2003 Interviews

Following Mark Gardener's recent US & UK Tours and with the impending release of the 'Waves' album, members of Ride have been talking to the press again.

As with the release of the Box Set we'll be gathering those interview here.

Mark Gardener and Goldrush played Liverpool Barfly on Monday 2nd June. BBC Liverpool

In this unique tour Goldrush play a full set of their own, followed by Mark playing a few songs acoustically before being rejoined by Goldrush who will back him on a mixture of solo material, Ride classics and a few other surprises.

BBC Liverpool caught up with Mark Gardener.

How did the tour with Goldruush come about?

I came back to England in December, and a friend of mine said you must come see Goldrush. I thought they were great and they realised I was about to launch into my Neil Young part of life and said "If u need a backing band...?" So it worked out really well.

They'll be another big Oxford band I'm sure. I'm not a control freak and I've always enjoyed being in groups and for now it's working really well for both of us.

They do a full set, then I come on and do a few acoustic numbers including Ride stuff, then they come on, and we do some of the newer stuff we've been doing.

Do you still enjoy playing Ride material?

Well I had a lot of time away from it, straight after '96. And then I've been touring America and that blew me away. I didn't realise that Ride and all those bands were really big out there. It was great and 'cos I had time away I can now look back and embrace it and feel proud of it.

Straight after Ride I got involved with Paul Oakenfold and people in London and made some tracks, and we were going to put a band together but that didn't come through, then I made an album in Oxford and put together a band called The Animal House but that all fell through. So after that I was disenchanted and went to India and France, and became a hermit and got back into just playing the guitar and writing again.

How much new material do you have?

I've got enough for an album but I want to write more so I can throw some away. It's just a matter of getting it all together now.

What are you listening to at the moment?

Well Eminem's playing in the background. There's Supergrass I love their new album, Coldplay obviously. Then there's Cinematic Orchestra. and odd country stuff that i've always been into, and the old classics, you never go a month without putting a Beatles record on.

Source: BBC

IN A DIFFERENT PLACE Pop Matters
Interviews with Andy Bell and Mark Gardener of Ride
[8 April 2003]

by Dave Heaton

When Ride's music first spread from their hometown of Oxfordshire, England to the rest of the world, it had that certain something that made some listeners instantly feel like Ride was the best band they'd ever heard. Their song took off like soft jets, using pillows of feedback to float you off into some sort of dreamy netherworld. Ride's early EPs and their first two albums -- 1990's Nowhere and 1992's Going Blank Again -- were instant classics to many, including myself. To my ears they still include some of the most beautiful, transporting rock music ever. With 1994's Carnival of Light, Ride took the 1960s psych-pop sounds that were always lurking under the surface of their music and starkly placed them at the forefront. The result was a still pleasurable album which nonetheless sounded less unique than their earlier recordings. It also was when the inner struggles that often arise when young musicians find quick success started to tear at the band. The fact that Carnival was split into halves, with songs written by singer/guitarist Mark Gardener on Side A and songs written by singer/guitarist Andy Bell on the Side B, is often noted as an outward manifestation of inner turmoil. By the beginning of 1996, the band had come to an end, as Gardener left the group during the recording sessions for what became their final album, Tarantula.

From then until recently, Ride has existed as a fond memory for fans and a reference point for critics. The band's four members each went their own way. Bell formed a new band, Hurricane #1, which built off of the more straightforward rock sounds of Ride's last two albums, and in 1999 became the bassist for Oasis, which he remains today. Gardener and Ride drummer Laurence Colbert formed Animalhouse, releasing one album and a couple EPs before splitting. Gardener is now embarking on a solo career, recording new songs and going on a tour of the United States this Spring. Though the members of Ride did play together once, playing a 20-minute improvised jam for a UK TV show near the end of 2001, the chances of them getting back together for real seem awfully slim. In the last couple years, though, fans were given a present in the form of a series of retrospective Ride releases. The big release was the three-CD Ride box set released in the UK by Ignition Records, which includes a "best of" compilation titled Ox4_The Best of Ride, a collection of previously unreleased recordings called Firing Blanks and a live recording of a classic 1992 performance at the Reading Festival. In the US, the best of CD has been released by First Time Records, with a bonus CD featuring five tracks from Firing Blanks In the UK Ignition also released remastered versions of all of Ride's studio albums, with bonus tracks. If all of these releases excited fans, and may introduce Ride's music to more listeners, they also seem to have given the members of Ride a chance to publicly come to terms with their past by talking to the press about the band and its legacy.

PopMatters: The best of Ride CD that was recently released was welcomed with open arms by fans who miss Ride. At the same time, in relative terms it hasn't been that many years since the group disbanded. Does the retrospective release seem early or late to you? Is this something you've been wanting to do for a while, or something you needed to be convinced to do?

Andy Bell: It seemed like a good idea in 1999 when it was first suggested. It was going to come out on Creation but when the label finished the idea was lost for a while. It took until now to get it sorted, and now you can see Ride records in the shops again which you couldn't for a while. That¹s what you want as a musician, just to go past that rack and wink at it and go "Alright mate".

PM: How did you go about choosing songs for the best-of? Did all of the members have input? Do you think of it as representing the band members' favorite tracks, the most popular songs, or something in between?

AB: You know how it works, all the singles go on and then if you haven't had enough hits the album tracks start slipping in there and then you get into everyone's particular little points of view. It was a democratic decision, but it wouldn't have been if I'd have gone in with a list of what I really think is the best of what the band did, because it would have been full of b-sides and album tracks and stuff. You could make your own best of but in the end you know it comes down to a sort of formula.

PM: This might sound like the selfish griping of an American Ride fan, but I'm wondering why the complete boxed set or even the complete Firing Blanks CD aren't being released here in the US?

AB: I don't know. I thought it was all coming out. That¹s a shame. It's probably something to do with the war.

PM: You were quite young when Ride started. What role do you think your lack of experience with the music industry and with being in a band had on both the life and the eventual end of Ride?

AB: It had a lot to do with it. It was a good and bad thing. At that age you are inexperienced and over-confident, that¹s why we were good, but its also why we were bad, and why we split up so easily.

PM: Going Blank Again, probably my favorite Ride album, had a more diverse sound from Nowhere and the EPs before it, yet the change was fairly subtle, not a huge shift. What can you tell me about the writing and recording of that album, in particular about the extent to which you were trying to diversify your sound?

AB: Its my favourite too. We were just extending our reach of people to rip off, I mean, be influenced by. It was our first time with a real producer, Alan Moulder, and our first time in a posh residential studio (Chipping Norton Studio in Oxford). It was written in the studio, a lot of it.

PM: Carnival of Light seemed especially influenced by the mid-to-late 1960s. Was that deliberate, something you were aware of at the time? How much was Ride's music in general affected by the music of the '60s?

AB: It was a bloody shock when I first heard the Beatles, Floyd and the Byrds, after Carnival of Light came out, I can tell you... it was just the influences coming out again, but I didn't realise how much it would change the sound. After that Ride's sound became kind of normal.

PM: It seems like Carnival of Light and Tarantula often get overshadowed by the stories behind the making of them: of tension within the band, etc. Are you able to separate out the music from what was going on personally for the four of you--are those albums you're still able to look fondly on, even if the times were tougher?

AB: I really like Mark's side of Carnival of Light. I don¹t like my side except for "Rolling Thunder", or any of Tarantula except "Black Nite Crash". Not for the times, more for the music. But what I say is, you're no one until you¹ve made an album that¹s complete pants.

