I still recall the ‘I’m staying over at a friend’s so we can revise’ lie I told when I first snuck out to go to a Wet Wet Wet concert. My mother eventually cottoned on and used to berate me for spending all my time ‘going to see that Wet Wet’. She never quite made it to the third ‘Wet’, perhaps assuming that if two Durans were enough, then two Wets was also plenty.

I went on to pass a few exams while Graeme Clark, Tommy Cunningham, Neil Mitchell and Marti Pellow went on to sell in excess of 15 million singles and albums and play to more than four million people in over 25 countries. Success included of course the seemingly never-ending number one Love Is All Around, which they’ve gone full circle with, from love to albatross to re-embracing – perhaps mirroring the band’s own relationship, which included a period of not communicating.

Following a 25th anniversary show in their home town of Glasgow last year, they’re now back with a greatest hits album and are touring for the first time in five years. Mid-rehearsals and tv interviews, I talked to bassist Graeme Clarke about playing old hits, the age of Saturday morning television and whether this is their last outing as a band.

So the new album is greatest hits plus some new tracks. Has the way you write changed over the years?
We all do different things now so it has changed in some ways. (Lead singer Marti is focussed on musical theatre while Graeme has recently started doing solo material) When I think back to the 80s, it was a lot of big production, studio-based sounds and when you first start you try and emulate that. Now it’s more about sitting together with a few instruments and throwing ideas around. We’ve each got such different taste, and we always did, we don’t all listen to the same stuff, but there is a distinctive Wet Wet Wet sound that we create.

What’s it like looking back on your success?
I never thought about industry pressure at the time, which is a good thing. Being a working class lad from the west of Scotland, it’s instilled in you that you were lucky to get out and go and earn a living playing music and to remember that it might not last for ever. Back then I had a lot of friends who were losing jobs and real pressures like that, nothing like us worrying about whether or not our new song would get released. When you’re in it, you don’t have time to stop and think, you’re just kind of doing it. It’s only really now that you talk to people and they tell you that you had an impact on them in the late 80s and 90s, that you realise we were on people’s radar.

Your first album came out in 1987 – the music industry must feel like a very different place now?
We were signed in 1985 and didn’t have a record out til ’87 – we had a good 18 months of writing, playing crap gigs, learning, just spending time together to learn how to be a band. Something you don’t just get these days. And even that word, band, it’s a bit of a lost word – to me there is a difference between a band and a group. That time we were given was such a good grounding for us. It wasn’t about getting a quick return in those days. I’m not saying ‘oh in our day it was better’ but in the 80s and 90s people went into bands to entertain their mates. People don’t seem do that anymore – to just join bands just to make music with their mates. It seems to be just about getting something up on YouTube, and I get why that’s important but things were so different for us.

We would release a single, go on Saturday morning tv to play it and suddenly lots of kids in the UK would have access to you. They would get their pocket money the same day and then go and buy your records Saturday afternoon in an actual record shop – even those don’t exist any more. It’s a changed landscape entirely. We’re lucky in as much that we can still get out and play live – and that’s how we sell our records now, by getting out on the road.

Any regrets?
There are always regrets. There are things I’ve said in the past that..the unfortunate thing about YouTube is that you can stick our name in all manner of interviews come up that…it’s all there documented. But I’m a believer that at any given point, you are where you’re supposed to be. I think there are times when maybe I could have dealt with things better, but I’m human. We’re lucky, we still have a relationship with each other – we can still sit in a room and still talk and we’re still friends. We started out as friends who liked music and that still stands. It’s like each member of the band is holding an elastic band – each member is pulling the tension, and that’s how we create, everyone pulling in their own direction. Luckily we’re through all the messiness (the ‘messiness’ included them not speaking for some time, re-uniting at Marti’s mother’s funeral) and now we’re at a point in our lives where we’re adults and we can talk.

I’m a songwriter so I need that outlet for my creativity and Wet Wet Wet is a great vehicle. I can go out and say ‘I’m Graeme Clarke’ and that carries a little bit of weight, but if I say ‘I’m Graeme Clark from Wet Wet Wet’ people’s ears prick up and they say ‘oh we’ll give you a listen then’. So I’m incredible lucky that I can do that. Wet Wet Wet is an on-going thing, obviously it’s slowing down the older we get and the less energy we have, but at the same time new songs and new music is our lifeblood.

You’ve just released your greatest hits, is this one last hurrah for Wet Wet Wet?
I’d be really disappointed if I was saying to you ‘this is it’. It gets harder and harder for us to reconvene and get back in that room and sit nose to nose. But I think next year we’ve got some exciting things coming up – writing songs and new music is going to breath new life into us. I’m not saying the heritage thing is bad, but we’re an on-going concern. Of course people want to come to the gigs and hear Angel Eyes and Sweet Little Mystery and they say they don’t particularly want to hear new music. I feel slightly disappointed by that, I’m not saying we go and play just new stuff and bore everyone, but I think there’s room.

