAKE A SCENE.
It's very dancey. It's probably the most genre-specific record I've ever made - normally I spread myself around and do different genres. This one I went all out with the dance stuff. The first few tracks were done with people like Freemasons and Calvin Harris, and it sounded so phenomenal and so phenomenal and so exciting that I didn't want to drift too much from that sound.

How did the Freemasons "Heartbreak" track come about
There's a songwriter called Biff Stannard who lives in Brighton who I've been working with for the past few years, and he used to keep talking about the Freemasons because they come from Brighton too and he'd worked with them on different things. I'd told him before that I'd love to work with them, and then one time he said he had a track from them if I wanted to come and work on it. That was the first one I heard, the Heartbreak backing track. Biff had just come out a very long-term relationship at the time so we ended up talking about how it feels when you're y'know, feeling a bit wounded, and that's when we wrote "Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)". I suppose it's a bit like "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" - that kind of needing the music to heal you.

At the time of "Groovejet" had you already decided to begin a solo career?
No. (laughs) Before that I'd been in a band (theaudience) so "Groovejet" was a breath of fresh air - it was the antithesis of that whole indie scene. I suppose it only really occured to me when the band first left Mercury and I thought we were still a band. It was only after the next few months that it dawned on me that actually that was the end of that, so when I did "Groovejet" I think I was still coming to terms with the fact that I wasn't in a band anymore. It wasn't a decision like, "OK, I'm a solo artist now", it was more of a case of "Oh, I'm not in a band anymore, so I guess I'm on my own." There are pros and cons on both sides but I'm really grateful that I was in a band first because I think it changes the way you are as a solo artist. Every time I hae a live band around me now I really enjoy being around them.

Who influences your music, or you?
I probably take it from everywhere, definitely other artists. I'm constantly going back to things that excited me when I was young - the first few things that made me feel tingly. There was this programme in the early 80s called Minipops that I used to watch when I was little. It got banned quite early on because it was little girls dressed up with blusher and red lipstick and they'd perform pop songs that were in the charts. But it was quite inappropriate because they had full make up on singing about relationships, but they were only 8-years-old. But I did used to watch it when I was about four and think "That's what I want to do when I'm big." So anything from that to watching musicals, pop videos. But even now I love watching other pop stars and seeing who does what. And there's definitely room for everybody.

Had you always wanted to be a singer?
I always loved pop music - it was definitely always my friend. But it didn't occur to me to be a singer until I was a teenager. Performing definitely appealed but I was still a bit lost. And it just didn't occur to me as a job - 'pop star'! So I thought maybe I'd act, or I quite liked th eidea of being a lawyer. And then I thought maybe journalism, because I've always liked the written word. But when I first got on stage with the band when I was 16 I felt something click. I thought, "I don't need to look anymore - this is what I want to do."

Do you have a lot of input in your videos?
Yeah - definitely! With "Bittersweet" it was something quite basic - I said to the director, "I keep seeing slow motion photography, like billowing chiffon or when you drop a drop of paint into water and see it disperse." And he said "Well actually I've been doing some experiments with rose petals", so that's how the video started. Or with "Murder On The Dancefloor", I said I quite liked the idea of having a dance competition where everybody's getting knocked out gradually over the hours. And my director, who I've done most of my videos with, said how about you be the one making everyone lose the competition. I thought it'd be brilliant because at the time there was so many pop stars aound who were shiny and smiley, so I thought it would be really fun to be the antihero in your own video.

How would you say your music has changed from your first album to this fourth one?
I think I've got more fearless but I probably approach songwriting in a similar way. But I definitely don't worry about what anyone thinks anymore. I think I lost that after I had kids actually. I think I've definitely improved as a singer and a writer since then just because I've gotten more confident, and I'm better at listening to what other people are telling me as well.

theaudience (Sophie Ellis-Bextor) - Quiet Storm (Digitally Remastered)

Here's something to keep you busy till we get Sophie's 4th solo album.

The previous set of tracks that i had with me didn't really sound like they were studio quality. I've been working on some audio enhancement softwares and i tried to re-master the tracks from theaudience's second album. So here you go - QUIET STORM (REMASTERED)

DOWNLOAD LINK:
http://www.mediafire.com/?5b40ixr8do09aaq

Don't forget to say thanks.

And if you don't like the new artwork that i made for the album, you can always use the old one (below)








All tracks have the lyrics, composers and the old artwork tagged with them.

Here's the tracklist:
1. The Greatest Gift
2. How It Should Be Done
3. Day And Night
4. Headcase
5. Wisdom (Out With The Old School)
6. The Fool Will Rise Again
7. So Clever
8. Twilight Of The Teenage
9. Grey With Dusty Rain
10. You Will Do For Now
11. King Of Action
12. Repetition Kills
13. Two Way
14. Sanctuary Hill

List of Unreleased songs - Sophie Ellis-Bextor and theaudience

theaudience ERA
1. Hunting High And Low - Aha's cover

QUIET STORM (theaudience's second unreleased album) ERA:
1. Anonymous (Andy Boyd/Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Alexander Ross)
2. Anyone Loves Anyone (Alexander Ross/Andy Boyd/Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
3. Bigger Than Life (Andy Boyd/Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Alexander Ross)
4. Cookie Jar (Dean Spencer Mollett/Patrick Hannan)
5. Day And Night (Nigel Butler/Dean Spencer Mollett/Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
6. Doctor (Patrick Hannon)
7. Enjoy It While You Can (Andy Boyd/Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Alexander Ross)
8. Final Degree (Alexander Ross/Andy Boyd/Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
9. Grey With Dusty Rain (Dean SpencerMollett/Nigel Butler)
10. Headcase (Nigel Butler/Hedgens/Patrick Hannon)
11. Hey 17! Am I Off My Head Again (theaudience)
12. How It Should Be Done (Dean Spencer Mollett/Nigel Butler)
13. I Got No More School (Billy Reeves)
14. I See A World (theaudience)
15. If You Don't, Someone Else Will (Billy Reeves)
16. It's Only Natural (Bluebell/Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
17. King Of Action (Dean Spencer Mollett/Nigel Butler)
18. Maybe I Was Wrong (Kerin Smith)
19. Never Shine In My Sun (Dean Spencer Mollett)
20. Out With The Old School (Dean Spencer Mollett/Kerin Smith)
21. Pink Vinyl (Andy Boyd/Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Alexander Ross)
22. Repetition Kills (Nigel Butler)
23. Santuary Hill (Nigel Butler/Patrick Hannon/Kerin Smith)
24. So Clever (Andy Boyd/Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Alexander Ross)
25. Sunshine Smile (Dean Spencer Mollett)
26. The Fool Will Rise Again (Dean Spencer Mollett/Nigel Butler)
27. The Greatest Gift (Dean Spencer Mollett/Nigel Butler/Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
28. The Last Time (Youth/Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
29. The List (Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
30. Too Many People (Dean Spencer Mollett)
31. Twilight Of The Teenage (Andy Boyd/Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Alexander Ross)
32. Two Way (Dean Spencer Mollett/Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
33. World (Kerin Smith)
34. You're A Handsome Man (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Alexander Ross/Andy Boyd)
35. You Will Do For Now (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Alexander Ross/Andy Boyd)