PM: In retrospect, does the "shoegazing" tag that Ride was labeled with by the press have any meaning for you? Does that word seem apt in any way, or just another meaningless categorization tool? What was your reaction to it when you first heard it?

AB: My first reaction was like, this is another boring tag. These days...that's pretty much still my reaction.

PM: To what extent did the media hype and gossip surrounding Ride, especially in the British press, prepare you for being in Oasis, considering how much coverage seems to be given to every squabble the Gallagher brothers have?

AB: Oasis is tabloid and Ride never were. Once you get used to that big difference, it's no big change, the press turn up and now and again you're obliged to talk to them. It's not pleasant but it's one of the facts of life, like nappies.

PM: Musically what you were moving toward with Carnival of Light, Tarantula and Hurricane #1 strikes me as increasingly more similar to the sort of music Oasis was doing ... did it feel at all inevitable or logical for you to join Oasis, or was it still a huge change? I take it you were a big Oasis fan before joining; had their music influenced your own songwriting?

AB: It came right out of the blue, but then I had been a big fan since I first heard them. I guess you can see the logic, I'm sure they had an inkling that I would play bass like a bandit, just from the cheeky look in my eyes.

PM: The most recent Oasis album included a song that you wrote. Is writing a song here and there enough of a songwriting outlet for you or do you ever consider doing a solo recordings of some sort?

AB: I definitely write less songs now than I used to. The ones that don¹t get used by Oasis go into a little pile of tapes, and one day that pile will probably be big enough to make something out of. I just hope it happens before my hair falls out.

* * * *

PM: First off, I've heard that you're starting a solo career. What are your songs sounding like these days? When do you think you might be releasing something?

Mark Gardener: All work in progress at the moment. A few of the tracks are older tracks that have been around for a while and we're writing a new batch at the moment. They sound like Mark Gardener, naked. Releasing hopefully this year. We're talking to companies at the moment.

PM: In March and April you're doing a tour of the US: what will that be like? When was the last time you toured the US (did Animalhouse play in the US at all)?

MG: The last time I toured in the US was 10 years ago with Ride. Looking forward to it, don't know what it's gonna be like yet. It's gonna be pretty stripped down, up front and personal. Animalhouse didn't tour the US.

PM: Not counting Andy Bell, what the members of Ride have done since Ride broke up hasn't received too much media attention. Could you tell me what the other two members (Steve Queralt and Laurence Colbert) are up to these days? Have you all stayed in touch?

MG: It's top secret but... Laurence has carried on playing with a few different bands and he was also drumming with Animalhouse. Steve's an international man of mystery. Not sure what he's up to. Speak to Loz all the time and Steve some of the time.

PM: Animalhouse seemed to keep a fairly low profile. Was that a conscious reaction to the media hype surrounding Ride, an attempt to fly under the radar a bit?

MG: No conscious reactions. We only set out to make one album, two at the most. It was always going to be a studio based project.

PM: Regarding the brief "reunion" jam session for the Pioneers show in September 2001: How strange was it to be playing with the other members of Ride again? Do you think anything like that will happen again anytime soon?

MG: It was great to get back in a room together. Great to talk about Sonic Youth, who we all rated as an early influence. It's not planned to happen any time soon, but who knows.

PM: Now that you have some distance from the actual experience of being in Ride, is it a time period you look back with fondness on? Even the later years leading to the break-up?

MG: Yes. The positives remain. It is great to get distance from something that was all-consuming at the time. You can't see the wood from the trees when you're in the middle of it. With perspective, I feel great about the whole Ride thing.

PM: When Ride first came out, your sound struck people as unique. At the time were you conscious of trying to do something different and new, or did you think you were just playing rock and roll?

MG: We were mainly conscious of trying to do something that we found exciting. The main concerns at that time were to make one hell of a noise and learning to play as individuals and as a band. We didn't really see it as straight Rock and Roll. We all came out of art college so I guess you could say it was more kind of art rock! Whatever the hell that is.

PM: When the band first started, what types of music and musicians were you influenced by? How would you describe how those influences changed over the years, and how that affected the band's sound?

MG: We liked the noisy bands of the time. When we were at art college we went to see My Bloody Valentine, House of Love, Stone Roses and Sonic Youth. I think these all had a lot of influence on us in the early days as they were great gigs. Influences changed as we discovered more and more music. I guess any music that you love will always be some kind of influence. That's a hell of a lot of music.

PM: What effect, if any, do you think media hype, rumors, etc. played in the way the band's sound evolved? Were you ever conscious of trying not to repeat yourself, or of trying to live up to the "next big thing" hype?

MG: We had so much so soon that we had to do our growing up in public. This placed a lot of pressure on the band early on. We weren't that conscious of the hype because we were on the road most of the time or in the studio. It didn't really have an effect on the band's sound. We always sounded the way we wanted to sound at that time.

PM: In choosing songs for OX4_The Best of Ride, was it a matter of weighing your personal favorite songs against the "hits", the songs that were most popular with fans? Are there any songs that you wish would have made it on there?

MG: I guess the best of was pretty much based on singles and EPs. I was happy with the final track listing. Of course I have other favourites that didn't make it but then hopefully more people will buy the albums as a result of hearing the best of.

PM: How closely does the way that the music press describes Ride's history and legacy match up with how you personally think about the band and its impact?

MG: The music press has been so varied. Some great and some not. There's so much press that i haven't seen that it's kind of hard to comment on that.

PM: What music are you most excited about these days?

MG: Latest buys have included Beck's Sea Changes, DJ Shadow, Cinematic Orchestra, Manu Chao, Coldplay. These have all excited me. Oh and of course, Roger Whitaker whistles Vivaldi! (The Four Seasons).

— 8 April 2003

Source: Pop Matters

Ride Principals Look Back On 'OX4' Billboard

Edited By Jonathan Cohen. February 19, 2003, 12:00 PM

Seven years on from the group's demise, former Ride frontman Mark Gardener is gearing up support the recent release of "OX4-The Best of Ride" with an acoustic tour of the U.S. While dates for the March/April trek are still being set, Gardener is already confirmed to play March 13 at this year's South By Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival in Austin, Texas.

"I will mostly concentrate on tracks from the 'Best of' but I will also be adding a couple of my favorite tracks from [1990's] 'Nowhere' and [1992's] 'Going Blank Again,'" Gardener reveals. "Overall, the bulk of the material will be stripped down to just myself and an acoustic. There could be the odd sound and loop here and there. Maybe another guitarist. This is all being looked at, at the moment, so we'll have to wait and see on that one."

Ride was formed in 1988 in Oxfordshire, U.K., consisting of vocalist/guitarist Gardener, guitarist/vocalist Andy Bell, bassist Stephan Queralt, and drummer Loz Colbert. The band emerged alongside peers like Lush, the Pale Saints, and Swervedriver, and was heralded as an icon of England's early-'90s shoegazer movement. Between 1989 and 1996, the band released four studio albums, four EPs, and one concert disc.

"Icons?" Gardener asks aloud. "I don't think too much about supposed 'movements' or labels that journalists invent. My only real concern is my music and not getting too caught up with labels and boxes. It can be quite entertaining, though, hearing about these things."

Although the band has no intention of reforming at the moment, Gardener -- who has plans for a solo album in addition to dates in Europe and Japan -- says the door is still open. "I'd never say never -- who can tell what the future will bring?"

