Here is a band called Popfish. Not sure where they are from, but do know they were playing and recording around 1987 and 1988. There’s a Soundcloud by them.

The songs have no description either. But there are quite a few. Some are rockier, but then there are the indiepop ones that are really enjoyable. The songs here are: “Man on My Shoulder”, “Baby’s Lost Her Head”, “It’s Up To You”, “Up and Down”, “Black on Eyebrows”, “Two Heads (dub)”,”Drop Me in to Wood”, “Sometimes”, “Sugar Candy Kissing”, “New Song”, “I Don’t Love You”, “The Pixe Song”, “Two Heads (double dub)” and “Man in My Bed.”

There may be even more songs. As there is a request for sharing more songs by them.

Then there are reposts of songs by someone called Philby Dollystone. I doubt that’s really the name of someone. But there is a Soundcloud. Though no more information is available.

If I was to guess I’d say the band was British. But that’s all I can say about them. The information is nonexistent online. It is strange though, for a band that recorded many songs. At least, you’d imagine you’d find from which city/town they were from.

Hoping some readers do remember them, or even better, if the band gets in touch!

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Popfish – The Pixe Song

A bit bittersweet to mention again the superb compilation tape “Everlasting Happiness” that my friend Andreas Hering put together back in 1991 when he was in his hometown of Worms, Germany. That tape is indeed a favourite as it included bands like Nine Steps to Ugly, the Ammonites, Spinning Wheels, The Mayfields, even Shine! who I released a retrospective CD. All of the bands and songs are really good. Many of them I have showcased in the blog. Today I want to write about the very obscure Baldwin’s Casuals who appear last in the tape, the 26th song, the 12th song on the B side.

The song they contributed was “She’s Out of My Mind”. It is an interesting song, it is not upbeat, it is mysterious, it is haunting. Is it a band? Is it just one person? Who would know. Sadly Andreas is not around to ask him. I wonder why I never did. So many questions, so many emails and answers through the years. What knowledge.

The recording is lo-fi. Sounds like a bedroom band of the 80s. Recorded on a 4-track? Possibly. There’s vocals and a guitar. That’s all.

I look for more information. There seems to be a band called Nearly Dan that play Steely Dan covers. But it says they were around in 1995 and played many Steely Dan songs even then. First I can’t see whoever is playing “She’s Out of My Mind” doing Steely Dan covers. Second the timeframe doesn’t match. The compilation tape “Everlasting Happiness” is from 1991. Baldwin’s Casuals would be late 80s or early 90s.

What about the curious name? Yeah I thought about that. It is related to the British TV programme Coronation Street: “Baldwin’s Casuals was a factory on Coronation Street which was in production as a denim factory from 1976 to 1989, when it was demolished for redevelopment work of that side of the street. The property was originally built in 1971 and used as a warehouse, the Mark Brittain Warehouse, but after a fire in 1975, the premises was refurbished and turned into a denim factory once Mike Baldwin, a London businessman bought it. “

Interesting name. Interesting band. I wonder if the band was from Scotland. Andreas loved Scotland, and I wouldn’t be surprised that he found them somehow on a demo tape, or had some connections to them.

Anyone have a clue?

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Baldwin’s Casuals – She’s Out of My Mind

In 2018 the Japanese label Fastcut Records released a much deserved, a much awaited, retrospective of the 90s indiepop band Sunny Gets Blue. This Japanese band formed by  Ryotaro Abe on vocals, piano, guitar and harmonica, Toru Fukuda on guitar, Takashi Togawa on bass and Eiji Miyauchi on drums released just two records back in their day and appeared on many compilations.

The first release I am aware is a split CD with another legendary Japanese band, Sunnychar (who I should write about sometime soon). It was titled “Teenage Speedster on Sunny Monday Morning” and came on a mainly red sleeve with a red race car. On this 13-track CD, 8 of the songs were from Sunny Gets Blue. The first 5 were by Sunnychar.