READ MY LIPS ERA:
1. Revenge - outtake from Madonna's Ray Of Light album
2. Face The Music (Greg Alexander/Rob Davis/Sophie Ellis-Bextor)

SHOOT FROM THE HIP ERA:
1. You're On My List (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Robert Hedgens)
(I'm pretty sure this is Rob Hedgens, the guy who worked with Nigel on Headcase, so i guess this is a theaudience track. There is a song called "The List" in the theaudience list of tracks as well. I'll have to get this confirmed.)

TRIP THE LIGHT FANTASTIC ERA:
1. As Sure As The Sun (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Gary Clark/Rob Davis)
2. Can I Be Enough (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Jullian Gallagher/Richard Stannard)
3. Colour Me In (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/David Kreuger/Magnusson)
4. Defenceless (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Jewels & Stone)
5. Don't You Want To Get Crazy? (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Fred Schneider/Richard Barone)
6. Eternity Begins (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Francis White)
7. Fake Love To Me (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Danielle Brisebois/Wayne Rodriguez)
8. Let Go (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Matt Prime/Hannah Robinson)
9. Life Goes On (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Julian Gallagher/Richard Biff Stannard)
10. Love Is The Law (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Dimitri Tikovoi)
11. Mr. Friday (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Shelly Poole/Paul Statham)
12. Make My Night (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Jullian Gallagher/Richard Stannard)
13. Mirror Mirror (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Julian Gallagher/David Raymond Morgan/Richard Stannard)
14. Off The Hook (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Gary Clark/Rob Davis)
15. Our Song (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Matt Rowe/Richard Stannard)
16. Pop Wow (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Shelly Poole/Paul Statham)
17. Ring The Changes (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/David Kreuger/Magnusson)
18. Running Out (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Danielle Brisebois/Wayne Rodriguez)
19. Take Me Back (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Dan G.Sells)
20. Take Me With You (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Karen Poole/Johnny Douglas)
21. The Lesson (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Stephen Lironi)
22. Turn It Up (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Fred Schneider/Richard Barone)
23. Wasted (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Andrew Watkins/Paul Wilson)
24. Who You Really Are (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Matt Prime/Hannah Robinson)
25. Worst Is Still Behind Me (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Scott Fraser/Robert Hodgens)

UNKNOWN:
1. 2 Of Us (Danvers Thomas Asher/Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Matthew Paul Rowbottom)
2. Love You More (Shepard J Solomon/Sophie Ellis-Bextor/James Harry)

4th ALBUM SESSIONS: (cos they still remain unreleased)
1. Calling It Love (Cathy Dennis/Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Richard Wiles)
2. Carnival (unknown)
3. Dial My Number (Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Liam Howe, Hannah Robinson)
4. Give Into Love (Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Liam Howe, Hannah Robinson)
5. Hang Up (unknown)
6. I Still Believe In Magic (Richard X/Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
7. In The Name Of Lust (unknown)
8. Lose Myself (Christopher Rojas/Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
9. Moving Cities (unknown)
10. Music Took My Man (unknown)
11. My Priority (Lamont Dazier/Sophie Ellis-Bextor/John Stack Graham/Daniel Woodcock)
12. Off And On (Cathy Dennis/Roisin Murphy/Calvin Harris)
13. Only For This Moment (Alexander Perls/Cohen Wayne/Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
14. Sophia Loren (Christopher Rojas/Cathy Dennis/Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
15. Sorry Now (Christopher Mohr/Cohen Wayne/Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
16. Starlight (Richard X/Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
17. Still Mixed Up (unknown)
18. Supersexy (Jim Elliott, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Gabriel, Hannah Robinson)
19. Synchronized (Ina Wroldsen/Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Fred Ball)
20. The Scene (Metronomy/Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
21. Under Your Touch (Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Liam Howe, Hannah Robinson)
22. Whispers On The Street (Jim Elliott, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Gabriel, Hannah Robinson)
23. Wicked Game (David Lipsey/Jeremy Shaw/Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
24. Immune To Love (Sophie Ellis-Bextor/Hannah Robinson/Richard X)

(The ones in RED have been made available in some form or the other)

Heat Magazine Interview

SOURCE: http://thisiswhoiam.heatworld.com/Celebrities/View/Sophie_Ellis-Bextor?WT.mc_id={ispy}

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is best known for cheek-bones that most models would die for and a posh voice and attitude that made her infamous on DJ Spiller’s anthem Groovejet in 2000. Three albums and 6 Top Ten hits later Sophie is still hitting the UK charts, collaborating with The Freemasons on new single Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer). She’s married to Richard Jones from The Feeling and has recently given birth to their second child, Kit Valentine. This week on This Is Who I Am with Orange we're joined by Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

h: who would you say have been the most influential people in your life?
S: I think my father (Robin Bextor) would definitely have to be top of the list because he was always the big music fan in the house, he was always playing me stuff. His passion for it was pretty infectious, although luckily his tone-deaf tuning was not quite so infectious (laughs). I suppose the other person, it’s got to be Richard really, because as my other half and as a musician he can pick up any instrument and make it do stuff. I’ve never been one of those people, I can sing, that’s sort of about it really. I think partly through the fact that we have a shared love of music anyway, but also through new things like us DJing together, it’s extending my love affair with music.

h: You mentioned your father being a big influence on you musically, what music did he play for you when you were younger?
S: I guess it was all the sort of staple stuff really, like The Beatles and The Doors. A real memory of mine is us getting excited about new albums and putting Pet Shop Boys on, and playing a game of Sorry or Cluedo. He tried to get me into chess, I was not into chess. But yeah, playing Super Cluedo Challenge where we listened to the new Pet Shop Boys album.

h: Shall we play first of all then, shall we play a Pet Shop Boys song?
S: I think that would be really prudent. I think it’s got to be Left To My Own Devices, I love that song.
(click here to listen to Pet Shop Boys - Left To My Own Devices)

h: Now Sophie, your parents are both in the media, your dad was a TV producer, your mum famously on Blue Peter, what was that like growing up with them, well your mum particularly, in the public eye? Did you know that you wanted to be in the public eye?
S: I suppose the biggest influence it had on me was just the fact that I looked at all jobs as being on a level playing field. When I was really small I wanted to be a nurse or a ballet dancer, and then when I got a bit older and thought about things like singing or acting, I think I wanted to be a lawyer at one point. So I suppose that was the main way that I made me feel like I could do any of those things.