In fact, Bell, who became Oasis' permanent bassist in November 1999, shares this sentiment. "At the moment I can't see [a reunion] happening, but you never know," he says. And although at the time of this interview Bell was unaware of Gardener's plans for an acoustic trek, he supports it just the same. "Is he doing that? It's fine with me, in fact, I'd like to see it," he says. "I would obviously welcome Andy joining me on any of the shows," Gardener offers. "Though, I think he's kind of busy with the Oasis boys."

So it seems that the former members of Ride are still on good terms, despite a falling out during the recording of their fourth album, "Tarantula," that ultimately fostered their split. Things were on the mend when Bell, Gardener, Queralt, and Colbert came together in 2001 to compile "OX4," a project that first surfaced later that year in the U.K. through Ignition Records in both box set and "best of" formats. "I'm on good terms with everyone, even myself," Bell jokes. "I see Loz more than the other two -- I saw him last month actually."

"I was very happy with the 'Best of'," Gardener says of the project, which was released in the U.S. in December through independent label The First Time Records. "It was great to, at last, hear everything again with fresh ears. It gave me a new perspective on what we did as a band and I feel proud about it."

Bell, too, is mostly pleased. "I just wanted it all to fit in with the records we released while we were playing together and I think it does," he says. "It was a democratic process. I'm okay about the selection. I kind of understood it couldn't be all of my personal favorites because hardly any of those songs were singles. You've got to follow the rules when you do those things."

Although the band was signed to Sire Records in the U.S. and Creation Records in the U.K. during its heyday, the members of Ride elected to go with the comparatively tiny The First Time Records for the stateside release of "OX4." "First Time's enthusiasm for the band and the project meant that they connected with Ignition and the next thing we knew was that the record was going to be released in the States," says Gardener.

Aside from playing a few songs "unplugged" with Ride years back at London's Royal Albert Hall, Gardener admits he's never played an entire acoustic set by himself. "This will be a new experience for me," he reveals. "A lot of the Ride tracks sound great stripped down, so of course it will be quite an intimate affair."

The artist says the U.S. tour grew out of a suggestion by The First Time's owner/founder Gagan Palrecha. "Gagan suggested the idea of coming out to play the odd radio station and show," the vocalist reports. "The idea grew from there. I've been getting some new material together for a solo album and basically wanted to get back out and start playing some gigs again. I really like the idea of playing a 'Ride Best of' set along with a few of the newer tracks that I'm considering for my new album. I've always enjoyed my times in America, so I'm looking forward to coming back over."

Looking back on their original run and considering Gardener and Bell share a near disbelief regarding the influential status Ride has achieved over the seven years since it disbanded. "I have been surprised and extremely flattered at times with the amount of interest in the band," says Gardener. "That's the biggest compliment -- when your music has stood the test of time and has been an inspiration to others."

To which Bell adds, "It seems like they're talking about somebody else sometimes. It never felt at the time like our band would be remembered."

-- John D. Luerssen

Source: Billboard

Mark Gardener Interview BBC Southampton

Ride were one of the definite bands of the early 90s. A decade on from all that shoe-gazing, frontman Mark Gardener is back and touring with Goldrush. BBC Southampton's Stephen Stafford had a chat to Mark about the indie days.

When you look back at the Ride years, what sort of emotions go through your head?
It was a bit intense. I don't think any of us realised when we were making a racket with guitars in an arts school, that that sort of thing would happen. Certainly that early bit was phenomenal, it felt like you could do no wrong, more people were coming to the shows and everything was working really well. It was great to be around at that time with people like The Happy Mondays.

Do you think that was a unique period in music history?
I do, because I've just been in the US on an acoustic tour and I've been blown away by how they've locked on to that era in music - as the last time of interesting English bands. People were actually trying to do something different and it made me realise the whole grunge thing grew out of it and then this terrible thing called Britpop. I feel really good about that - the whole Manchester thing, the rise of the 'Mondays, Stone Roses - they were pushing things in an interesting direction with guitars and funky beats. And then the shoe-gazing movement! For me, the fact that people are still raving about My Bloody Valentine and Ride shows it was a really seminal time.

Did you see yourselves as pioneers?
Britpop was a lot more straightforward. I think in a way were were trying to push that experimental sonic thing and I think some of it worked really well - some of it didn't, but it still sounds really interesting now. We definitely did something that still makes me feel good - it was a pretty bonkers time.

What happened to you post-Ride?
I came out of Ride and did a few tracks with Paul Oakenfold, one track as The Man with No Name - I was trying to look at other bands but it didn't really happen and I also did Magdalen Sky, and the Animal House project - experimental thing with guitars and beats. Then I got right away, living in a barn in France like a hermit. And I came back from that and thought now was the time to launch my career and take control of my destiny - to come full circle and do my Neil Young thing.

Did Ride become a weight around your neck?
We didn't get much time away from it so obviously there was a life outside which none of us were living. It was pretty intense when you were in the middle of it, you can't see the wood from the trees. I think we could have done ourselves some favours by having a break and we were a bit burnt out and myself and Andy had different ideas about where we wanted to take this thing. It was understandable - we'd made some great records together but we'd hit a point where the chemistry there had been between us wasn't there any more - so it was the right time to disband and leave with integrity.

Do you still keep in touch with the other members of Ride?
Absolutely - I played with Andy and Loz in Oxford - Ride's always ongoing - it'll never go away.

Tell us about the collaboration with Goldrush
I've known of Goldrush doing Trailerpark and heard bits and pieces, and they were obviously into the Ride thing. Robin from the group called and said if you need a 'Crazy Horse' or band to back you. I thought 'that's a good idea', we rehearsed together and it worked really well. It combines well for a show - they do a set, I do a few things, and then we do a few things together. I heard them doing a version of Dreams Burn Down which I thought was great. We've just recorded a live EP which'll be spread about when we're on the road. They're great players.

How was your American tour?
That was me putting myself through the ultimate test to see if the new stuff stands up and I was amazed at the response and how the whole movement has just grown - I had a great time.

What memories do you have of playing in the Joiners in Southampton?
With Ride it was always a madhouse, packed out with lots of people on on the stage. I just remember lots of blue! It's always a great gig for me down there. In this day and age with the download scenario, it's so vital there are venues like that about. You can download music but you'll never download the experience of seeing a live show. The heart is in the right place there, you feel that when you are there.

How would you survive in the Big Brother House?
I'd be out first night! I can't imagine putting myself in that scenario. Once it was interesting - now that whole cult of celebrity is just nonsense - I can't think of anything worse - I don't think I'll be applying!

Source: BBC

Mark Gardener and Goldrush at The Zodiac BBC Review

Back on the ‘Vapour Trail’… Mark Gardener joins local band Goldrush at The Zodiac and Joe Beasley was there to see how they gelled.

By Joe Beasley

I arrived at the Zodiac expecting a close to capacity crowd but by 21:00 (when the band finally hit the stage) the intimate venue was still half empty and as Goldrush took to the stage most people were still at the bar.

Goldrush played a 40 minute set which guided us through some new material (sounding very much like Gorky’s Zycotic Mynci at times) and songs from the recently released ‘Extended Play’ EP as well as some ‘Golden oldies’, though how songs from an album released only last year can be accused of being ‘Golden oldies’ is beyond me. The highlight of their set was an incredible version of Let You Down from last year’s debut album ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’.

Mark Gardener opened his set with new songs, which met with great approval from fans old and new. At times his 90’s Brit pop past shone through, never more so than when he and his backing band for this tour, Goldrush, played Ride classic ‘Vapour Trail’ the crowd went crazy and you could really see how happy the performers were with themselves as their smiles ran from ear to ear.