The tracks by Sunny Gets Blue on this 1994 CD released by Pushbike Records (UFPB-008) were “Vespa 125et3”, “S.S.J.”, “Funny Weekends”, “Girlfriend”, “At the Brilliant Corners”, “Sometimes, I Remember”, “This Feeling (Demo)” and “Vespa 125et3”.

The band would release another record that year, a tape called “Ducks and Drakes”. It came out in the Japanese label Chocolat Art Records (CA-004) and included 6 tracks, 3 on each side. These were “Riding on the Motorcycle”, “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”, “Haven’t We Met”, “Bye Bye Mr. Raindrop”. “Convertible in Almond Blue” and “Hours and Times”.

As mentioned too, the band appeared on many compilations. So in 1993 they appear with “I Go Down to the Sea” on the CD comp “See-See-You, Tomorrow !!” released by Pushbike. That same year, and again on Pushbike, they have the song “In My Heaven – All These Friends and Lovers” on the CD “Happy Day, Happy Time!! Pushbike Compilation Vol. 2”. Lastly their song “Riding on the Motorcycle” appears on the cassette comp “We Don’t Need Another Hero” released by Haarnadel.

In 1994 they have the song “Boy Should Go!” in Pushbike and Chocolat Art co-released CD “The Cacaos Like Hotcakes”. In 1995 they have “Les Adventuriers” on “Fancy Fantasy! Gian-Robot Compilation Vol.2” released by Giant-Robot Records and also the track “At The Brilliant Corners” on the Pushbike comp “Good Thing Goin’ Pushbike Compilation Vol. 4”.

1996 has “Riding on the Motorcycle” on “Cherries and Sunny Days” an Italian compilation tape released by Shiny Sunset.

Then much closer to these days, in 2007 they have “At The Brilliant Corners” on the four-CD compilation “Love Flowers: Under Flower Nation 15th Anniversary Compilation” released by Under Flower Records (this was the parent label of Pushbike). And then in 2022 Testcard Records included their song “Haven’t We Met” on “Under Flower Fes Compilation”.

As mentioned Fastcut made a compilation of their songs. One that included a CD and a 7″. The good thing is that the songs on the 7″ are on the CD. I really dislike when that is not the case. The compilation was called “At the Brilliant Corners” and had the catalog number FCEP-026.

The tracks on the record were: “S.S.J.”, “Funny Weekends”, “Girlfriend”, “At the Brilliant Corners”, “Sometimes, I Remember”, “This Feeling (Demo)”, “Boy Should Go!”, “I Go Down to the Sea”, “Marinegirl”, “Riding on the Motorcycle”, “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”, “Haven’t We Met”, “Bye Bye Mr. Raindrop”, “Convertible in Almond Blue” and “Hours and Times”.

Looking for more info, I figure out that their name probably comes from a famous pop and jazz standard called “When Sunny Gets Blue” that was first recorded by Johnny Mathis in 1956.

The one other cool thing that I fund was this video of Ryotaro at the Neo Acoustic Pavilion vol. 44 about a year ago, on August 3 of 2025. Here he DJed and also played a mini live setlist where he played two Sunny Gets Blue songs, “Back to You” and “This Feeling” as well as a cover of “Big Bad Bingo” by Flipper’s Guitar.

Very cool! Hope we get to learn more about this classic band!!

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Sunny Gets Blue – Riding on the Motorcycle

Probably named after Monsieur and Madame Verdurin, the prominent bourgeois couple and salon hosts, from Marcel Proust’s novel In Search of Lost Time, Verdurin only released one 7″ as a band. Which is a shame.

The band formed by Olivier Roussilhe on vocals, guitar, bass and keys, Emmanuel Fillon on drums and Sophie Mercier on flute, released “Sur La Moquette” 7″ in 1997 on the French label Plastic Pancake (Plastic Pancake 003). This record had just three songs, “Sur La Moquette” on the A side and “Mademoiselle De Ponsac” and “Dans un Pouf” on the B side. The songs were recorded by Benoit Cubaynes.