h: Have you ever taken any inspiration from your mum’s Blue Peter career? Did you make things out of loo roll and sticky back plastic?
S: I didn’t really; I used to wait until she (Janet Ellis) brought them home from work actually. I used to get a lot of the makes.

h: Did you? You got all the “here’s one we made earlier”?
S: I did. I used to pester her to bring things home. It was quite a strange time in my life I guess because while she was presenting Blue Peter, which was when I was four and eight, that was exactly the same age as all the people that were watching it, so we used to go out and she’d get mobbed by six year olds. It affected me in a strange way, I was mostly proud but also incredibly possessive and I used to get quite jealous of all these other little people having a relationship with my mum when she was my mummy thank you very much.

h: I can understand that. Did that make you more popular at school? What were you like at school?
S: No, complete opposite. There was an ‘Against Sophie’ club.

h: That’s awful.
S: It’s pretty cruel isn’t it. But you know, I suppose for the other kids, they were interested at first, “oh your mum’s on telly,” and then it was, “hang on a minute, she’s the only one who’s got that so we can all gang up on her,” and stuff like that.

h: How did that make you feel? That must have affected you. What sort of age were you?
S: That was in my infant school so I think I was about 5 or 6. I can’t say it was brilliant, but at the same time I probably was a little showey-offey about it because I thought it was brilliantly glamorous. So I probably was a bit spoilt, I think that children, you know what kids are like it’s all quite sort of black and white really, so I probably would show off about some things and they go, “well if you’re going to be like that we’ll have an against you club,’ and you know, fair’s fair really.

h: Did that ‘Against Sophie’ club last very long or was it gone like most things in a little while?
S: It was probably gone within a week but the memory remains!

h: Is there any song that you’d like to play that reminds you of your mum? We’ve played one for your dad.
S: Yeah, she trained as an actress, and so we used to watch a lot of musicals together. So my favourite ones from when I was little that I used to watch with her were either Grease or Mary Poppins and I was thinking we have to go with Mary Poppins actually because Julie Andrews is undoubtedly an influence on me, I think she’s brilliant. And looking at the combination of the two, like Sandy when she goes to the dark side at the end of Grease and Mary Poppins, it’s kind of influenced my dress style because I do tend to dress like a nanny gone bad quite often!

h: I never would have thought of it like that!
S: If Mary Poppins had joined the Pink Ladies that’s me.

h: That would have been an amazing film. Which song from Mary Poppins would you like?
S: I think I’m going to go for the snappily titled Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
(click here to listen to Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious)

h: What age were you when your parents got divorced and how did that affect you?
S: I was four when they separated. I suppose it was a sort of ongoing thing really. Luckily it had a happy ending, they definitely weren’t a couple that were supposed to stay together and I was never one of those scheming children trying to get them back together, it made sense to me that they were apart. And they’re both really happily married and I have brothers and sisters on both sides now and a lovely extended family and it’s all turned out fine. But yeah, I think the main thing is that it’s quite lonely really. Before my mum had my brother which was when I was eight, I suppose it’s quite a grown up situation to be in as a little person even if you’re not directly dealing with those issues but it’s quite a grown up concept that you have to now be a family where your mum and your dad aren’t doing the traditional family thing any more. But then again it was happening to other people and it happens to lots of children.

h: Maybe the fact that you were younger, I think you’re a bit more resilient when you’re younger.
S: Completely, I think kids take things in, they don’t live a life in what could have been or any alternatives. And they always made me feel very loved and wanted and all that so it was fine.

h: Were there ever any songs that you used to listen to that you found quite comforting? Not necessarily if you were feeling low about that but anything that you listened to when you were younger that would make you feel better about things?
S: Well I suppose, I mean throughout it all I was always still very excited about music and always, I suppose, an element of escapism really with making compilation tapes and watching music videos. There’s loads of songs that I could pick but the one, it was still something I used to listen to all the time and watch this video over and over of Toni Basil singing Hey Mickey. There’s a cheerleader in the video with an inappropriate amount of make up on, and again, obviously a big influence on me because it’s something I tend to do like before!

h: You do like make-up.
S: Yeah. But that song was a constant childhood friend because I think it’s a slice of perfect pop. I love it.

h: So Sophie, you mentioned that your parents are remarried now, happily remarried. How did you react when your first half sibling was born?
S: I was over the moon, I was absolutely besotted with him, my little brother Jack who I’m eight years older than, I absolutely adored him, I used to look after him all the time and swing him round probably dangerously close to furniture but I thought it was great.

h: Push him around in the push chair.
S: Yeah all of that, and put him to bed. He was such a sweet little boy and then he got to about 3 and my sister was born and he was absolutely furious that he was no longer the cute little one any more and he sort of remained in a bad little temper for about the next fifteen years! He’s emerged from it now, he’s twenty-one now. Even though my sister Martha is younger than him, it’s Jack that I’ve always, you always get that bit more protective of your little brothers.

h: Yeah. Any song that reminds you of him?
S: Oh god there’s loads, but I think the main one, he probably won’t thank me for this because he was really small, but it’s him holding onto a glass table when he was just learning to walk and pulling himself and he’d dance about to Summer In My Heart by Aztec Camera.
(click here to listen to Summer In My Heart)

h: So lets talk a bit about when you were a teenager. What was that like for you? You said that at infant school you had a bit of a gang against you, did you get any grief when you were a teenager?
S: Oh, who doesn’t? I mean being a teenager is really hard work. I did have friends and luckily a lot of my really close girlfriends now are the same ones, they’re girls I’ve known since I was eleven and so we’ve remained pretty close. But yeah, teenage years are just awkward.

h: Did you ever get called names or anything?
S: I didn’t get called any names but I just wasn’t popular with boys and I think that that’s really damning when you’re a teenage girl, it’s all you want, for some blokes to like you. And when I’d go out, on the very rare occasion that anybody would show me any interest they’d usually be some complete psycho. Great, why do I always get the weirdos?! Whereas all my other friends were slimmer, prettier, more academic, would be flying high and going out with boys. So I didn’t really feel like I’d found my own space within it until probably I started, I don’t know, seventeen, eighteen.

