Who would've guessed in 1985, when a little known meat plant worker named Andy Bell responded to a newspaper ad for a singer that it would be for the established musician, songwriter, remixer, DJ and producer Vince Clarke? Together they would form the pioneering powerhouse Erasure and more than 25 years later, the pair continues to evolve and influence, selling more than 25 million albums worldwide.
The award-winning duo of Clarke and Bell unleashed on the nation a succession of both influential and chart-topping pop anthems of the â┚¬Ëœ80s, â┚¬Ëœ90s through to today. Songs like â┚¬Å”A Little Respect,â┚¬Â Ã¢â”šÂ¬Ã…”Sometimes,â┚¬Â Ã¢â”šÂ¬Ã…”Victim Of Love,â┚¬Â Ã¢â”šÂ¬Ã…”Ship Of Fools,â┚¬Â Ã¢â”šÂ¬Ã…”Chains Of Love,â┚¬Â Ã¢â”šÂ¬Ã…”Who Needs Love (Like That),â┚¬Â Ã¢â”šÂ¬Ã…”Love To Hate You,â┚¬Â Ã¢â”šÂ¬Ã…”Drama!,â┚¬Â Ã¢â”šÂ¬Ã…”Alwaysâ┚¬Â and â┚¬Å”Breathe,â┚¬Â ensured a formidable presence on the singles charts complemented by five consecutive No. 1 albums including The Innocents, Wild!, Chorus and Abba-esque.
Four years after their last album, Light at the End of the World, Erasure returns with a vengeance, kicking off their U.S. tour Aug. 31 at The Ritz Ybor in Tampa and then heading to House of Blues in Orlando Sept. 2.
In the interim, both have worked on solo projects. In 2008, Clarke reunited with Alison Moyet to reform Yazoo for a series of live dates to celebrate 25 years since the duo’s split. 2010 marked the release of Bell's second solo album, Non-Stop.
The signature sound Erasure championed is more relevant today than ever, and once again dominating the global music scene as proven by such acts as David Guetta and LaRoux. Produced by Frankmusik, whose production credits include Lady Gaga, Pet Shop Boys and Ellie Goulding, Tomorrow's World is an angst-filled futuristic, electronic journey.
A lot has happened since we last spoke to frontman Andy Bell last summer. Since his performance at The Honey Pot in Tampa on July 4, 2010, during the Third Annual GaYbor Days celebration, Bell has been dating Florida Entertainment Group partner Steve Moss.
We caught up with the musician, who splits his time between London and Tampa, to discuss his new outlook on life, Tomorrow's World and possible retirement.
WATERMARK: How has it been touring together after four years? Was it something you had to get back into the groove with?
ANDY BELL: Yea, you kind of get back into the groove. We just had our third show here in South America. We’ve done 12 here so far, then we go back to Tampa to get ready to turn the show around for the Tomorrow’s World Tour. We had a week break between the UK gig and this one. It’s nice to have a break because it helps give you a little momentum.
Tell me more about the U.S. tour for Tomorrow's World.
It’s really lovely. We have more of a budget. We’ve got a post-apocalyptic stage set. We made it so you can’t place it in any time period. We’ll do like six songs from the new album and then the usual standards.
What made you want to work with Frankmusik? What did he add to the already successful repertoire that you and Vince have created?
The collaboration came about because of being suggested by the fans actually. He’s also a big fan of Erasure. Frank’s really brilliant and his musicality is quite fantastic! It was great working with him in the studio. I think he made us sound very up-to-date. He uses lots of compression on the vocals, so it was quite different for me singing-wise because I had to sing really, really loud to compete with the music.
I see that you'll be starting the US tour at The Ritz in Tampa, which is next door to The Honey Pot, which is managed by your partner, Steve Moss. How is that going?
Lovely! It's been over a year. I feel like I’ve been given a whole new lease on life. There are all sorts of things I need to sort out so I can start my new life.
Has it been difficult making the relationship work with your busy schedule?
There are lots of things going on in London. The record company is there. So, I've had to be there while making the album and also getting ready for this tour. We won’t be done until February of next year and then hopefully I can take a big break and spend some time out there and get settled in.
Erasure is best known for synth-pop anthems chock-full of hedonism and heartache. What story are you telling with Tomorrow's World?
Of course more of that but more angry. For example, [one of the tracks,] “I Lose Myself” is a Dead or Alive type disco song, which basically says â┚¬ËœI’m sick and tired.' Sick and tired of feeling like you’re banging your head against a wall fighting for gay rights all the time and getting thwarted at every angle by all these right wing people. You want to say, â┚¬Ëœwhy don’t you just give us a break.' After all this time, you just get sick of it after awhile.
The last time we spoke, you voiced your distaste for reality television. So, I was pleasantly surprised to see that you recently did a stint on the UK show Pop Star to Opera Star. How challenging was that?
I thought I was going to win hands down, but unfortunately, it was less about opera and more about a popularity contest. I thought it’d be more about learning about opera but it was about personalities. It was a lot of fun but it was hard work, especially doing the tour and doing that. I was flying back and forth for rehearsals. I thought it was going to be a walk in the park but it wasn’t. [By the end,] I was absolutely frazzled. My brain was fried. It put me off on those kinds of shows. I’m not a TV personality type person. The worse part about it was that I was really open and honest and [apparently] you can’t be like that.
What? You're not allowed to be real on a reality show? So, have ever thought about being a judge on one of those music shows, like American Idol?
I was asked to be a judge on the Ukraine show Pop Idol but I haven’t got time at the moment. Although, since I’m so sure of what I do myself, I think I’d be too harsh judging people. Or I might go the other way and end up being too nice.
Erasure pretty much created the synth-pop sound in the 1980s and 1990s. Today's music is more electronically-infused; how do you feel about being a pioneer?
I’m quite surprised really. We’ve been working for a long time and it seems like we were out of fashion for a long time. So, you kind of have to just wait for the right time to come back and then you’re the flavor of the moment again. I guess we’ll just enjoy it while it lasts. You have to work hard and be in it for the long haul to make any kind of lasting impression.
Did you think you'd still be working with Vince and recording 25 years later?
It seems like it’s gone in a whisper. It’s gone so quickly and I can’t believe how much we’ve done. I’m very proud that I met someone like Vince and that I’ve been able to work with him through thick and thin.
What do you have planned for the next 25 years?
I’m probably going to retire. [Laughs] I am going through a Liza Minelli phase with my clothes. Maybe I’ll do a one-man show in Vegas or something.
S + H:
WHO: Erasure
WHERE + WHEN: The Ritz Ybor, Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 8 p.m. and House of Blues in Orlando on Friday, Sept. 2, at 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS: Ticketmaster.com