Plastic Pancake of course being the label of Pierre-Antoine Delpino, someone I used to see a lot at Indietracks, back in the day…

I have to look of course who is Mademoiselle de Ponsac. There doesn’t seem to be one. There’s one de Polignac. Is there a town Ponsac then? There isn’t. there exists an ancient medieval town and commune in the Haute-Vienne department called Châteauponsac which historically was called Ponsac-la-Montagne. Could that be?

We also know that Olivier was previously in a band called Lol that reeleased an EP in 1994 called “Gombrowicz EP”. Would love to hear this one. The other two members don’t seem to have any other bands listed on Discogs.

On the blog there is one mention of Olivier, on the interview I did with Fabien Garcia about his old band Caramel. He mentions Olivier recorded their first demo.

I find a blog post from 2024 on the blog Haar Brut. Here the cover art is discussed, if it is a screen capture of Olivier Assayas’ film Irma Vep. That Jean-Pierre Léaud and maybe Maggie Cheung are pictured.

We also learn that the band hailed from Toulouse. How cool. I really liked this city when I visited it last year.

And that’s really all I could find about them. Anyone remembers them? Are there more songs recorded? Did they play live much? Who’d know!

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Verdurin – Sur la Moquette

Spalding Rockwell Gray (June 5, 1941 – c. January 11, 2004) was an American actor and writer. He is best known for driving autobiographical monologues that he wrote and performed for theater in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as for his film adaptations of these works, beginning in 1987. He wrote and starred in several films, working with different directors.

Theater critics John Willis and Ben Hodges called Gray’s monologues “trenchant, personal narratives delivered on sparse, unadorned sets with a dry, WASP, quiet mania.” Gray achieved renown for his monologue Swimming to Cambodia, which he adapted as a 1987 film in which he starred; it was directed by Jonathan Demme. Other of his monologues that he adapted for film were Monster in a Box (1991), directed by Nick Broomfield, and Gray’s Anatomy (1996), directed by Steven Soderbergh.

Gray died by suicide at the age of 62 after jumping into New York Harbor on January 11, 2004. He had been struggling with depression and severe injuries following a car accident. Soderbergh made a documentary film about Gray’s life, And Everything Is Going Fine (2010). An unfinished monologue and a selection from his journals were published in 2005 and 2011, respectively.

This post is not about the actor, even though I’m using his photo. The post is about a band that took their name from the actor. It was called Spalding’s Grey. They modified the last name. Added an apostrophe. But who was behind this band? To me this is a big mystery.

I want to think the band dates from the mid late 80s. Or most possibly the early 90s. That’s where I place their sound. I’ve only heard the one song and is called “100 Years No One Noticed”. And it is premonitory. No one has noticed the band. It has flown under the radar and there’s nothing online about them.

Were they British? I want to think yes. It sounds to me British. But I can’t confirm. There are more questions than answers. So I hope someone remembers anything about then, any details, and I can start understanding a bit more this band.

EDIT: seems I got it all wrong, and they are not from the U.K. or the the 80-90s. But still, don’t know anything else by them. There is another very nice song online now called “Tell Time” for what is worth.

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Spalding’s Grey – 100 Years Not One Noticed

Tokidoki, the boy/girl duo formed by Nora O’Conner and Peter Schaefer, first release came in 1996. I didn’t know that. I was always only aware of their 2000 self-titled album on Sunday Records. I guess I should do my homework and do a little digging about them.

As mentioned, they released a 7″ EP in 1996 on the label Tiny Shoes Records. It was the first release on this label. The label was to release a 2nd record the year after by the English band The Pictures. I haven’t heard it. And I didn’t know about this label. The 90s are still a bit unknown to me.

The 7″ the band released was titled “Margie’s Candies” and included 5 songs, “Perfect New Love Song” and “Cookie Cutter” on the A side and “Girl Friend”, “Bored and Angry” and “Anymore” on the B side. Dave Knapik recorded the songs at WNUR-FM in December of 1995. I think he was behind the label too.