h: Do you think you grew in to your looks? Because you’ve got, obviously, quite modelly looks, but it doesn’t really conform with kids at school, do you know what I mean? The long, blonde hair and…
S: I looked weird. I think when I was about thirteen, I felt like this face where all these features were just floating around on it unsure of where to stop! Just not a happy time. I remember trying out different looks but, you know, I mean this whole heartedly, I think it actually did me a lot of good because I think if you’re a very pretty girl, I think sometimes it can almost replace a characteristic sometimes, it becomes a thing that, you know, it’s more than just an adjective to describe how you look, it’s sort of part of how you act, and if you don’t feel like you’ve got that then you have to develop these other sides to you and a bit more resilience maybe, and a slightly thicker skin. So I think in the long run it’s probably for the best, and that’s what I told myself then as well!

h: Very wise! Any songs that you used to listen to in your teenage years? Did you have a crush on anyone?
S: I think the music was a massive deal for me, probably from the age of about fourteen because up until that point I’d been listening to stuff that my mum and dad were playing and they’d say, “this is something we’ve always loved,” and they had loads of classics and it was great but with the advent of Brit Pop that was like a dawn of time and I think Blur really epitomized that for me. I think I fancied three quarters of Blur at the time, I won’t say which one I didn’t but you probably…

h: Probably can work it out!
S: So I think Girls and Boys by Blur probably sums that up for me and I still remember that excitement.
(click here to listen to Girls and Boys)

h: So we’ve covered a bit of your teenage years, but at what point did you go in to music yourself? And how easy was it?
S: I got in to music under my own steam when I was sixteen. And as to how easy it was actually the beginning bit was really very easy. I used to go clubbing every Friday night at indie clubs, and I met a guy that said a friend of a friend was looking for a singer for a band and I thought, “oh that’ll be fun because it’ll always be good to tell my kids, yeah I used to be in a band.” And the band that we formed was called Theaudience and we started doing gigs and with every gig that we did we got a new record company offering us a deal. I mean it was just that era, A&R men were going out to venues and when one jumped they all used to jump and make offers. So after eight gigs we had eight offers and we picked the best one and I finished my A-Levels and went off and made an album. It was pretty idyllic really.

h: Have you got a song that you want to play?
S: Okay, I’m going to pick and album track from Theaudience and the one I’m going to go for is one called You Get What You Deserve, which was always my favourite.

h: Is there anyone else you’d like to play at this stage?
S: We were always being compared to Blondie and the Pretenders and I just had never really listened to those bands so it was really the era of when I discovered Debbie Harry and what a phenomenal front woman she is, so sexy and assertive and sophisticated I guess. So I wanted to play Atomic by Blondie just because it was the time when I thought, “wow, there’s this whole other side of stuff I’d never really got into before.”

h: Would you say you had a mentor at all during that time when you were first embarking on the music scene?
S: I don’t know if there was just one, I mean I guess there were a few people whose advice I listened to and it’s continued to ring true. I mean certainly the main song writer in the band, a guy called Billy, we had such an adventure in the group, and he was a very bright guy and I think he was very interested in lyrics and that side of song writing and so I now hold lyrics in really high regards. I know that sounds like a strange and an obvious thing to say but there are so many songs where you can tell the lyric is not given as much respect as I think it should, and for me it can make or break a song. If I like a lyric it will get me more into the melody and vice versa.

And I think the other person, was my manager at the time, a guy called Martin Hall, who I still see around and he’s a lovely man. When I first started I was very opinionated and always speaking my mind. I didn’t realise that there this diplomacy that you develop, so I just used to say, like a typical teenager I guess, “oh that’s great,” and, “that’s rubbish,” and it was all very black and white to me. He sort of took me to one side one day and said, “look, if you’re not careful you’re going to be a sort of rent-a-quote for people to come to when they want you to give them an opinion on something,” and I thought you know what, I'm going to maybe just calm down a little bit and I’m so glad that I did because it really would have got me in hot water if I’d kept going.

h: Was there anything that you said that you wish you hadn’t?
S: No I think I stopped just in time. Because I thought it was like talking to your mates in the pub, but that’s not really what you do if you don’t like something. Maybe it’s a bit of growing up as well because when you get older you can’t be bothered to hate stuff with the same passion; it’s just not worth it.

h: And did being in theaudience affect your music career later on, do you think?
S: Oh, hugely. I mean I still think of myself as an indie kid who then did a dance record, so I now make pop because it meets in the middle and draws on all of that. Yeah, I still undeniably love a bit of indie music; that was my musical heritage really. I still approach a lot of music I do now, even if it's dance-orientated, with indie sensibilities - well I suppose I mean with traditional song sensibilities. So when I came to do Groovejet with Spiller I still thought, "OK, it's going to have a verse and a bridge and a chorus and a middle eight". And they were looking at me as if to say, "what are you talking about?". But for me that's how I approached the song - it had to tell a story.

h: Is it true that when you first heard the instrumental to Groovejet you didn't like it?
S: It wasn't that I didn't like it, I just didn't know why I'd been sent it, I thought it was a mistake. I thought, well I'm in an indie band and that's what I do, so why would I be doing a dance record? But actually it was really liberating because I thought, hang on a minute, just because I've done something up until now, you know.... There's a whole world out there! What kind of music do I want to make? So it really encouraged me to make my own decisions about things and not just go along with the tide. It's no good just sitting around getting bitter and moaning. If you want to make it work you've got to earn it really. You're not entitled to success, no one is.

h: You got a lot of success with Groovejet. How did you feel when it went to number 1?
S: Shocked.

h: Was it quite a whirlwind?
S: Complete whirlwind. I always feel a bit tragic talking about it now because it was like nine years ago! And I don’t want to seem like I’m dining out on something that was so long ago. But at the same time it was really magical, it was on the news you know, 6 o’clock news and 10 o’clock news, about the single and how well it was doing in the charts.

h: Was that the single that you were pitted against Victoria Beckham?
S: That’s right yeah. Because I think she was the last Spice Girl to release a solo single and so there was a lot of pressure on her to have a number 1.

h: Your first album, Read My Lips, went to number 2 in the album charts, with Murder On The Dancefloor and Take Me Home also reaching number 2 in the single charts. What was going through your mind when you found out how successful they were and is there any songs that you used to listen to, to celebrate?
S: It was a really brilliant time; I was just having a ball. I was meeting new, fantastic people and a lot of the folk that I worked with on the first album I still work with now. The lady that did my music videos, a lady called Sophie Muller, ended up doing, I’ve done loads with her because we did Murder On The Dancefloor and did Take Me Home, and it was just a really good fit and I loved working with her. The people that did the artwork for that album ended up doing, I work with them every time I come to design the album covers. So it’s just, I’ve been really fortunate that I’ve worked with some fantastic folk and it’s still the same team. I suppose that was still the era of me really discovering exactly what it was that, what kind of an artist I wanted to be. I realised that actually there was loads of house music that I did really like, and so the song, it’s Modjo Lady. I love that song, I still love it.