Without Goldrush though, I can’t help but feel Mark Gardener would have been a little lost, the best songs of his set were made so by the amazing harmonies brought by the vocals of Goldrush vocals.

By the end of this, the last night of the tour, these two Oxford acts had made the best of a disappointing turnout, leaving the fortunate few wanting more.

Both Mark Gardener and Goldrush will be headlining Steventon’s Truck Festival July 19/20. Read more about the festival here.

Source: BBC

The Ride of Mark's life BBC Interview

Mark Gardener was the face of the band that put Oxford on the international music map in the 1990s.

Jeremy Stern spoke to the former Ride singer about the glory days and his solo plans.

There was reunion with Bell and Colbert at the Cellar in March and he's accepted Goldrush's offer to be his backing band. He'll also headline the Truck Festival at Hill Farm in Steventon on July 19/20.

"Maybe if Ride had been a supergroup I wouldn't have the hunger but I feel there's work to be done. "It was great being out on the road again and it's whetted my appetite for more."

Source: BBC

Ride - Bonus Material Under The Radar Interview

Words by Marcus Kagler
Mark Gardner Photos by Wendy Lynch

The Ride article in Issue 4 of Under the Radar was a rather difficult piece to write. Although I must admit that interviewing Mark Gardener and Andy Bell was a real treat. Unfortunately both interviews were conducted over the phone (for some bizarre reason phone interviews are always a bit difficult to turn into in-depth articles) and not only did I have one very long interview for this piece, but two. Obviously Andy Bell and Mark Gardener went into subjects that had nothing to do with Ride, but since the article was centered on their days in the band much of the excess information had to be cut. Below are two whole sections of the article that were cut concerning Gardener’s Animal House project as well as Bell’s Hurricane #1 project. You will also find some quotes that didn’t make it into the final edit of the piece. Also find below more photos that UTR co-publisher Wendy Lynch took of Gardner at 2003’s South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. Both Gardener and Bell were consummate gentlemen and enthusiastic music fans. As a fan of music myself I found them both to be a joy to speak with. Here’s hoping that Ride reunion sees the light of day some time in the near future.

-Marcus Kagler, Contributing Writer, Under the Radar

Revisiting Ride - Excerpt Material

Due to a constraint on space, two sections of the Ride article in the published version in Issue 4 had to be cut. Below are the two cut sections that deal with Mark Gardener and Andy Bell’s post-Ride careers.

If Ride ever had a front man Mark Gardener was he. In Ride’s heyday Gardener received a lot of media attention not for his songs but for his runway model good looks. It was something he was never comfortable with and when Ride fell into obscurity he was more than happy for the new lease on his musical life. In early 1997 Gardener formed The Animal house with bassist Hari-T, guitarist Sam Williams, and former Ride drummer Loz Colbert. The band was quickly picked up by BMG and they played their first show at London’s Highbury Garage to a sold out crowd and a large amount of media attention. With The Animal House Gardener went even further away from the shoegazing sound he was so well known for and began mixing electronica with 60’s psychedelic rock. It was an interesting and worthwhile combination for a new band and the Animal House fused the two interestingly. But the band stalled before it even had a chance to get off the ground.

“ We were only looking at a one or two album maximum,” says Gardener of the Animal House project. “Basically, we took too long making the first album. The album I was happy with in the end and there were a lot of great tracks on it. But by the time we released it in England all of the people who had signed the band had been moved on and we released the record with people who didn’t know what the group was. It was the usual nightmare story with a lot of bands in Britain.”

The Animal House didn’t officially put out their first album, Ready to Receive, until 2000. Rather than touring and building a bigger fan base the band opted to spend two years in the studio making the record. By the time the album was released the Animal House had essentially missed their window. The band put out three subsequent EP’s but parted company in 2001.

“ After The Animal House I got away from it for awhile and that’s probably what I needed to do more than anything,” says Gardener. Instead of heading right back into another band or becoming a solo artist Gardener took a five-month trip to Goa, India. Something he now calls, “the trip of a life time.” Upon returning to Europe Gardener took up residence in France where he bought a dilapidated barn and has spent the past several months converting it into a studio. “I’ve got a good energy again to put back into an album of my own which is a bit smaller on scale. But that’s fine for me now. In the last month I’ve just started to try and put some ideas and tracks together. It’s kind of a work in progress at the moment but I hope by the end of this year a solo album will be ready and even possibly out. It’s time to do my Neil Young thing.”

In 2002 Ignition Records released the fantastic Ride Box Set and recently approached Gardener to do a solo acoustic tour of America to support it. The tour took place after our interview in March and April of 2003 and Gardener played stripped down versions of old Ride songs as well as trying out his new solo material on audiences.

“ It’s a bit strange,” laughs Gardener over the telephone. “It’s quite intimate but I’ve been rehearsing the old Ride stuff and it certainly sounds good like that. Since we’ve been re-releasing some the Ride stuff I’ve kind of become a Ride fan again because I’ve had some distance from it. It was very difficult to hear some of that stuff fresh and I couldn’t get any perspective on it for awhile. It feels strange for me because I haven’t really played that stuff for quite a few years but I’m excited about it."

Andy Bell’s post Ride career walked a path eerily similar to Gardener’s. Where the Animal House fused eletronica with the rock band aesthetic Bell went a more traditional route and formed a 70’s style rock band called Hurricane #1 in 1997. At the time Creation guru Alan McGee wanted to prove he could reproduce the magic he had found in Oasis and it just so happen that Bell had been writing rock songs on four-track hoping to find a suitable singer to fill them out. “At the time I was doing the solo thing. I was recording and almost playing everything myself and I was doing the lead vocals.” Bell brought his recordings to Creation and McGee suggested he form a new band. “In a way Alan was trying to say, ‘you can’t sing in the post-Gallagher world.’ Which is true. The songs I was writing were quite strident rock songs and with my voice it wouldn’t have been the right thing.” Bell began auditioning singers and he soon came across vocalist Alex Lowe. “He put attitude into the songs,” says Bell. “We kind of got that going and brought in the other guys at the same time and it was all kind of put together.”

The fact that the band was assembled rather than coming together naturally as friends disturbed Bell initially for the Hurricane #1 dynamic was far different than that of Ride. “At the time it was like, ‘It can’t ever be four friends who’ve known each other for years because I don’t have any friends anymore. All my friends were in Ride and that’s all gone’. We [Hurricane #1] all were kind of put together in these semi-awkward positions so I was like, ‘Let’s just enjoy it and do it’. So we had a really good time and we all worked really hard we all became semi-alcoholics if not all the way.”
Hurricane #1 released their self-titled debut album in 1997 to meager acclaim. The band toured rather extensively in Europe and returned with a sophomore effort, Only The Strongest Will Survive, in 1999, but the album never really took off. By the dawn of the new millenium Bell was ready shut the book on music forever. “I didn’t have any songs and I didn’t want to write any. At that point in my life I was basically giving up music. To Hurricane I was like, ‘I can’t do this anymore. I don’t want to do this anymore. I’ve really enjoyed the past two years but this is it. I’m moving to Sweden. See everyone later.’ That was it. It was a weird old time.”

Bell moved to Sweden soon after but before he could settle down he received a phone call that changed his mind about quitting the music business for good. It just so happened that Oasis was looking for a bass player and the brother’s Gallagher wanted Bell for the job. Needless to say Bell was a bit surprised but he also couldn’t pass up the opportunity. “They knew me about and they knew I had good taste in music and I think they thought Ride was kind of O.K. but someone that is in Oasis is not going to be a huge Ride fan. They got people who are quite easy going in the band and I’m quite easy going as a person. Definitely quiet.”