The band was to release a 2nd 7″. This time on the legendary Harriet Records. It was the “News Days” single (Harriet 041) that came out in 1997. The title song “News Days” was on the A side and “Sock Hop” and “The Goldfish Song” were on the flipside. This time the songs were recorded on a four-track in December of 1996 by Mike Kirts from the band Hooker OK.

In the year 2000 the band appears on the compilation “Sunny Sunday Smile Volume 2” (Sunday880) with the tracks “Pointless” and “Ira Robbins”.  I google Ira Robins, it seems this is a professor at Washington College of Law. Does that make sense? There is another Ira Robbins who is an artist and graphic designer. Maybe he’s the one the song is about? Or most probably Ira Robbins the editor and publisher of Trouser Press?

The album Tokidoki comes in the year 2000 with catalog number Sunday 895. It is a co-release, didn’t know that. Sky Blue Records is the other label involved (catalog Sky Blue 002). The songs are again recorded by Mike Kirts, and this time mixed by Jeff Boyd. The album has 12 songs, “Julie”, “Office Romance”, “New Quiet Song”, “Hairspray”, “Oranges in Paris”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Waiting for Ida”, “A Gentle Approach”, “Shirt Sleeves”, “You’re the One”, “50 Seconds” and “Dreamsongs”.

All of the album is available to listen on Sunday Records Bandcamp. This is great. What’s even better is that there is a bio for the band!

I believe this bio is written by Peter. He mentions being friends for years before forming the band. That they lived at the same dorm at college and worked at the college radio station. There they discovered indiepop. Previously Peter was in a punk-pop band called Remy while Nora played in Not Without My Daughter.

It mentions that the band first gig coincided with the release of their first 7″.  They played in a club in Chicago called Metro and opened for Sleater Kinney. Then they would open for the Apples in Stereo and Ida and play often in a club called the Lounge Ax everytime an indiepop band was visiting town.

Nora contributed vocals on the first Aden album. After starting their relationship with Harriet Records they were able to play in NYC, Boston, New Haven and more. There they shared gigs with The Receptionists, The Musical Chairs an Pest 5000.

Afterwards Nora moved to NYC, the band tried to keep playing, Peter flying to NYC and doing some gigs. But this didn’t continue for long and the band went to hiatus.

And what happened after? Not sure. I did find that the music from Remy, Peter’s old band, was reissued in 2018 by Carpark Records.

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Tokidoki – Office Romance

Amber is a band I know very little about. I found about them on an Instagram post by an account called diversesvenkst and got me curious. Then I notice the great David Chalé had posted one of their songs, “Yatzy”, on Youtube and well, it is time then too try to find any details we can.

The band hailed from Malmö, a city I visited once and which I hope I return some day. Good times. Not sure which period they were active, but in 1996 they put out a demo tape called “A Face in the Crowd”.

This tape had three songs: “Yatzy”, “A Face in the Crowd” and “Wednesday”. The songs were recorded at Yellowman Studios and were produced by Harri Koljonen and Thomas Lundberg. The art is credited to Jörgen Simonsson.

We get the lineup of the band on the cassette sleeve, Fredrik Billquist on guitar and vocals, Thomas Lundberg on piano and organ, Jörgen Simonsson on drums and trumpet and Henri Thörn on bass.

The tape also has some contact info. It seems Henri is the person to be contacted as his address is listed. It is very close to the old town, just across the Rörsjökanalen, close to the Museum of Modern Art.

I look for the band members. I see that there is a Fredrik Billquist in Malmö that is the property manager of the Malmö Opera. Is it the same person?

I can’t find any other details about this band. I definitely would like to find more details about them, and listen to the rest of the tape. Any help will be appreciated!

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Amber – Yatzy

Kumla is a locality and the seat of Kumla Municipality, Örebro County, Sweden with a population of 21,640 as of 2018. The name Kumla is renowned for its prison (“the Kumla Institution”, or Kumlaanstalten, commonly known as ‘The Bunker’), which is the largest prison in the country.