h: You’ve put the release of your fourth album on hold slightly have you?
S: Kind of yeah, I was supposed to finish it in February but I ended up having a baby instead.

h: And are you going to be going on the road with this album?
S: I hope so.

h: How’s that going to be with having kids?
S: I don’t know yet! With all these things it depends on how successful it is and where you end up roaming. I mean the littles are still very little.

h: Littles, I like that.
S: Well they are and they’re portable, and if we end up needing to roam around a bit because it’s a successful album then that’s great, and if it’s a bit more low key then I can go on tour and I’m not going to be away that much and I can take them with me, I don’t know. We’ll find a way.

h: How do you think you’ve changed as a person from being a mum?
S: Probably massively, but it’s not over night, it takes a little while. I think on the one hand it’s almost like you lose a layer, a toughness layer, you’re that little bit more sensitive I guess, and you empathise and sympathise with the world and what’s happening to other people a lot more because every time you read a news story and something happens to a child, you can’t help it, suddenly it’s happening to your child. So yeah, you lose a layer like that. But at the same time you gain something in that security that you’ve started your own family and so long as the family and you guys are all alright and, you know, at night when they’re all tucked up in their beds and everything’s right in the world in your home, it’s right in the world everywhere. So it sort of makes things universal but also a lot more intimate.

h: And, I’m sure they’re too young to have their own favourite songs at the moment.
S: Sonny’s very in to music, I mean Kit’s only four months so he’s a bit of a dot with it all, but Sonny’s always been really in to music. Because he used to love Rhinestone Cowboy you see, and dance around to that naked after his bath, but now that’s…

h: And you remind him of that?
S: I remind him of it but no, that doesn’t happen any more now he’s five, apparently. The one I was going to play for him actually is Karma Chameleon because that was a song that I loved when I was little and it’s just amazing that there are these sort of evergreen songs that just always seem to work. And I’ll hear him singing that around the house and it’s just, it’s a perennial classic that one.

h: Not wearing make up and long hair?
S: Oh sometimes, not the long hair so much but occasional bit of make up, definitely!

h: You dated Andy Boyd for seven years before you met him, what made you realise that your relationship with Andy wasn’t, kind of, the one you were going to get married to?
S: Oh blimey! Oh god, what makes anyone realise their relationship isn’t heading in the right place? You start to wake up and realise that maybe you’re not the same person you were when you first started going out with them I suppose, and the things that are important to you, they shift. People have always been asking couples that have been together for decades the secrets to a happy relationship, and there are some fundamentals I think that definitely help you on your way, like being kind to each other, it’s so easy to not be kind to the person you’re with. And actually that kindness and actually been bothered to listen to them about what they’ve been doing during the day and respond accordingly, that stuff goes a long way. But there’s also this big factor of the stuff you can’t control and that’s just growing together and wanting the same things out of life and prioritising the same stuff. I guess like any, it happens to a number of couples, after a few years I just realised that maybe we weren’t, the things that really mattered to me weren’t as important to him and vice versa, and we maybe weren’t being as kind to each other as you should be. If you can’t rectify it then you’ve just got to move on.

h: It comes to its natural end doesn’t it. How did you meet Richard Jones from The Feeling?
S: He was my bass player in my band for a couple of years actually before we started going out. I always got on really well with him but I can honestly say it didn’t occur to me that there was anything romantic there, I was with someone, he was with someone, and you know, we just worked together and then I think maybe on our third tour or something we just started hanging out more and I started thinking, “hang on a minute, this guys actually really, really, you know, a good man.” And so when I was fancy free and single we started trying dates out and we did it really quietly because we thought it might be a bit cringy for the people that knew us, “you guys are going out!” So we kept it really quiet and then after about a month found out we were having a baby and then had to tell everybody really, really quickly!

h: Any song that you can play that reminds you of when you were first secretly dating?
S: Well it’s actually a Feeling song. It’s Fill My Little World, because when we first started going out he said to me, “I’m actually in my own band,” and he had a lot of the demos that became the singles on the first album. So Fill My Little World was the one where I remember playing the CD in my bedroom thinking, “oh my god I hope I like this!”
(click here to watch Fill My Little World)

h: Yeah!
S: But luckily I thought they were great and Fill My Little World was the song on the demos that really jumped out immediately as this is something really special, and so even when I hear it now it just reminds me of those times.

h: What was the first song that you and Richard danced to at your wedding?
S: We used music a lot in our wedding but our first dance was Lionel Ritchie, All Night Long. And we learnt a choreography, quite 70s style disco sort of dance thing. So we started it off in that sort of boring, awkward, shifty dance, slow dance that couples do, and then when it broke in to (sings) “All night long,” and the drums come in we broke in to this dance routine which was quite fun, nobody knew.

h: We’ve touched on your kids a little bit; you had slight complications with the birth of both your children. Has it made you more overprotective of them or not?
S: No, I don’t think so. If anything it sort of goes the other way in a weird way, not saying that you put them in danger.

h: Do you get stressed as a person or are you quite laid back?
S: I think I’m quite laid back and then every once in a while I’ll have a day where I feel like I’m starting to lose my grip and you sort of teeter on the brink don’t you.

h: What do you do when you feel like that? Is there anything you do to cheer yourself up?
S: I’m probably just really bad company. Moan I think. What do I do to chill out? I suppose I just do something simple and quiet, go out for a meal or have a take-away, rent a film and just try and clear your mind for a minute. Richard and I are both as bad as each other, we’ll both be still up at midnight, looking stuff up on the internet. It’s tragic really!

h: What would you like your legacy to be for your children?
S: Blimey that’s a heavy one! I suppose just giving them a happy childhood really, same as any parent wants for their kids. Ultimately just because of my day job it shouldn’t change anything about what I want to give them. Their future is not about being the child of mine is it, it’s about doing whatever it is that they want to do. So hopefully not embarrassing them too much in the playground I suppose!

h: Is there a current artist that you’re listening to that you really admire at the moment?
S: There’s loads of stuff. I’ve been working with this guy called Joe who’s in a band called Metronomy and they do a song called My Heart Rate Rapid which I just can’t get out of my brain most of the time, but that’s more kind of left field dance music.
(click here to listen to My Heart Rate Rapid)

Sophie's original unreleased second album (with theaudience - Quiet Storm)

