Lush – Split (1994)
Interview to Emma Anderson and Philip King by Diego Centurion (for The 13th Magazine)
With the arrival of June 2014, came the twentieth anniversary of the release of the second álbum. The band has managed to merge brilliantly, dream pop and shoegaze; Lush with heir “Split”. Published on June 13, 1994, those years the “World of Music” was left dazzled by the Britpop and the Grunge across the Atlantic; this album provides a marked shift in the sound of the band, a pure, clean sound, is clearly a step forward in the way they write their songs, role that both composers, Miki and Emma share only one song, role that both composers, Miki and Emma share only one song, “Starlust”. Today we have the words of Emma Anderson (vocals y guitars) and Philip King (bass), they tell us a little about the album. How long have you not heard “Split”? Philip: I haven’t heard the full album ‘Split’ in a long. At least not this century.
Emma: I listened to some of it recently. Some of it I really like, some of it not so much, but I think that’s normal. How was it working this album on 4AD? Philip: It was good as they left us well alone to get on with it. Unlike how I imagine it would have been on a major label. They would probably have dropped us after ‘Split too as it didn’t sell particularly well. Emma: It was great being on 4AD and they were very supportive all the time. Mike Hedges as producer was Ivo’s idea. He thought Mike would suit us well because of his work with The Banshees and The Cure. However, I think the label became annoyed at the length of time and the amount of money ‘Split’ was taking and costing but then so did we. I do know that ’Split’ was Ivo’s favorite Lush album. It didn’t sell as well as the others but luckily Ivo didn’t care about that! He was into the music primarily. How much influence have at the sound of the album, that you are producers in their own album? Philip: Well we always obviously picked producers that we thought would be sympathetic to our sound and then left them to it. We originally asked Bob Mould but he just wanted to do an EP. There was talk of John Paul Jones for a while and drummer/producer Fred Maher. Then Mike Hedges was mentioned and we liked the fact he had worked with The Cure and Siouxsie & The Banshees. It was recorded at various recording
studios. How was the recording process? Philip: Well pretty much all the recording was done at Rockfield studios in Wales – which was a residential studio - and the strings were recorded at Abbey Road Studios. The album was mixed at producer Mike Hedges place in France on his old Abbey Road mixing desk. Unfortunately we weren’t happy with how it sounded – very flat – so we got Alan Moulder to remix it in London. He saved the day. Emma: Yes, we started at Rockfield, Wales, and the main bulk of the album was done there. That was OK but I personally didn’t like being in a residential studio. I like to go home after recording and sleep in my own bed! Then some of it was done in Abbey Road, London and some (mainly the strings) in a studio in Sussex with someone that Mike knew. After that, we went to Mike’s studio in France to mix it but it didn’t sound right so we had to go back and mix it again with Alan Moulder in London. “Split” features string arrangements performed by Audrey Riley y Martin McCarrick, in songs “Light From A Dead Star”, “Desire Lines”, “Never-Never” and “When I Die”. How were the recording sessions of strings? Because the result is simply beautiful. Philip: I wasn’t at the recording of the string for the songs at Abbey Road. Emma: Mike Hedges had worked extensively with strings before (string recording is one of his strengths) and Audrey and Martin were his contacts. Yes, it was a new experience for Lush and I, for one, was a bit fascinated by it…these talented arrangers taking our songs away and adding such beautiful parts to them was amazing. It was quite spine-tingling
watching the strings being recorded. To the arrangers and players though - it’s just another job! Actually, that’s not fair…they really enjoyed it too, I think. I am still in touch with Audrey and Martin too. They were good collaborations and worked out well. Can you tell us something about some songs on the album? Emma: I can’t remember much about the recording at all - sorry. (It was 20 years ago). I do remember Dave Edmunds and Cozy Powell visiting the studio though (not us - just the studio). I also remember us doing a Breughel jigsaw. The Stone Roses were also at Rockfield doing some recording and I went to a Charlatans party at the studio they were at (very near ours). As for the compositions - well I can tell you what my songs are about. ‘Lovelife’ is about London and how I loved it and would never leave (that didn’t turn out to be true - I live in Hastings now). ‘Desire Lines’ was about someone (a man) I liked! ‘The Invisible Man’ was about this strange and frightening sensation I used to get where I was in a half-awake and halfasleep mode and it was like someone was lying on top of me and I couldn’t breathe. It was very scary and I used it get it quite often but I don’t anymore (thank God). ‘Lit Up’ was about telling someone who is down to cheer up and not be so sad. Things will get better. ‘When I Die’ was about my father who died in 1992. I can’t remember what ‘Blackout’ and ‘NeverNever’ were about. I have just looked at ‘Never-Never and I have no idea! Miki wrote the other lyrics. Music-wise, the sings were written in the traditional Lush method - either by
myself or Miki in our homes and then presented to the band. Whoever wrote each song would write every single part - bass, guitars, backing vocals lead vocals etc etc. We didn’t ‘jam’ as a band. Philip: “Light From A Dead Star”. This is one of the rare occasions where the song started from a jam in rehearsals. Miki played the opening chord and I did the descending bass line. She then went home and wrote the song and added the next section. “The Invisible Man”. Emma didn’t have a bass line for this song so asked me to write one. Chris said it made it sound like Theatre Of Hate! “Never-Never”. Emma asked me write the bassline for the end sequence of this. I remember in those years in Argentina was very difficult to get original copies of disks which were published in Uk and USA, but we managed to get recorded cassettes. And I remember when I got to “Split”. I got home, I heard from start to finish, and I was amazed. How do you feel today, in this 2014, the sound of the album? Philip: It still sounds very fresh and modern I think. Emma: It’s funny that people still hold the record in such high regard. Back then, I didn’t think that, 20 years later, that would happen. It’s great though and a testament to the songs which have obviously stood the test of time. I have heard that South America has really opened up to bands coming to play. I guess also with the internet all music is much easier to access. Where do they put “Split” in their lives? Philip: Of the two albums I played on by
Lush it is my favorite. Currently there is a revival of the sound that has “Split”. “Split” sounds very fresh, as if it had been edited in this 2014. Do you think the same? Philip: Yes, definitely. Emma: I don’t know really. I do think that ’shoegazing’ (I hate that term but don’t know what else to use) has actually stood the test of time more than say most of the Madchester or Britpop bands. I think a lot of bands from today have been influenced by the sound that perhaps we and various other bands had. It’s quite flattering. Have you participated in the remastering of the album in 2001? Philip and Emma: No. I can’t stop listening to what you have recorded Chris. And we know that is what has happened to him. A big blow for “Lush”. How was Chris? Do you miss him? Philip: Chris was lovely. Very friendly, happy and outgoing. Still can’t believe what happened. Yes, miss him a lot. And to finish. A Philip you will have seen a few weeks ago with “The Jesus and Mary Chain”. But beyond that. What are your plans? You will return “Lush”? Philip: Who know? Emma: No plans at the moment.