I don’t think I’ve ever written about a band of this small town in Sweden. A small town not only known for its prison but also for being an important shoe manufacturing town in the past. They even have a Shoe Industry Museum. It is in this town that there used to be a very fine shoegaze band called Swoon.

Swoon started in the mid-90s. I believe they were previously called Shallow (due to a Catherine Wheel song as well as “Only Shallow” by My Bloody Valentine). The band was influenced by those sounds, which is interesting for sure, I don’t know many Swedish shoegaze bands.

They were formed by John Hård on guitar, Staffan Ljunggren on drums and Ola Ljunggren on vocals and bass. The last two were brothers.

They were all originally from Kumla, but these days they all live either in Uppsala or Stockholm.

As a band they released a cassette tape titled “Goodsign” in 1997. I have very little info about it. There are four songs, “Goodsign”, “Cerebral”, “Aquanaut” and “To Break My Heart”. The same songs are on both sides of the tape.

In 2001 there is a CD EP titled “Slipstream” with the songs “Moving Out”, “Slipstream”, “Up My Sleeve”, “In Time”, “Cave Painter” and “Part of You”. Two years later, 2003, there is the “Encore EP” CD. This one had the songs “Letting it Out”, “All the Answers”, “Walk” and “Encore”.

These three releases have no label. All self-released.

In 2005 they put out another CD EP. This one is called “Jetglo” and includes mainly songs from the past, “Encore”, “Slipstream”, “All the Answers” and “Moving About”. This time we see a label in the CD, Kitty Litter Records (KLRCD001). This was the label of Darijo Berkes who would later release Mr. Suitcase. We also see some extra credits, for example the artwork was done by Bengt Wallman, and the songs were engineered by Erik Danielsson and Robin Spurrier (from South Ambulance).

Lastly in 2006 the band releases the “Everlast” CDR EP on Kitty Litter (KLR003). This one has all the same credits, same engineers and all. The songs were “Feels Like Me”, “Goodsign”, “Part of You” and “Time and Time Again”.

The last two EPs are on this Soundcloud account. There are also two other songs, “More or Less” and “Flight” which were released in 2015.

It is also worth noting that their song “To Break My Heart” was included in the compilation “Clairerecords Presents Solutions & Remedies” (FERN 2) released in 1998 by Clairerecords.

Looking at any other band involvement of the band members, it looks like Staffan played in a ban called Trummor & Orgel releasing quite a few records.

I keep searching and find a post on Blaskoteket dating from March 1997. It looks like it is around this time that the band changed their name from Shallow to Swoon. Here we learn too that Ola was studying molecular biotechnology in Uppsala, and that Steffan moved to Stockholm.

We also find out that Ola had previously been in a band called The Williams (are there any releases? recordings?). They were very young then in 1997. Very early 20s. They loved My Bloody Valentine, Pale Saints and Chapterhouse. They liked The Smiths as well. Their favourite Swedish band at that time? Aquadays. Very cool.

It seems the “Cerebral” tape is their 2nd demo. Their first demo was called “Shallow. Not sure what songs were included. Also it is mentioned that in April 1996 they appeared on a compilation from a label called Rape-Cake-Records called “No.4”. The song they contributed was called “Monologue”.

“Cerebral” was originally pressed as a 100 copies edition tape and later they pressed another batch of 200. Not bad at all.

Interesting story. I’d definitely like to learn more about them. Did they play live much? Would be great to find out. Anyone remembers them?

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Listen
Swoon – Feels Like Me

When I did a few CDRs called The Sound of Young Java, I had considered calling the series The Sound of Young Bandung. The impressive amount of quality bands coming from that city in Indonesia has always surprised me. How come they produce that? I must visit Bandung some day. I hope. And try to answer that question.