Sophie is actually not recording her 5th album (including theaudience), but actually her 6th. Her original second album with theaudience was unreleased. I call it QUIET STORM...

theaudience - Quiet Storm - Read My Lips - Shoot From The Hip - Trip The Light Fantastic - 6th studio album (in process)



When theaudience were recording their second album, they didn't have Billy with them in the studio. In fact, he didn't contribute to lyrics on any of the songs either, except two or three older songs which he had written which they recorded. The band were on the verge of losing their contract, so they decided to convince their label by coming up with some really catchy pop tunes instead of experimental intelligent indie songs. Their self titled debut album saw a band which was grammatically correct, flaunting songs about glory, alcohol and the mundanity of life. But the second album, in terms of sound, took a whole different direction. Britpop is the sound the adopted, catchy tunes and modern sounds. The band still wrote "intelligent lyrics" (i'm always going to keep saying this, cos when i compare theaudience's lyrics to that of other artists, i see a difference. Everything is so metaphorical, so deep, there always a phrase or two in each song which you use you would in a regular conversation, but you wouldn't really think of putting it into a song. And even though most of the songs come out of personal experiences of the band members, you can see that its concealed quite well behind Sophie's icy delivery!)

So as i was saying, brilliant work. The lyrics, the sound, the melody. Everything is very nice. Ten years ago this was recorded, but its still is so fresh. That just goes to show that the band were way ahead of their time. Had this been released back then, maybe the band would have survived the split and Billy would have rejoined the band (this is my guess, its not real information).

The Greatest Gift, Day And Night, How It Should Be Done, Repetition Kills, King Of Action, Headcase, You Will Do For Now are all tracks which can rock out a show if they performed it live. But you should know, these are only demos. There would have been changes if the songs were to be released, and they would sound so much clearer and sexier!! You'll notice that the guys have done a lot of backing vocals on most of the songs.

Anyway, I made this tracklist, cos the flow of the songs is good this way
1. The Greatest Gift (Mollett/Butler/Ellis-Bextor)
2. How It Should Be Done (Mollett/Butler)
3. Day And Night (Butler/Mollett/Ellis-Bextor)
4. Headcase (Butler/Hedgens/Hannon)
5. Out With The Old School (Mollett/Smith)
6. The Fool Will Rise Again (Mollett/Butler)
7. So Clever (Boyd/Ellis-Bextor/Ross)
8. Twiligt Of The Teenage (Boyd/Ellis-Bextor/Ross)
9. Grey With Dusty Rain (Butler/Mollett)
10. You Will Do For Now (Ellis-Bextor)
11. King Of Action (Mollett/Butler)
12. Repetition Kills (Butler)
13. Two Way (Mollett)
14. Sanctuary Hill (Butler/Hannon/Smith)

The Fool Will Rise Again is definitely a cool track. Its got a cool attitude. And Sophie's dry icy delivery is perfect for a song with that much attitude. Cleverly written, and they decided to keep the instrumentation simple - very clever! The song, by itself speaks a lot, you wouldn't want to overdo it, now, would you..

Then there's Grey With Dusty Rain, the most experimental song on this album, the I Got The Wherewithal of album #2. Why am i saying this? Sampled drumbeat. Looped vocals. Amazing production. Sophie sounds superb on this song. Heck, if i could tell her, i would ask her to re-record this for one of her albums in the future, its single material! And its a song about a relationship with a drug addict! Lol, where the hell do they come up with lyrics that are so bizzare that they don't even hint what its about and keep the mystery running in your mind, till you go mad discovering what it is all about!

Out With The Old School is also an amazing tune. This is the only song that actually got an official release 10 years ago, from all the 33 songs that were recorded for the album. Its about a breakup. Dark, emotional, and also has a bit of dark humour. But its all well concealed behind a light-hearted melody and Sophie's crisp vocals. Cleverly arranged background music, with no harsh sounds make the song sound more like a sarcastic joke about missing a loved one! Brilliant!!

The Greatest Gift is a rock tune. Again a song about a relationship. "I will be the complication in your plan" - very tongue-in-cheek. Sophie's vocals have improved over the years, but if you listen to this song, concentrating carefully on just Sophie's vocals, it seems like its a small girl singing this.. Cute. There's one downer in the song though. There's a line in the song which goes "the look in your eyes is a sight for all the others to see" but originally, it was "the look in your eyes is a sight for all the suckers to see", but Sophie changed it cos she felt it was too strong. I wonder why?! She was quite a bitch when she was in the band, and it wouldn't really have upset her image, cos she was just fronting an indie band. Anyway, i would have loved to hear the original lyrics. It's better off that way.

How It Should Be Done is amazing!! Probably the 3rd best track. Its got simpler lyrics, a very simple melody, and the instrumentation is just perfect. Good use of the guitars. Its an almost-perfect song, i think this would have sounded brilliant if it was finalised.

Day And Night, is pop genius!! A love song basically, with a touching melody. The production on the song is simply superb! It has a fade ending though. Thats one thing you will notice on quite a few songs on this album. I didn't expect that. I find it quite odd for theaudience to fade out their songs. They were masters at ending songs perfectly, if you listen to their debut album, you'll see what i mean. Their instrumentation was always superb!!

King Of Action is the first song where the keyboards are more evident. Its the Running Out Of Space on this album. But its a whole lot longer than that song. Its a brash piece, but the sound suits the lyrics. Its got a difficult melody, but it catches on after a few spins.

Two Way is the only song which took the longest time to grow onto me. The problem (which is not so much of a problem anymore) is probably the chorus. The melody of the song has such a beautiful flow through the verses and the bridge. Then suddenly the chorus snaps in and you're like "whoa".. But its actually very very good. If you keep listening to it, you'll actually fall in love with the song, its very cleverly written. Its a song about frustration about departure (i'm screaming a hint.. ahem cough cough). Again here, the lyrics were supposed to be:
"Not pleased with the lot you've been given
but you make it clear you're on the hunt
for new talent, and that Jesus loves you,
but everyone else thinks you're a cunt"
but Sophie changed it to:
"Not pleased with the lot you've been given
You make it clear you've got the eye
For talent, and that Jesus loves you
but wolf is to easy to cry"
Both the lyrics are fine, i wish we could have them both on the song, cos i can't decide which version i would like better..

Headcase is a hardcore pop tune. Its very tongue-in-cheek. Sophie's vocals are screechy in this. Not something that she would be proud of now, for sure. But its still a nice song. I think the production on this song is bad, especially with the tambourine and the cymbals. They're overlapping the word "headcase" on the song, and its very jarring to the ears. That apart, the rest of the song is good. Good use of keyboards.

