Erasure’s Andy Bell still gets “shy” working with Vince Clarke – despite the pair’s 35-year-long career together.
Bell first began his working relationship with Clarke after writing him a letter in the ’80s, during which time the musician was a member of groups including Depeche Mode and Yazoo.
Despite going on to release 17 studio albums together – with follow-up, The Neon, due out later this month – Bell told The Big Takeover Magazine he’s still “shy” around his bandmate.
“Even after 35 years, you do get shy when you meet each other again,” he shared. “We meet up probably every year and a half or so. Especially when you’re the singer, you’re the front person, it’s like you’re an actor and you really have to let go.
“So it’s that thing of not wanting to be embarrassed in front of your friends, but you just have to let go in order for something good to come out. You have to not care about what you look like.”
Opening up on the duo’s latest project, led by singles Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling) and Shot A Satellite, the star admitted he has “a really good feeling about this album,” explaining: “I think this one seemed like a fresh start.
“It wasn’t intended to be like that,” he added. “I wanted to bring some of that excitement back, rather than just releasing another record.”
The hitmaker went on to name The Pretenders, The B-52’s, Talking Heads, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and The Human League as major influences on the new album, which he revealed was produced using analog synthesisers for a “warm, unique” sound.
“[Vince has] got a whole host of variations [of synthesisers] that he uses. So this time, he said he’s going to use his analog synthesisers,” Bell continued.
“So we had that. And I hadn’t really recorded in a proper old-fashioned recording studio for quite a few years, so that was exciting, as well,” he shared. “But I think it’s something that we can’t escape, we are Erasure and that’s how we sound.”
The Neon is available to pre-order here.