In the meantime I thought about showcasing a band that deserves more love, Clubwater. When they were around it was way past the days I was releasing CDRs. Also way past the time I was in touch with many people involved in the Indonesian pop scene. So I missed them out. I did write about their self-titled CDR release on Shiny Happy Records back in 2021. This is what I said: “8 poppy songs coming from Bandung, Indonesia. Jangly, Smith-sy, I am enjoying their chiming guitars. The self-titled 8 song album will be out on February 14. It is coming out on tape on the veritable Shiny Happy Records! Three songs are available to preview, “Adult Angst”, “Secret Smile” and “Regret”. Enjoying all three! Looking forward to hearing the rest.”

All songs are available to stream on their label’s Bandcamp these days. The CDR is long sold out. The songs on this release were “Adult Angst”, “Secret Smile”, “Harmony of the Sea”, “Happiness”, “You”, “Regret”, “Lonesome Song” and “Half Hearted”, this last one a cover of the mighty Brighter.

Indeed, the band has been compared to Brighter, to the Field Mice , and other Sarah bands.

The band was formed by Muhammad Febri Hendarsyah on vocals and bass, Rega Zulhan Vocalian on guitar, Sendy Suberkah on guitar and Indra Maryoga on drums. All original songs of the band were written by Febri, with the exception of “Regret” that was penned by both Febri and someone called Ferdical. The songs were recorded by Irsyad Ali Sofi who owns and operates the Teargaslab Studio in Bandung.

The CDR came with liner notes from Tiok from The Sensitive and Heavenpunks. It mentions featuring the band on a fanzine called Letskissasecret. It mentions that he always wanted to compile the bands songs.

I have this feeling this CDR may be a compilation actually of all their records. Why? Because the band released a CDR on Shiny Happy Records (SHR 24) 7 years earlier, in 2014. This CDR was a mini 3″ one. Just like the ones I used to release. It included the songs “Happiness” and “You”. So to me, it makes sense the band was active during that time, in the mid 2010s and not in the 2020s.

Searching for more info, there’s a Soundcloud by the band, but only two songs are online, the same ones as their first release. They date from 12 years ago.

More recently Chaotic Pop Records from Tangerang, Indonesian, decided to include the song “Secret Smile” on a compilation CDR called “A Chaotic Pop Records Compilation – I Know It’s Only a CDr Release, But I Love It!” (Chaotic 6). This one came out in 2023 and featured many great Indonesian bands.

And then I notice the band has two different Instagram accounts. The newest one says the band is still active. That they have signed to Untune Record. I check. I see then that the band released a cassette last year, 2025. It has 10 songs: “Adult Angst”, “Secret Smile (Extended Version)”, “Harmony of the Seas”, “Happiness”, “You”, “Regret”, “Lonesome Song Feat. Candissa”, “Half Hearted (Brighter)”. “You (Single version)” and “Something Good (Bonus Track)”.

It says that this release is a reissue album actually with extra songs. Different artwork too.

Looking at this account I notice the band played a few weeks ago, on June 13, the Jakarta Popfest 2026.

So yea, the band is back. And I’m writing them a post about their story. And clearly this time around the story is not fully written. There are more pages to be written.

I would still love to learn more about Clubwater. Their music is fantastic, and I’d definitely would love more information about them, their band members, their songs, their gigs and more.

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Clubwater – Happiness

Thanks so much to Julie for the interview! I’ve always been very curious about The Crimson Mints. I have heard one of their songs, “Makes Me Want To”, that appeared on the compilation “Positively Teenage” that came with the This Almighty Pop! fanzine back in the day. I thought it was brilliant. So I wrote about the band, the few details I knew at the time, on the blog. During the years I’ve tried to interview the band members and find more information. Happily Julie, the band main songwriter and musician, got in touch not too long ago and was keen to answer some of my questions! So without further ado, please discover one of Newcastle’s best kept secrets!

++ Hi Julie! Thanks so much for being up for this interview! How are you? Are you still involved with music?

Yes, I am still involved with music having just recorded an unplugged album called What’s Not Said, which is available via my website: jgrant.info

++ I’ve been searching for info about the Crimson Mints for a long time! I only know one song and I think it is fantastic! So thanks for the opportunity to learn more about the band. But something that caught my attention when checking your bio is that Island Records wanted to sign you and change your image. What’s the story behind that? When did that happen? And what kind of image did they want from you?