We set the bar high with the old songs, so if we can hit the same writing standards as before then we’ve got a fair shout. I hope we’re going to do a new album, it’s just everybody has to clear some time out and put the work in. For a start Marti’s a busy boy, but it’s great that he’s here for this tour. His musical theatre is a brilliant thing, we all think it’s amazing that he’s out there and he enjoys it, all power to him. And all power to Wet Wet Wet too, it’s the band that won’t go away no matter how much you try and put it down, it’s still there. We’ve managed to weave ourselves into people’s minds somehow.

‘Step By Step – The Greatest Hits’ is out now. Wet Wet Wet are on tour in December, with special guests Blue. See http://www.ticketline.co.uk/wet-wet-wet#tour  @wetwetwetuk @graemeclark1

Having sold a million records through Sony, scoring a number one album with ‘The Trick to Life’, including hits Goodbye Mr A , Worried About Ray and Cops and Robbers, The Hoosiers suffered the curse of difficult second album syndrome, taking longer than planned with the eventual top ten follow up, ‘The Illusion of Safety‘.  In the time between albums, the music industry changed its direction, priorities and focus. With the record company having decided to cut their losses, the band had to go it alone, in among pursuing their own individual projects. They’re now set to return with their third album, ‘The News From Nowhere’, and have gigs lined up for December. With a campaign based around a series of rewards packages for pre-release sales, including everything from getting your name in the album credits to having the band play an acoustic gig at your house, The Hoosiers are putting their fans firmly in the driving seat.  Frontman Irwin Sparkes (and recent play-writing collaborator with yours truly) had a chat about the new marketing approach, the risks and what he’ll do if it doesn’t work out.

What led you to use this approach with the new album?

The death of the music industry and the promise of a new dawn, if you’ll pardon the histrionics. Having been put through the ringer via a major label and our own inefficacy we are hoping to bring music directly to the people that buy it via our website (www.TheHoosiers.com).

Obviously there are risks, what’s plan B if the fans don’t go for it?

A suicide pact. Histrionics, etc … . Given that we’re in the very fortunate position of having some very loyal people that are buying our album on its pre-sale release already – without actually having heard anything bar one track (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cYr56fRlxo) – we’re already able to proceed with the campaign. You never know how successful it’s going to be but you’d drive yourself mad if you take success personally. Now we try and keep our minds on writing and playing music. Keep it simple.

You’ve got management – how much input are you having into creative and marketing decisions this time round – is it a case of having full control now?

We have all the control we could wish for. Control is no longer the commodity, it’s utilising the leg-up the major label afforded us in getting ourselves out the blocks. Of course we’re not in the same position of commercial strength we were whilst sitting pretty on a major label but the feeling of commercial impotence has been replaced with the sense we have a far greater degree of control over what happens next. Providence withstanding we are in the drivers seat and it feels pretty comfy. Creatively we only wanted to make another album if we enjoyed it and if we could make the album we wanted to. Creatively and marketing-wise we are a lot freer to turn down things that we would have found ourselves pressured into previously. I can safely assure you that there will be no “The Hoosiers ft. “crazy fad”".

Irwin Sparkes
Photo by Ross Gamble/Flam Photography

Does the industry feel like a very different place compared to when you started? 

Unsurprisingly it felt like a very exciting person to be around and be seduced by followed swiftly by a sense that it was a crazed mother intent on devouring her young. It’s important to safeguard yourself from cynicism – from yourself as much as from other people. As musician’s you want, need even, to believe that great things are possible.

In general it feels as though mainstream music is feeling the aftershock of talent TV shows. There’s a generation of musicians who believe you’re nobody unless you’ve won such a show, whereas most of those who’ve won are discovering a land of disenchantment. It’s a dangerous state of mind.

There’s a whole journalism theme to the album name and the choices on the fan packages – what led you to chose that?

We like to be very interactive with people on our social platforms and have previously asked what they want from us – from t-shirt colours/designs to cover songs. Once we’d decided on The News From Nowhere (taken from an old, nearly-forgotten song) it was a case of fleshing out the concept in terms of what it meant to us and other people. We developed the idea of a special edition paper that we get to personally thank everyone who’s bought it in and that will comprise of our own short stories and features; those people who’ve followed us the longest know we liked a skewed blog and we do enjoy some creative writing. The band’s future depends on getting fans involved so we thought we’d make this the most interactive campaign we could think of, hence we are offering editions of the album allowing fans to come down to the studio with us and sing and play on the album and even create our first video (http://www.thenewsfromsomewhere.com/).

What’s the feedback from the fans so far?

It feels like we’re working together on this. It’s a lot more intimate than the former approach because there’s no middle man. We handle our social platforms and are immersed in this campaign. I think fans (still a little uncomfortable with the term) respect that we’re being honest in terms of where we’re at and how much we need them if we’re going to be able to carry on making music. It’s a really symbiotic relationship and makes me excited about the music industry as it promotes the concept that every band can be a cottage-industry in charge of their lot and at the mercy of the fan.

Have you changed musical direction at all with the new songs, or is it a natural evolution from your previous stuff?