You Will Do For Now is one of the two songs which has this Manic Street Preachers sound to it. If you've heard their songs, you'll know what i mean. Is that an organ they're using on the song!? It's got this psychedelic vibe to it. I want to keep listening to the track forever. The guitars are brilliant!!

Twilight Of The Teenage got me to think (and i still keep thinking) what the hell it is all about. It sounds delicious enough to eat, but i have no clue what its about. So i'm not going to comment, except that the production on the song could have been better. But its a demo, so maybe they had plans of changing the sound later.

Repetition Kills is the second Manic's influenced song. The chorus is what made me decide that they must have been inspired by the Manics. I swear i can hear James Dean when they go "repetition kiiiillss". So Manic's.... Brilliant production. Brilliant lyrics. Who the hell would have used "cul de sac" on a song except them!? Sophie sounds ace

So Clever is a love song. Its a rough demo with hard beats. A small filler of a track..

Sanctuary Hill is actually a very good song. I underrated this initially. Probably because Sophie's vocals were too difficult to listen to. But it has grown on me now. Its got brilliant lyrics. But there's some instrument on the chorus which upsets me. Its a keyboard generated sound which i'm not really too impressed with. Maybe they tried to experiment with it. Sounds like the processed sound of bells ringing..

In all, i think the album is beyond amazing!! I wish it would have gotten a release back then. It would have definitely done really well on the charts! Good work guys!! Really good work, all of you - Nyge, Dean, Kerin and Patch... oh and i forgot. Sophie started with some co-writing on this album. Kudos! Of course, the songs wouldn't sound this good without her voice on it. So equal credit goes to her as well....

P.S. - If anyone wants these in HQ mp3, leave a request in the comment section

Sophie to work with the Freemasons again

Apart from the 17 theaudience tracks that recently leaked onto youtube, there's more exciting news. Sophie is going to work with Freemasons again!!

You read it here, first, some days ago, and now she confirmed it!

In her ten years in the music industry, Sophie Ellis-Bextor has gone from chic indie starlet to purveyor of the finest disco bangers. And thanks to her endless charm and those world-class cheekbones, she's nabbed quite a following along the way. Teaming up with the Freemasons for 'Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)' - another opportunity to over-enunciate that word - she's back and raring to go. We caught up for a chat about the song, her new album and some rather exciting collaborations.

Are you feeling confident about the single's chances?
"Haha! I don't think I've ever felt really confident before a single comes out. I know enough to know that you don't really know anything about how it's going to go! I'm optimistic but not smug. I've had a lot of good feedback from people coming up to me and saying they like it, but I'm not going down the bookies just yet!"

How did 'Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)' first come about?
"I was working on some new material with a guy called Biff (Stannard), who's good friends with the Freemasons. They sent over the instrumental to 'Heartbreak' and we wrote the lyrics. The single remix has changed a bit from the original demo, but it was always their song to start with."

Why did you decide to team up with the Freemasons?
"The thing I love about them is that whilst they've got a lot of dance sensibilities, they've also got pop sensibilities. With them there's always an appeal from a melodic point of view as well as just the basic four-to-the-floor beat. Their songs feel like they've got a bit more texture and shape to them. I think they respect the fact that people want a song to tell a story as well as make them boogie."

Will they be doing any more songs on your new album?
"Yeah, we will be doing a bit more, definitely. There's another song we're working on at the moment. I think if something works then it's worth perservering with."

How's your new album coming along?
"The album's pretty much done - we've got about three quarters of the way through it. I was supposed to have finished it earlier in the year but then I had my baby so my schedule changed somewhat."

How would you describe the album's sound?
"If anything the album's going to be a bit more dance and a bit more electro. In the past my albums have featured quite a broad range of genres - a bit of indie, a bit of electro - but this one definitely feels like it's more dance-centric. I've done tracks with Calvin Harris, Metronomy and Liam from the Sneaker Pimps, which is maybe why!"

Have you thought of a name for it yet?
"You know what, I seriously need to think of a title! Usually with albums I come up with something before I've finished half the songs, but this time I've neglected the name so I need to get on it. Maybe I should just use Trip The Light Fantastic again or go down the eponymous route?"

Has your husband Richard had anything to do with the album?
"Well, we've got a studio at home, so if he's free one afternoon and we need a bassist I'll give him a shout. We tend to go back and forth playing everything that we do to each other anyway. He's got very good instincts for what works so I like his advice."

How similar are your musical tastes?
"I think they've gotten more similar over time. He introduced me to a lot of stuff when we first met. He would say that he's got broader tastes than me because he likes everything I listen to but I don't like everything he plays. Recently he's managed to get me into some of the old country stuff like Vampire Weekend and Sigur Ros, while I've hounded him with disco classics."

There were plans to release a fourth single from your last album, but it never happened. Why?
"I wanted to release 'If I Can't Dance' but I ended up going on tour instead. Then we were planning on doing a greatest hits and releasing a new track from it but I felt that was maybe a bit premature. That's where 'Heartbreak' originally came about. It's all been a bit higgledy-piggledy, but I think we made the right choice."

Are you worried that there are so many other female pop artists at the moment?
"I don't think the music industry really works like that. It tends to be better when there are things out that complement each other. Over time I've weathered a bit of a storm with what's in vogue. When I first released 'Murder On The Dancefloor' and 'Take Me Home' I would always have dancers, but by the second album it was almost unacceptable to acknowledge pop. It's great that it's come full circle once again."

Finally, how is family life treating you?
"Having two children now is twice as much work but in a nice way. I thought we wouldn't notice the difference quite so much, but it's great as it feels like we have a nice little family now. Sonny is really quite besotted with his baby brother!"

'Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)' is out on June 21. Check back on Monday for our interview with the Freemasons.

SOURCE: DIGITAL SPY

theaudience - You Will Do For Now

I made an edited version of the song, cos the beginning on the original was a weird. The one i made sounds alright. So here you go - http://www.zshare.net/audio/55224049c6584200/

He was seen on Saturday
Gladly being led astray
When he's giving evidence
He is pleading innocence
Met the next one in a club
Clinging hips and overdub
We got friendly in his car
Red leather interior

I'll be there
Inside your place
If you've got style
Then I've got taste
I'm in love
With both of the above
So take a bow
Cos you will do for now

He was starting to assume
Every girl would give him room
I gave him some honesty
You were just accessory
Met the next one in a bar
Admiration from afar
I told him to concentrate
This is far too easy

I'll be there
Inside your place
If you've got style
Then I've got taste
I'm in love
With both of the above
So take a bow
Cos you will do for now

New (old) song...