Island Records were interested in me in 1989 after I sent a demo to the A&R department which they liked. They were interested in me but did not want the band. I was very much into staying within a fixed unit rather than being a solo artist, which at the time, was not fashionable like it is now! They suggested I would be more sellable if I grew my hair and wore a dress! They hadn’t listened to the lyrics properly! I refused to leave the band and my authenticity behind.

++ You are working on a new album to be released this year. Care to tell me a bit more about it? Do you have a title yet? How many songs? What can people expect from it?

The new album What’s Not Said consists of ten songs written and recorded Jan-June this year. There is a track on there I wrote about the Island Records episode and the BBC (who are now just as bad) called I Am Not Her. It is a backlash against what they think a female artist should look like. Also on the album is our version of The Cranberries ‘No Need to Argue’ as a nod to them who I toured with in the early nineties. All the songs except the Cranberries one are original and written by me and Peter Collard, who plays guitar.

++ You are currently writing a memoir titled “The Gatecrasher”. What periods of your life will you cover in it? Will it include your time in the Crimson Mints? 

The Gatecrasher is ten chapters of events from my life that I have chosen to write about. The ten songs on the new album are relevant to the ten chapters. The Mints will be mentioned as they were the first band that I put together and those songs were the first ones I wrote and sung.

++ Let’s go back in time. What are your first music memories? Do you remember what your first instrument was? How did you learn to play it? What sort of music did you listen to at home while growing up?

The first music I listened to were singers. Crooners. Englebert Humperdinck, Sacha Distel, Matt Monro. They were played on a radiogram in a neighbour’s house. She used to blast them out whilst doing her housework. This was back in the late 60’s. The first bands I listened to were: Rod Stewart and the Faces, Roy Wood, T Rex. Then The Jam who I saw several times. They made me want to be in a band.

++ Had you been in other bands before Crimson Mints? Or was it your first one?

Prior to the Mints I had been a drummer in a punk band but always wanted to write. Publication date TBA as it’s far more time consuming than a 3-minute tune!

++ What about the other band members? Were they in other bands too?

As for the rest of The Mints, I have no idea if they were in other bands prior to working with me.

++ Where were you all from originally?

We all came from Newcastle which was a particularly good place at the time for bands.

++ How was Newcastle at the time of Crimson Mints? Were there any bands that you liked? Were there any good record stores? Or what about the pubs or venues to go check out up and coming bands?

There was a lively scene and the only way people got to hear you was to come and see you. No bedroom streaming, or excuses because you are too lazy to go out. At gigs I would sell our cassettes and t- shirts. The Evening Chronicle Newspaper was very supportive. There was a brilliant journalist called Peter Kinghorn who would feature us almost every week and review our songs. There were magazines such as: Paint It Red and Guru, who too, were incredibly into what I was doing. The venues were better too back then. There was The Broken Doll where you could do two nights in a row quite easily as people always went to listen to the bands. The atmosphere was alive and there were no phones or television screens. In the early nineties there was  Riverside which hosted early gigs from Oasis and other bands from the Britpop era and that’s when I ended up working under my own name as I had become recognisable artist and was known. Gigs would get booked under my name by promoters. It was not my intention to do that, it just happened.

++ What were your favourite bands in your area at the time? Was there any that you think deserved more attention, that should have been bigger?

My fav band of that era from Newcastle were called The Nivens. They should have done much more.

++ How was the band put together? How was the recruiting process?

I got them through placing an advert in a local music shop in the city.

++ Was there any lineup changes in the band?

Going back to The Mints, there were a few line up changes as is typical with musicians who are not as serious about getting somewhere as you are resulting in the more you do the less they want to do which makes continuing with that particular line up impossible.

The worst scenario is when they leave knowing you have things planned but do not see the gigs or recordings out, meaning everything gets cancelled and you are left as the one explaining why.