Stylistically, we’ve created a more mature sounding record. We’ve always been a guitar band that’s moved by melodies so we’ve reflected this. It’s almost as if we’re getting better at it. Putting the music together hasn’t been such a liberated process since we started out. Being free of expectations and pressures has been immensely profitable, creatively speaking. Definitely less so, financially speaking. It feels like we’ve built upon our sound. Even when Al and Sam (drums and keys) were writing for other people during our lengthy sabbatical they would end up writing a song that was lyrically skewed, with an almost jarring, oblique way of putting something universally experienced (anxiety, a fight with a partner) and these formed songs on the album such as Fidget Brain. I don’t know if I should have given that title away.

What are your tour plans?

Very happy to be gigging again and showing off the new songs. We’re all glad with how they stand up to the other tracks. It feels like we’re able to give people their moneys worth with three albums-worth of music to choose from. Fills me with pith and vinegar to announce that tickets are onsale now for a short tour in early December. (Tickets go on sale Friday morning http://www.thehoosiers.com/live/) 

You’ve all got fingers in other pies – what else have you all been up to while you’ve been on hiatus? 

I co-wrote, co-acted and co-produced a co-play co-called “Don’t You Know Who I Am?” with Yasmin Kahn… (Yasmeen: Who? She sounds co-dodgy to me)  It was about a noughties boyband member struggling to find his place in the world until his superfan hijacks his career. And life. Also got back to acting at the Leicester Square Theatre in an original comedy by David J. Collyer called “Human Resources: This Time It’s Personnel”, which was a hoot.

If all this doesn’t work out, you’ll become a…?

X-factor contestant.

What advice would you give to young bands starting out?

Look after your supporters. Love them.

Looking back, what would you do differently?

Had another project on the go to remind me that life is bigger than a band. I’d have been happier – wouldn’t have taken the ups and downs so seriously.

What/who are you listening to and loving at the moment?

Alexander Wolfe – his third album is out next year. The man is a poet. I hope he gets to be appreciated in his own lifetime.
Volcano Choir and Phantogram are also giving me jitters. The good kind.

The News From Nowhere is available to pre-order now. @thehoosiersuk

With each being able to boast a strong musical pedigree, singer/songwriters Ben Parker and Kate Aumonier have come together as Chains, making their own brand of beautiful acoustic/electronic folk. Currently gigging and with an album due out next year, they’ll be taking time out to play at The Rehearsal Room’s live event in November. Ben told me more about the band.

What’s your story?
Kate & I met in 2007 when she was looking for co-writers to work with on her 2nd solo album. I heard her voice and was blown away. She had, and still has in my opinion, one of the best female voices I’ve ever heard.

Describe your sound
We started with folk and the American singer songwriter tradition of the 70′s but have tweaked that to make our own version of acoustic/electronic folk. With a large dose of atmosphere to help paint the musical backdrop.

Is your songwriting collaborative or do you write separately? Where do you write?
We work together but also separately. I tend to write well at home. Usually when I’m pushed for time. When I’m waiting for a cab or about to go out and am running late something will strike me as a good concept so I’ll follow it up by picking up a guitar. Kate writes a lot on trains when she’s travelling around London. We can bring all these together in my studio and knock it all together. We also have a friend, James, who often comes in to work with us on the songs. He helps us get a fresh perspective on our overall angle. Sometimes you’re too close.

What’s your previous experience in other bands and the other types of musical work you also do now.
I was in a late 90′s/00′s band called Ben&Jason. We were signed to Universal and released 4 albums which are out there and I’m still immensely proud of. Now, alongside my work with Chains, I produce & develop new artists and have worked quite a lot in TV & film tutoring actors to play musical instruments or sing on screen. Kate released a solo record in 2003 after being discovered by Glyn Johns (known for his production work with the Eagles, The Rolling Stones etc.) Glyn adored Kate’s voice the minute he heard it and pretty soon he had her in the studio singing with Emmy Lou Harris & Linda Rondstadt on their ‘Tuscon Sessions’ album. After that went on to work with his son Ethan (Kings Of Leon, Ray Lamontagne, Laura Marling). Then she met me and we started singing together.

Does the current state of the music industry make it a more painful place to be?
Being wiser & older (and greyer!) is helpful but it can also make you more cynical. The important thing is look at your creative vision and assess what’s real about it and what you can action. I love that Joel A Barker quote (American futurist/author) “Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world”. I think that’s a really important thing when dealing with your own creativity as you get older.

What’s your take on how young bands/ are marketed now?
Hmm. I think there’s a very large canvas young artists can spread themselves (sometimes literally) across. The internet is a swirling void of energy that can do so much for you but you have to treat it with care. I think back to when I started out in a band before the internet. I remember actually posting gig listings to our mailing list. It felt more personal then and now any kind of reminder runs the risk of feeling like spam. But these are exciting times. Best to embrace them and use them positively.

What have you got planned for Chains?
We’re keen to get out across the UK this Autumn. We get such a great response everywhere we play and getting out of London is always good. We just need to start spreading our wings and making friends outside of the playground. The album is made and will be released next year but I think we’re going to try and do as much to build things before the release as possible.

Chains will be playing live at The Rehearsal Room’s first live event, The Rehearsal Room Presents, on November 19th at Tara Arts. See ‘Events’ for more info

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