Bell commutes from Sweden to England to rehearse, record, and tour with Oasis. He made his official recording debut with the band on 2002’s, Heathen Chemistry album and even wrote an instrumental piece for the record called “A Quick Peep”. In the past Bell has been primarily known as a guitar player so many of his fans found it odd that he was now the bass player. Most assumed he had quit writing songs altogether and was just resigned to rhythm duties. Bell made it a point to assure me he was still writing songs but he only picks the ones suitable for Oasis to show the band. “They’ve been trying to get me to bring songs since I first joined and I’ve probably given them four or five,” says Bell. “They’re very encouraging and I do play guitar when I’m with them but I don’t play it on stage because I’m the bass player now. I play a lot of guitar at home. If it happens it happens. I’m still writing songs.”

Mark Gardener Interview Transcription ExcerptsBelow are more excerpts from the Mark Gardner interview. The subject headings represent the breaks in the interview.


Playing Acoustic Catch Up

Marcus Kagler: So what have you been up to? Have you just been recording solo stuff?
Mark Gardener: Recently I’ve been recording solo stuff. Basically last year I went to India for five months. I went to the south of India. Started in Goa and floated around the south and just sort of used that as the trip of a lifetime really, and that was great. Then I came back and I’ve been living in France, in a little barn in the middle nowhere, where I started to use that to do some writing. I put the studio into this little barn in France. Now, in the last month I’m just starting to try and put some of the ideas and tracks all together. I’ve put a few bits and pieces down and hopefully, maybe a couple or two or three of which will be played when I come out to America. As well as, obviously, the old Ride tunes that people want to hear. So, that’s the kind of general climate at the moment. Basically for the future I’m looking to do a solo album. You know, just very kind of stripped down. Kind of acousticy-voice kind of thing really. So you know, that’s the general plan at the moment so we’ll see what happens you know.

Marcus Kagler: So you said you are coming to America?

Mark Gardener: Yeah, I’m doing a tour in April which is just my little tour that’s basically just me and an acoustic guitar playing some Ride songs really. The whole thing is being put together right now. The label that’s doing the Ride best of.... is putting it together. So it’s their kind of idea and they wanted me to come over and play a few radio stations and do a few dates and I just sort of agreed in that it would work in well with the that I’d like to start playing and I do want to get out and tour again. You know, in a sort of solo way. It’ll be a bit strange [laughs]. You know, quite intimate I guess but I’ve been rehearsing some of the old Ride stuff acoustically and it certainly...I think it’s good. I think a lot of that stuff sounds really good like that.

Marcus Kagler: Yeah, I think some of those songs would sound good like that.

Mark Gardener: Yeah. When you actually strip down some of those tracks, just sort of bare, back down to acoustic and voice, they sound pretty special some of them. It feels strange for me because, you know, I haven’t really played that stuff for quite a few years. But yeah, it’s kind of made me feel a bit nostalgic and in a way I guess, since we’ve been re-releasing some of the Ride stuff I’ve kind of become a Ride fan because I’ve kind of had some distant from it. I had some serious sort of distance, in years, away from it. It was very difficult to hear any of that stuff fresh and I couldn’t get any perspective on that stuff for awhile really. So yeah. I’m quite excited about that. You know I’m looking forward to coming out to America. That will be the first sort of tour I’ve done for quite awhile really.

Marcus Kagler: Definitely. Well, you still have a pretty hardcore audience out here in southern California.

Mark Gardener: Yeah, it’s always brilliant. I’ve always loved it. For me it was my first time coming out to America and, you know, when you’ve been in art school sort of making a noise in a room you didn’t expect to be doing American tours with the music we were making. We didn’t feel what we were doing was anything mainstream really. It was great. I loved touring America. The first tour especially was fantastic. So, I look forward to coming back and playing songs. We always had it great, especially the coasts. You know, the East Coast and the West Coast, it was great to play there.

New Album

Marcus Kagler: So you’re recording the solo stuff at your studio in France?
Mark Gardener: No. I’m using it as a writing base but I’m back now. I’m back in England now. I’m not sure who is going to be putting it [the new album] out yet. I’ll be speaking to some American labels and publicists I think when I come out as well. I’m very happy with doing something directly with American people. I don’t know who’s going to put it, but I’ve just been kind of getting on the phones and I’ll be speaking to people when I’m out there. It’s kind of a work in progress at the moment but I hope by the end of this year the album will be ready and even, possibly, out. Or even, maybe more realistically, it might be early next year but I’m certainly going to go for it this year.

Marcus Kagler: Great. Is it basically you just putting the songs together? You don’t have any band helping you out?

Mark Gardener: Well, I might do. That’s definitely people who might be interested in playing and I might contact these people. I’m not going to mention any names yet but...yeah, initially I’ve been working with a writer, a woman called Kay Phillips. We’ve written other small acoustic and voice things in the past. So I’ve kind of gotten back with her and we’ve been writing more material together and have been finishing some of the material I’d been writing in France. But in a way it’s strange because I sing really well now and I’m really happy with the way the writing is sounding. People will maybe be a bit surprised, I guess. [laughs]

MK: Oh, yeah?

MG: Yeah, I think so. You know I’ve got to sing it really.

Musings On The Music Industry

Mark Gardener: From what I can work out, all of the major labels are kind of going down the tubes.
Marcus Kagler: Yeah, they really are.

Mark Gardener: I think the scene is healthy in America but in England it’s an absolute nightmare.

Marcus Kagler: Really? I didn’t know it was that bad. It’s pretty bad here as well though.

Mark Gardener: It’s just a real shame because a lot of new bands aren’t getting a good lookin’, you know. I think the great bands of all time took at least one, two, or three albums to get really good. I mean, a lot of bands now are being dropped before they’ve even made their first album. It’s really bizarre what’s going on. I think, in a way, a lot of people are going back to the independents and it’s just a shame that it’s like that...and there’s so much attention being given to these stupid, manufactured, pop stars kind of stuff.

Marcus Kagler: Oh, yeah. That’s just a lot of nonsense.

Mark Gardener: It’s just a total distraction from people who are trying to do real art, you know, real music, and in one year or two years all of these people are completely forgotten. There’s just not that many groups happening these days I suppose.

Marcus Kagler: Yeah, well, what’s going on in America these days is...a lot of up and coming bands aren’t even bothering to sign with major labels anymore. That’s starting to become a problem with majors because these days all the major’s want to do is make a cash cow out of that first album then they just cast the band aside. So a lot of bands are going straight to indie labels where they can own, or at least co-own their own material and they know they are actually cared for and things like that.

Mark Gardener: You know, that’s what we originally did with Ride by signing to Creation. I think that was a great move for us. Obviously, we signed with Sire for America, but that was fine because we kind of had our protection from Creation and actually Seymour Stein and people like that were great people to deal with. We never had any problems with Sire in America. I think that will be what will happen here again. It will have to really.

The Animal House

Mark Gardener: We put a lot of time into that record [the first Animal House record]. We put two years into it and then there was touring and getting our whole situation together. I mean, there were problems...there were some sort of difficulties within the group but it’s not really surprising because you at least expect the record company to, basically, do their job and they just didn’t do it. We were getting radio play, on daytime radio, so it was looking pretty good, but BMG was just horrendous. Now those people aren’t working there any more. I don’t know where they’ve gone to. But you know, I think things that happen - they happen for a reason and that’s fine. After that, I got away from it for awhile and that’s probably what I needed to do more than anything really. After all of that I’ve got a good energy again to kind of put back into an album of my own which is a bit smaller on scale.
Marcus Kagler: Would you say you’re a bit wiser now when it comes to the record company business?