++ How was the creative process for you? Where did you usually practice?

As with every song I write, the music comes first. Usually, I work with a guitarist. The rhythm goes down first then a bridge then the refrain. Then I write the vocal melody and lyrics on top. In the Mints I wrote some of those tracks (inc Makes Me Want To) totally by myself on an old guitar I bought cheap from a second-hand music shop. Other tracks the guitarist bashed out some riffs then we knocked it into a song once the lyrics were added. All the songs I have written post Mints have been co- written with whichever guitarist I was working with. Good guitarists are hard to find. There are lots of them about but it’s the most difficult role to fill believe it or not. Some just want to do solos or shredding and totally kill any melody that is supposed to be heard  alongside.

We rehearsed in any rehearsal room in Newcastle where we could get a space as they were always full!

++ When recording the Crimson Mints songs, where did you record them? Did you use a professional studio? A producer?

As for recording, we did some stuff on a 4 track hence the not so perfect sound.

++ And why did the band have no proper releases? An album? Some singles? Was there no interest from labels? Or did you consider self-releasing?

Nothing was released officially as in a proper single as it was down to cost. It was not easy to record then and as I have previously said, Island just wanted me, or they would have funded an album.

++ My favourite song of yours is “Makes Me Want To”, wondering if you could tell me what inspired this song? What’s the story behind it?

The track “Makes Me Want To” had a great rhythm and refrain and is probably my fav Mints song out of them all. It’s written about the hypocrisy of the human race and is being sarcastic!

Maybe I should record Makes Me Want To again, only a better version!

++ What were the best gigs that you remember? Any anecdotes you can share?

As for gigs, the best gig I ever played was at The Cooperage in Newcastle in 1989. We were on with Hugh from The Housemartins new band, The Penny Candles.

++ Were any of you involved in any other projects afterwards? I read you played with Sinead O’Connor? How did that happen?

Music was my life and I never wanted to do anything else which is why I continued and then advertised for new musicians and had my most successful career in the Britpop era, performing on television, recording sessions for BBC radio and singing with Sinead O’Connor. I was also in the national music press. There is footage of my appearance on East Coast Main Line in 1995 where we sung a band track and an acoustic track. I also appeared on BBC local television and Tyne Tees.

In the late 90’s I began working in the theatre on the production side and then I went on to work in television writing for BBC serial drama EastEnders.

++ What about fanzines?

I am not sure if any tracks made it on to flexi pop via fanzines. I can’t remember!

++ Looking back in retrospect, what would you say was the biggest highlight for the band?

The biggest highlight for me is doing television as you reach so many people.

++ And aside from music, what other hobbies do you have?

Apart from music I like photography, looking after my rescue Greyhound, Bonny, an ex-racer, and writing, books, prose, or reviews.

++ Never been to Newcastle, so want to ask a local. What do you suggest checking out in your town, like what are the sights one shouldn’t miss? Or the traditional food or drinks that you love that I should try?

As for Newcastle, it has changed dramatically. The vibe is no longer there like it was. The best venue, by far, is The Globe, on Railway Street, in the city centre. People’s not attend gigs like they did. They still go but there’s no excitement anymore they’ve already heard you by streaming whereas before, they’d go and hear the new stuff for the first time. Suddenly everyone is recording as it’s easy to do it now at home, so the whole experience is dampened down somewhat. Plus, with the lack of good venues it’s not as enjoyable from the performance side. The Globe, as I said, is great though. There is a proper stage, and you are always made to feel welcome. I don’t play that much these days due to ongoing health problems. I would play though if it were at a good venue with a decent promoter and a compatible support or headline artist.

Newcastle City is good if you are young and like the night life. It’s full of bars and restaurants and is only a 15 min drive to the beach. As for local delicacy, I’d say toast a stottie cake! Add butter. That’s it! There are lots of different cuisines here to try that you’d get in any city in the UK. My tastes are simple and plain, so I’d stick to fruit and yoghurt regardless of where I was!

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Listen
Crimson Mints – Makes Me Want To