Matters

In late 1997 I had the rare opportunity to speak with the lead singer and guitarist of The Nixons after the success of the hit singles "Sister" and "Wire" from their debut MCA album, Foma.

We spoke about the journey that took six years to get the accurate recognition they richly deserved and what lay ahead with the release of their self-titled 1997 album.

Like so many of my interviews, this is another snapshot in time. Enjoy.

Doing what he was always programmed to do, in April 1998, I got to spend time with Steve Newman, one part of Tanana’s and equally critically acclaimed solo artist.

When we hooked up between SAMA run-ins and new album releases, this time round, we were talking all things retrospectively, Tananas, The Collection, their greatest hits collection. A great giving, humble, gifted human being, listen and learn a little more about the magic-maker behind the music.

Steve has gifted the world with so much fantastic music; some 24-odd years later, it’s our turn to reciprocate in support and love.

In late 1999, I got to chat with John Stevens, the lead singer of Neve, a long-since defunct band, but their story is a wonderful listen to the level that took them from zero to hero in precious little time.

Their breakout single, “It’s All Over”, appeared on the soundtrack to The Faculty, after which they were away.

They lasted two albums before faltering, but their debut, Identify Yourself was fundamental in how they did all the heavy lifting upfront to inform their success for the album under discussion here. Enjoy.

The year was 1997 when I got on the phone with Amersham lead singer Adam Lomas on the eve of their first official full-length album, Wearing Thin.

It was a time of extraordinary possibility and promise; Adam took me through the journey of its creation after the success of their BMG first reveal EP, Pickled.

Enjoy this trip down memory lane about an album filled with clever artwork, phenomenal production, and plenty of happy mistakes.

The best part is that Amersham is still alive and well, some 25 years from when this was first captured. Check out their new music on all good streaming platforms, and you’ll be blown away as we all were when we first heard these wonderful Wombles dropping their genius on us for the first time.

Disclaimer: Excuse the quality of the recording; as with almost all my legacy interviews, I rip them from my ageing analogue cassettes.

Three-and-a-half years into their career, Sugardrive were ready to release their second, high anticipated album, Sand Man Sky.

In September 1997, I had the chance to speak with the band’s lead singer, Paul Flynn, to talk through their journey at a time when South African modern rock was coming into its own.

When we spoke, the band was suffering huge frustration due to their label at the time missing a massive beat.

I loved this interview and am still in love with this band today.

Music that makes people happy in every sense of the word; on 1 October 1997, I had the chance to speak to A Reminiscent Drive’s creator Jay Alanski at the time his Mercy Street album dropped.

Reminiscent Drive was born on the F Communications label, and between 1995 and 2001, four EPs, two albums and remixes were born.

If you are a fan of ambient, electronic music and don’t know Jay’s work, give this interview a listen, and you’ll get to understand how this soundscape artist built an album with not a single computer in sight.

Going through my trunk filled with legacy interviews I captured, I found a few interview CDs for promotional purposes that I thought needed to be heard and not lost in time.

This one is with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, recorded in 1998 on the eve of the two music icons releasing, Walking into Clarksdale.

Again, this is not my interview to claim; I used it to craft a printed editorial at the time, courtesy of Universal Music. I just thought you’d like to hear it before Mother Nature reclaims it.

In October 1997, I had the opportunity to talk to violin prodigy Vanessa-Mae. 1995’s The Violin Player sold more than two million copies by the time Storm arrived. In-between, she released The Classical Album 1 in 1996 and China Girl: The Classical Album 2 just before she delivered Storm, collectively showcasing all the colours of her musical rainbow.  

Her talent and ability to bridge the gap between classical and pop turned her into a worldwide phenomenon. With that, an entirely new audience embraced the violin in a whole new way. Crossover or classical, Vanessa remains curious and keen to push boundaries to this very day.

In June 1998, ten years into a successful career, I got to chat with British singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram. Her debut folk-infused album, Ancient Heart, remained a global classic, thanks to the success of the singles “Twist in My Sobriety” and “Good Tradition”, and five albums later, she poured out The Cappuccino Songs.

Throwing caution to the wind, Tanita wanted to be playful without another restrictive major record company deal. The ten tracks on the record confirm positivity and a fiery pop sensibility and independence fans relish to this day.

Before the turn of the new millennium, I was fortunate enough to spend a few precious minutes with one of dance music’s true pioneers, Carl Cox.

House and techno are where he continues to confirm his mark as a name worthy of attention. In this interview, captured 22-plus years ago, much has changed, but so much remains the same. Deep listen and take the learnings.