Mark Gardener: Yeah. I guess so. I never really wanted to get that involved with that really. But it kind of paid your wages and that was fine. Yeah, I do feel a little wiser toward all of it. In a way you always understand your failures in life more than your successes. So I’m wiser to the failings of what happened to Animal House and why that kind of whole thing happened and major label policy.

Playing Ride

Mark Gardener: You know, when I go back and play stuff acoustically I realize that Ride had some great songs whatever the style and whatever labels you get labeled with at the end of the day there were some great tunes, great songs. Some of them most definitely reflect the times and I can’t ask for anything more than that because I was apart of it really. So I feel good about all that.

Ride Reunion Rumors

Marcus Kagler: Now, I heard a rumor that Ride was getting back together for a reunion tour. Is that true?

Mark Gardener: No. I mean, I wouldn’t rule it out. Certainly we’ve not said that was going to happen. I think a lot of rumors went mad when I said I was going to come out and play some acoustic dates in America and people took that as the whole band. But it’s really just me and an acoustic guitar and yes, I will be playing a lot of Ride songs, but that’s all it is. I think, after that announcement there were all these rumors about Ride reforming and doing a tour.

Marcus Kagler: Do you guys still keep in touch?

Mark Gardener: Yeah, yeah, we do. Absolutely. I mean, we have to. There’s always things that come up. Yeah, I think we all share the fact that we feel good about what we did at that time. Those were important years for all of us. I certainly don’t have a problem with us getting together doing that thing again, really.

Marcus Kagler: What was the story behind you guys getting together to record a soundtrack to a documentary or something?

Mark Gardener: Yeah, we did get together there in a room. It was last year and it was called...God, I can’t remember what it was called.... “Coming Up For Air” maybe or something. I might be wrong on that. I can’t remember what they called it. It was some sort of documentary on Sonic Youth. We were interviewed as well. We were kind of talking about Sonic Youth and they asked us to kind of get into a room together and basically do a sonic jam. And we did. We did that last year or the year before last. It is available but it’s kind of difficult to get a hold of.

Marcus Kagler: Did it feel all right?

Mark Gardener: Yeah. It felt fine. Yeah. It’s always a little strange but it felt good.

On New American Shoegazer Bands

Marcus Kagler: We are also running an article in our next issue, like I said, about these new American shoegazer bands. Recently a lot of the American indie bands we’ve been hearing have a very heavy shoegazer influence. [he laughs at this] In the beginning we thought, “O.K. Maybe it’s just one or two bands who’ve latched onto this sort of sound.” But then we kept getting more and more and more bands that have that shoegazer sound and we were like, “Wow! This is sort of odd.” It’s not just straight up shoegazer stuff from the early 90’s. Most of these bands are fusing that genre’s sound with their twists and also using more modern technology. What are your opinions on this? Do feel that music genres have a natural resurgence or cycles like the garage rock resurgence that’s going on right now?
Mark Gardener: I mean, you know, obviously for me I sort of....[pauses]....flattered that we have influenced people to play that sort of music. I mean, we have it over here with Coldplay and lots of other people who go on about Ride, which is very...I mean, to me-I’m completely flattered about that. I think, that if it inspires greatness in other people as many bands inspired us at that time I think that’s fantastic. I think there is still somewhere that it can go, especially if you’re combining it with loops and, like you said, using their I-Macs. That sounds pretty exciting to me. [he laughs] I’d like to hear some of these bands! If we do end up playing in LA you’ll have to bring me a burnt copy of some of this stuff because I have to hear it.

Marcus Kagler: Yeah, definitely.

Mark Gardener: It’s a bit weird for me. You know I’ve been living in France for the last year. I don’t know what’s going on. I haven’t even understood what’s going on in England let alone what goes on in America. [laughs]

Marcus Kagler: Yeah, it is weird because this is purely an American thing. There aren’t any bands, at least not that are being sent us, from England or Europe that are playing this shoegazer stuff. They’re all American. It’s almost like the initial shoegazer phase that happened in the early 90’s or movement or whatever you want to call it...it hit America, but I think it really hit a generation of kids who then grew up listening to it and being influenced by it. Now that they’ve reached maturity and have decided to become musicians this is the music that directly influenced them. So it’s kind of like America is catching up to you guys in a way. It's a little weird.

Mark Gardener: [laughs] Yeah, it is a bit odd. I mean, I would like to hear some of those. It’s great, you know. Also, as well as doing solo stuff I’m always looking to work with other groups as well you know. So who knows? It’s something I always thought was great and I would be happy to work with bands as well. I’m always interested in hearing almost anything and obviously, if it’s inspired people then I feel great about it. That’s a good thing.

Marcus Kagler: There actually is a band that I think you can buy over there in England. They’re called Lift to Experience. They’re an interesting band. They’re from Texas and their music is very shoegazer-like in it’s own right but it’s kind of a concept album. And the concept is: it’s the end of the world and Texas is the promise land.

Mark Gardener: Wow! What are they smokin’?! [laughs] Get me some of that as well when I come over there! Are they from Austin?

Marcus Kagler: Denton, Texas.

Mark Gardener: Right. I think I’m playing South by Southwest as well. Right, that’s interesting. I’ll look out for them. It’s good to hear that. It’s great. I always thought what we did was fantastic. Just the times, it was...I don’t know. I mean the people that were there originally, like the Valentines, some of those people are still with bands really. I think here...it was strange in England because I sort of felt that daytime radio weren’t happy to play that sort of music. Those noisy, guitar-y, indie bands then. Then about four or five years later you didn’t hear anything but that really.

Marcus Kagler: Do you think there is steam left in this kind of genre?

Mark Gardener: Absolutely. Yeah. I think all people are influenced by certain things and that’s fine. When people actually do it and it’s not completely generic but apart of some newer recipe and like you say people are bringing in loops and stuff like that, there’s always....if it’s good and it’s still got good songs, no matter what type of style it is then yeah, I think things can always go places. You know there’s always more steam to be had from it.

Shifting From Shoegazing

Marcus Kagler: Why did Ride initially stray from that shoegazer sound?
Mark Gardener: I think in a way we were...we’d saturated it. We’d been doing it nonstop for...I don’t know-

Marcus Kagler: It must have been about four or five years.

Mark Gardener: Yeah. We were trying to craft and just change. You know, craft more songs to just change it. You don’t want to do exactly the same thing. Some people just preferred the early stuff and then there’s other people who can’t get their head around the early stuff. After four or five years you’re not just going to keep doing those same guitar tricks. It kind of gets dull after awhile and we thought it was getting dull for the people outside the band as well.

Modern Technology

Mark Gardener: I-Macs and the fact that people can create their own studios like that and have more of a hands on approach to their music is great. I mean, that’s kind of what I’m doing right now.
Marcus Kagler: Really?

Mark Gardener: Yeah. Why go into a studio and pay stupid money when you can put stuff down on a computer. I think the only case to go into studio’s is...you know, if you’re a live band or whatever you can do so much now as far as demo’s and stuff with a computer. They’re great. Of course, they drive you mad as well. But nothing can be that great. But I think you can put that sort of stuff on I-Mac. Why not? You know.