Another unreleased theaudience track leaked!!!!!!
You Will Do For Now - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VQC44SEB

1. Keep In Touch is the same as the album version
2. The chorus on Groovejet is amazing!!! Its so much better than the version which got released!!
3. You Will Do For Now is ace! It sounds a bit like Black Holes For The Young
4. I Got The Wherewithal seems to be the same, a little rockier
5. Leave The Others Alone is haunting!!!

A little about the past

As most of you already know, Patrick Hannan and Kerin Smith are on MySpace, and i had the opportunities to talk to both of them, and they were kind enough to reply. Patrick, in fact, was nice enough to let me interview him online for my (then) website (Soph-ology). Just thought i'd put up the interview here, so others could read...

INTERVIEW WITH PATRICK HANNAN (Apr 7, 2006):

HELLO PATRICK!
Hello!

WE KNOW YOU AS THE DRUMMER FROM THE BAND theaudience. YOU'VE ALSO WORKED IN A NUMBER OF OTHER BANDS. WORKING WITH WHICH BAND HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE?
Theaudience was a great time in my life as a musician with many memorable episodes, but the first band I had real success with was the sundays and we were a big band in the USA. The tours over there were really amazing. I don't think we ever played a show which didn't sell out. I was 24 when it kicked off and I had the time of my life. Meeting and hanging out with Depeche mode was a high light. Theaudience only ever played 3 shows outside the UK, and in my opinion the UK is one of the worse places in the world to tour.

theaudience BROKE UP SOON AFTER THEIR DEBUT. IT WAS VERY TRAGIC TO SEE A GOOD BAND FALL APART. CAN YOU TELL US WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED
Right, here is the second lp (short) story. After the first LP was done and dusted we started writing for the 2nd record for Mercury. Me and Kerin were trying to co-ordinate all the ideas that were coming in. Billy was not involved. The first bunch of stuff was about 20 demo tracks by various members of the band and 3 by Mr. Boyd. SEB was very keen to use his material but the band didn't really like it. This was to become a big problem as she was adament that we should use him. We were put into a studio with various big expensive producers and recorded 4 0r 5 of the tracks as masters. Producers included Youth, Stephen Street and Dave Bascombe. The CD that was on Ebay had demo versions of the songs listed on it. There are a about 25 tracks in various forms un-released. The band were dropped because they couldn't see us selling enough records to re-coupe the vast amount that had been spent. I still have some of the demo's and some mixes of the masters.

AFTER THE BAND BROKE UP DID YOU KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ANYONE OR DID YOU ALL GO IN SEPARATE DIRECTIONS?
I worked with Kerin for a while and we tried to put another band together but it didn't really work out. I also played drums in Nyge's band PMFF, and we had a single out, but Nyge had to concentrate on his production work. I have only seen Dean once and have not had any contact with Sophie. After Billy had his car accident we were in touch again. He seemed to have a different view on life and we met several times and are in contact.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR? HAVE YOU LISTENED TO HER SOLO MUSIC? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?
Sophie was a really great person and we had a good laugh together. She was going through a lot of changes in her life when we worked together. I think she has had an amazing career so far and I'm very pleased to see her success.
My kids love her music. I like her choice of material and enjoy the light hearted feel of it. I was worried that she was taking it too seriously when the whole point is to have fun. I don't much like po faced artists. But she surprised me with some of the singles.


WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO AND WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE ARTISTS/BANDS?
I listen to a lot of Radio, mainly BBC 6music, and If I hear something I like I might buy it. I Like Elbow, Ed Hardcourt, Josh Rouse, Ben Folds, The Editors, XTC. I'm also into 60's easy listening and film sound tracks.

I SAW YOUR "BAND-WAGON" SITE. SO I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR QUITE SOMETIME NOW. OTHER THAN THAT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED ACTING OR SINGING OR SOMETHING ELSE?
Bandwagon and my home life keep me busy enough. I do drum with a few artists on one off gigs. It's still fun. I haven't ever considered any other type of performance. If I'm not drumming I will be behind the scenes.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL LIFE...
A partner, Sarah and five kids. Four girls and a boy all under 12. We live in a semi rural location in Hampshire where I grew up. I balance touring with lots of time at home hanging with the family, cooking, dancing and laughing mainly.

OKAY. HERE'S A QUICK ROUND OF RANDOM QUESTIONS.
FAVOURITE FOOD: parsnips
FAVOURITE TV SHOW: Poirot for the classic detail or Midsommer murders.
FAVOURITE CLOTHING BRAND: Oxfam
FAVOURITE MOVIE: Laurence of Arabia
FAVOURITE theaudience TRACK: I got the wherewithal
FAVOURITE theaudience MEMBER: Patrick E D Hannan
IF NOT MUSIC...: Sex or gardening... or both!

THANK YOU SO MUCH PATRICK. ITS BEEN WONDERFUL TALKING TO YOU. WISH YOU THE VERY BEST IN (WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING). HAVE A NICE DAY...............
No, Thankyou.


KERIN'S REPLY TO MY POST (Jun 13, 2006)
Although being in the band seems ages ago now, we're all still in touch with one another (albeit infrequently). Billy I hear from regularly and am often down at his club "Aftershow" in Kentish town. Patch has been very busy and now has his own touring company called Bandwagon. I've used his services and heartily endorse them! Dean's still doing his thing and working in music - as is Nyge who's always impossibly busy with lots of projects and rarely in the country! Sophie and I did some writing and recording together for her new album - and while it was great to see her again and hang out, the tracks we came up with weren't really the direction she needed to go in. I'm intrigued to hear what it's going to sound like - especially the B52s stuff.

Recently, I've been working with an electro band called Knights and also writing and producing the debut record by Nicolai Prowse who was in a band called DoMeBadThings - follow the links on my myspace page and you'll be able to hear some tracks we've done.

theaudience LIVE CONCERT - T in the park

OH MY FUCKING GOSH!!!!!
a theaudience concert surfaced!!
Download here, quick - http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?5nmaj21r5rn

Tracklist:
1. I Know Enough (I Don't Get Enough)
2. If You Can't Do It When You're Young: When Can You Do It?
3. Keep In Touch
4. I Got The Wherewithal
5. A Pessimist Is Never Dissapointed
6. Harry Don't Fetch The Water

I've listened to the gig over 17 times already!! I'm in love with it, truly!! theaudience were a brilliant band. I so wish they'd get back for one more album. Or the bloody second album tracks leak.. Sophie sounds fab!!

I'll upload their live version of "You Get What You Deserve" soon..... oh wow!! This is so bloody amazing!!

EDIT: Download "You Get What You Deserve (Live @ London Astoria)"
http://www.zshare.net/audio/50164220140c6700/