An Interview with Gary Watts, Andrew Stirling-Brown and Lady B of Nature Of Wires
I managed to grab Nature of Wires after their set at the Ruby Lounge in Manchester for a quick chat about their new singer, future plans and the Beatles!
I’m joined here tonight with Nature of Wires, who have just come off stage at the Ruby Lounge. I don’t want to depress you guys but you have been a band longer than I’ve been alive! You must have some interesting stories!
Andrew and Gary both laugh
Andrew - “We probably have, but we’ve been together since 1986 and those were the days where if you had the amazing stories, you probably didn’t remember them”
Gary - I know it sounds like we’ve been doing it for 32 years, but we sort of did this since 86 through to 94, and Lady B joined us in 91, 92?”
Lady B – “Yes 91 or 92, I was a baby”
Gary – “In 94 we took a 6 month break and that happened to last for 20 years. We all sort of grew up and had kids and all that, and we got back into it about 4 years ago”
So what brought you back into the music industry after such a long break?
Andrew - “ Well Gary met up with someone online, a singer named Countess M from California, and started writing songs with her, they started writing an album”
Gary – “Yes and its on sale here tonight, I think we’ve shifted a couple which is always good. So I got busy working with Countess M whilst Andrew was busy doing what he does… which is… interesting. Once I finished this album with Countess M, I just ended up getting back into it and doing more stuff with the more modern technology with we obviously didn’t have back in the 80s and 90s. Now I am back working and writing with Andrew which is nice, and we are about seventy five perfect through our next album”
Andrew - “As Gary said, ‘Cyber Rendezvous’ is the name of the album we made with Countess M and is currently available”
Gary Watts of Nature Of Wires at The Ruby Lounge
So where does the influence come from for you?
Gary - “Well I am very much Gary Numan, Alien Sex Fiend, then the more electro type stuff”
Andrew - “Well I like the Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, and then when I was a kid, I really loved Jean Michelle Jean, Tangerine Fields, you know stuff like that.
Gary - “And the Beatles”
Andrew - “And the Beatles which I’m not supposed to say because it upsets Gary when I say I like the Beatles”
I am a Liverpool girl, so you know, I can get behind the Beatles
Lady B - “I have a very eclectic mix, I like a lot of modern stuff like Christine and the Queens, Nothing But Thieves. But what I love, I really love electronic beats and I really like dance music, and that’s where it comes from. I like music that you can just dance to and lose yourself in, it’s really important because allows you to be really creative and I think from my point of view, I am hopefully going to write some stuff with these guys because I was with them a long time ago and I’ve now come back into the fold. It’s wonderful, you know they are great friends and they are also really creative writers.
So Lady B, how did you end up coming back to the band?
Lady B - “Gary and I have met over various things over the years, working professionally and what not, and Gary asked me if I would be interested in coming to sing here tonight. So I have been learning stuff and working through and trying put my own spin on the stuff that may have been remixed previously. I think live work allows that improvisation though, and that’s very important for connecting to the audience”
So how do you feel tonight went for you guys?
Andrew - “I was happy with it apart from the moment where I went out of key”
Gary “Yeah, I don’t remember that song being in that key! (laughter). I was really impressed, we were on first at 7.30pm, we almost expected to play to an empty room”
Lady B - “And I had to do the first song as wel!. I haven’t sung professionally in so many years, and then I’m up there with all those people. But it was like putting on a comfy pair of shoes. And I love these guys and I feel like they are have been such a big part of my growing up period and now we are all older and more reflective, and wiser!”
Andrew - “And we’ve got more experience now for the great lyrics that are yet to come”
So what are you hoping 2019 will bring for you?
Lady B - “Germany!”
Gary - “Yes, we really want to play in Germany. We have been talking to the lads in Auger and Lord of the Lost, and we’re friends with lots of English bands who have done incredibly well in Germany. People have listened to our sound and said we would go down really well there”
Andrew - “We’ve also had some invites to go to Denmark as well.”
Lady B - “Oh I would love to go to Denmark, I am very much into Scandi Crimes, so I’d love to do a Scandinavian gig”
Gary - “So yes, we’ve got a few European gigs on the plate, we just need to get our act together and get it sorted out”
Andrew - “I think once we’ve got the new album finished, we’ll have something to tour and something that is new, and it’ll be good. Hopefully we’ll be the next… I don’t know… CHVRCHES?”
Gary - “CHVRCHS parents!!!”
Nature of Wires, thank you so much for you time tonight.
Interview by Sarah Cummings