On Andy Bell

Marcus Kagler: So how do you feel about Andy Bell being in Oasis? Do you think that was a good move for him?
Mark Gardener: Yeah. I mean Andy was always a fan. I was a bit surprised to find he was playing bass with them because he’s a brilliant guitar player.

Marcus Kagler: So was I actually.

Mark Gardener: But obviously, I think he hit a point where he had tried to get the Hurricane thing happening, which it didn’t really, and I think he was sort of close to giving up on the whole thing. Then I think Noel sort of phoned over and said, “Do you want a job?” It’s like, “Yeah, why not.” If you’re going to play in a band then Oasis is a good band to do that with. They’re a good rock n’roll band and Andy was obviously a fan. It was good, but now it’s bit dull to me. I think it would be great for Oasis and better for Andy if he had more writing input really. I think he’s a brilliant writer, especially after playing some of the stuff he wrote with Ride. If he’s happy doing that, which he probably is...it’s simple you know, and he knows what he’s got to do then fine. He plays some massive shows with them. It’s good. I don’t really know completely how he feels about it. He must feel good about it or wouldn’t keep doing it would he?

Andy Bell Interview Transcription ExcerptsBelow are more excerpts from the Andy Bell interview. The subject headings represent the breaks in the interview.Sweden and Oasis

Andy Bell: About eleven years ago and I married a Swedish girl. When we first got married we lived in England and after about seven years we moved out here. So we moved out in ’99.
Marcus Kagler: Do you go back to England to go record with Oasis?

Andy Bell: Yeah, really I just go back there for work, which is the Oasis thing. So I spend a lot of time in London rehearsing in-between tours then we go off touring. For the last album, which is the first one I made with the band we recorded it in Oxford and London, but it was kind of like an English thing too. Yeah, I don’t get much of a chance to miss England because I’m always back there. [laughs]

Marcus Kagler: You must spend a lot of time commuting then.

Andy Bell: Yeah, I do. I know the airports of Europe very well.

New Shoegazer Bands and The Polyphonic Spree

Marcus Kagler: One thing we’ve been noticing for the past year or so is that a lot of bands have been popping up all around the United States that have a very space-rock, you know “shoegazer” sort of sound, but they are bringing it into the modern age with loops and things like that. It’s kind of odd that this sound which has been dormant for awhile is now popping up in loads of bands and they’re starting to get a lot of hype over here.
Andy Bell: Cool. Basically are they using a lot of guitar effects?

Marcus Kagler: Tons.

Andy Bell: The guitars are loud in the mix and everything and the vocals are-

Marcus Kagler: Yeah, the vocals are very under the mix. It’s very kind of ethereal sounding.

Andy Bell: That’s great! Once you start doing that you know you’re away. [laughs]

Marcus Kagler: Yeah. There are a lot of bands from Texas obviously. They’ve had their own particular brand of space-rock going on there for awhile now.

Andy Bell: The Polyphonic Spree are getting pretty big right now aren’t they?

Marcus Kagler: The Polyphonic Spree are great. They’re fantastic. Have you seen them live?

Andy Bell: I haven’t yet although I have a sticker. Some of the guys from Oasis went to see them and brought back some sticker’s saying, “I Have Seen The Polyphonic Spree”. So I’ve got the sticker on my pump organ, but I haven’t actually seen them. [laughs]

Marcus Kagler: If you ever get a chance to see them do it. They’ll make you feel good for a week, I swear.

Andy Bell: Oh, yeah, I’m sure.

Marcus Kagler: They sell white robes to their audience instead of T-shirts.

Andy Bell: No way! Oh my God.

Marcus Kagler: When I went and saw them they were doing just a showcase show at the Troubadour here in L.A. So I go to the Troubadour and there’s like a line around the block of people and more than a few were actually wearing the white robes.

Andy Bell: I take it the Troubadour is pretty small though, isn’t it?

Marcus Kagler: Yeah, it’s pretty small. But they rocked that place. They were amazing.

Andy Bell: I like the slower ones. I like the first two or three songs on the album but then the guys voice starts to grate on me a little bit. Like a Mercury Rev thing but they’re great anyway.

Marcus Kagler: Yeah, Tim Delaughter does have that quality to his voice. When I interviewed him though he said that album is just a demo they recorded in three days. They recorded it to give to club owners so they could get bookings for shows.

Andy Bell: The first song is called, “Have A Day” isn’t it?

Marcus Kagler: Yeah.

Andy Bell: [sings the chorus of the song] When I first heard it I thought they were saying, “Holiday / Celebrate.” I thought it was like a Madonna tribute sort of thing. [both laugh] I didn’t like it as much when I found out they weren’t singing that.

Kevin Shields

Andy Bell: You know, you meet Kevin Shields and he’s just a different kind of person. He’s not like a...he kind of really invented this whole thing and he’s still in there. In a way, it’s like a burden he’s got to bare because he’s such a perfectionist with sound and he’s just sort of...you start talking about the weather with him and within about fifteen minutes he’ll start talking about a certain amp. He can talk about an amplifier, really interestingly though, not boring, but he gets in really deep about things like that.
Marcus Kagler: So he gets kind lost in the technical aspects of the sound?

Andy Bell: I don’t know if he gets lost...he just enjoys it. He’s just got a minute, microscopic brain. It’s quite possible for someone like him to spend a week just really studying the sound of a microphone and an amp and moving it around. Whereas someone like me would probably do that for half an hour and then feel like I was wasting everyone’s time.

The Verve

Andy Bell: Me too. The Verve are a really good band too because they really embodied everything that was happened in England. They started out supporting Ride and being a part of that scene. The guitar effects and-
Marcus Kagler: Oh, yeah, with Storm In Heaven.

Andy Bell: Yeah, it’s an insane album. It’s great. They were able to hang on as a band and keep going through the whole 90’s and, you know, they became really big with Urban Hymns. What they did was kind of like what British music did or at least that little section of British music from ’92 to ’98 or ’99, whenever they split. It’s kind of like a little picture of it because it all became really popular, but it was also great as well. It’s just that it said, “Right now, we don’t want to be sidelined. We want to go onto the main stage and be the Beatles and the Stones of this generation.” That’s what the Verve and Oasis kind of became for young people in England in the mid-to-late ‘90’s. It was quality music at #1, #2 in the charts that people were really excited about. We haven’t had that for a long time.

American Mixing

Andy Bell: But American production is kind of well known for....I don’t, there’s something about an American fan, and British fans as well, someone like George Drakoulias and Rick Ruben they embody mixing the American way. It’s all about the vocal. The vocal is kind of like crystal clear and the drums...the vocals and the drums are recorded really beautifully and they sound clear and they’re there. All the drums are compressed and that’s what you hear when you turn it down as low as it will go and still hear it. On the volume you’ll just hear the vocals and the drums. Whereas our sound...that’s like the opposite. If you sort invert that completely that’s the kind of sound I think is more exciting. The sort of records you like from the ‘60’s and that kind of thing...the reason they blow you away so much is because they are unusual sounding. Like “Strawberry Fields” or “I Am The Walrus” or something, if you would solo the instruments on it they would probably sound really awful compared to the drums on a Jayhawks album. Not to knock the Jayhawks. They’re brilliant. But there’s a certain....
Marcus Kagler: There’s a different quality there.

Andy Bell: Yeah. I guess the American lo-fi thing that started out in the ‘90’s...that’s definitely one of the more influential things, isn’t it?

Marcus Kagler: Absolutely.

Andy Bell: Because it was kind of like...you had the bedroom dance thing where you could make a dance album in your bedroom if you had a sequencer. This was like you could make a record with instruments on it in your bedroom because someone like Pavement did it.

Marcus Kagler: They pretty much started modern day indie-rock as we know it. In a way. Or American indie-rock at least.

Andy Bell: Kind of, yeah. It’s the amateur sound. It was a revelation because here was a good band that said, “Hey, it doesn’t have to sound expensive.” Now, it’s like people want it to sound like that all the time. It’s like, “No, make it 8 bit. Make it 4 bit.” It’s like, “Instead of 24 bit sound...can you make it 1 bit?” [laughs] So four tracks now have become like a major recording tool in the studio and we’re using like old cassette four-tracks to record things and....it’s madness.

Marcus Kagler: A lot of bands also, these are actually bands who don’t have a lot money, but they have their I-Macs. There’s a great band from Texas called Lift to Experience, they’re on Robin Guthries label. Just an amazing, amazing space-rock band and they made the whole record in, basically, a garage using nothing but Pro-tools on an I-Mac and the thing sounds like they spent a year in the studio.

Andy Bell: Wow.

Marcus Kagler: I mean it’s amazing what you can do and they [Lift to Experience] said, “Yeah, we recorded this album for $2000.” It just blows my mind that people can do that. I guess the technology has gotten to the point where people don’t have to sound one bit anymore even though they are in a way because they don’t have the financing.

Andy Bell: I feel really positive talking to you. [laughs] It feels good, you know. It’s a nice conversation to have.

Marcus Kagler: Yeah?

Andy Bell: Yeah. On Mark Gardener

Andy Bell: It’s kind of cool that nothing really happened. It wasn’t like there was a shoegazer stadium festival or anything. [laughs] It was alright in the end. But how’s Mark doing? What’s happening?

Marcus Kagler: Oh, he’s working on his solo stuff. He’s living in France at the moment. Actually, when I called him he was at his dad’s house watching a football game. He was visiting. He said he’s been busy recording solo stuff. Apparently he’s converted a barn in France into a recording studio.

Andy Bell: Yeah, I heard about that. Last time I talked to him he was doing that. He hadn’t started doing it yet. He was saying that he sees through the walls. The walls were literally a pile of stones. [laughs]

Marcus Kagler: Yeah, he got an offer to come over to the States and do a tour to support to support the Ride best of...and the box set. He said he was going to do a mixture of Ride songs and his own solo material, kind of testing the waters with his solo stuff. It’s just him acoustic. He said it should be interesting.

Andy Bell: Well, I would love to see that. I’m not going to come over to America for it, but if he does some shows in England or Sweden I’ll be there. Now, you talked to Mark last week?

Marcus Kagler: Yeah.

Andy Bell: Did you get anything good out of him? I mean, he seems to be quite good at talking and putting things into perspective. I’m just interested in knowing what he said or how he seemed about all the '90’s thing.

Marcus Kagler: He seemed pretty positive about it. He said it was, you know, a great time in his life, but he also said everyone was very young at the time.

Andy Bell: Well, yeah.

Marcus Kagler: That you guys were kind of cutting your teeth with Ride. Basically, he doesn’t have any hard feelings about it or anything and he wouldn’t be averse to getting together and recording again with you guys.

Andy Bell: Yeah, we keep talking about that.

Marcus Kagler: But he said everyone seems to have their own thing going on so he doesn’t know when that will happen.

Andy Bell: Well, we did do it once. We did get together last year or the year before for one day.

Marcus Kagler: For the documentary?

Andy Bell: Yeah.

Marcus Kagler: Yeah, he talked very positively about that. He said it was a lot of fun.

Andy Bell: It was great!

Marcus Kagler: He said you guys didn’t have to worry about finances and all the crap that comes with being in a band or a band that has kind of established themselves. That you guys just got into a room and played. So you were satisfied with that too?

Andy Bell: Yeah, as a moment in time. There’s a document of it on CD, which has gone out there, but I think only a 1,000 people have got it.

Marcus Kagler: Yeah. I’ve heard it.

Andy Bell: Oh, you’ve heard it. Yeah, it’s, you know...[laughs]...well, what do you think of it?

Marcus Kagler: I think it’s really interesting. You know, it reminds me...I mean, I have several friends who are in bands and whenever they get something together they’ll say, “Hey, come over to the rehearsal space and hear what we have.” You know?

Andy Bell: Yeah.

Marcus Kagler: It’s just sounds like four guys....you know, at it’s core that’s what music is all about for the musicians. It’s about just getting together and playing.

Andy Bell: Yeah. Are you a fan of Can?

Marcus Kagler: Yeah.

Andy Bell: Because you know, Can used to just record a day of jams where they would record for twelve hours and then just edit it down to forty minutes. What we put out there on that thing is just forty minutes, you know, it’s not edited down at all. But if you took that track and edited it right down and then carried on in the studio hours and hours longer doing all different kinds of things. You know, doing quiet songs and loud songs. That would be something interesting for Ride to do because that would not be involving any type of song writing or any politics. It would just be about music and then you could just like, find all the little good bits and put them together.

Marcus Kagler: So, you wouldn’t be averse to recording with them again as well?

Andy Bell: Not at all. But, you know, we keep saying that among ourselves, but it’s just we’re all too busy. We’ve all got things to do. It’s something that I think would be nice to do at some point, but I’m not going to start arranging it. You know what I mean, because I’ve got this very, very time consuming job I do, which is great. You know I love being in Oasis and everything. When I’m not doing that I just want to be with my family in Sweden because most of the time when I’m working I’m away from them. It’s kind of hard to think about doing anything else apart from that for a long time to come. But...you never know.

Being The Front Man

Marcus Kagler: So do you think you would ever want to front your own band again?
Andy Bell: No. [Laughs]

Marcus Kagler: Why not? Too much of a headache.

Andy Bell: It’s just...I don’t know. I don’t know what’s happened to me? I’ve become quite lazy and I’ve become a bit set in my ways as well. You know, I like what I like. I wouldn’t want to be the leader of a band again.

Marcus Kagler: That reminds me of something that Mark Gardener told me.

Andy Bell: Yeah, what’s that?

Marcus Kagler: He made it a point to say that he wished you would get back to more songwriting and guitar playing because he thinks you’re a great songwriter and he kind of misses that aspect.

Andy Bell: Oh, yeah. He said I should do that. I see, yeah.

Marcus Kagler: Yeah. He hopes that the guys in Oasis kind of let you...I don’t know how it works with you guys but to let your song writing skills kind of shine.

Andy Bell: They’ve been trying to get me to bring songs in since I first joined and, you know, I’ve been probably given them four or five when we were doing the last sessions and we wound up doing two of them which is not bad because there’s a lot of songs about. A lot, an awful lot. But yeah, they’re very encouraging and I do play guitar when I’m with them, but I don’t play it on stage because I’m the bass player now.

Hurricane #1

Marcus Kagler: I wanted to ask you about Hurricane #1. How was being in Hurricane #1 different from being in Ride and Oasis?
Andy Bell: Well that was a strange kind of time. I had a really good time for those two years. It was only two years and we worked really hard. What I wanted really was to have my own little Oasis. It wasn’t something that I wanted when I first left Ride. You know it wasn’t like ‘Ride is finished so I’m going to go make a band straight away.’ It was just something that kind of happened. You know I fell into it and I loved Oasis anyway. That’s probably the reason why. Alan McGee was very much into proving he good do the Oasis thing again. So when I was looking about he was like, “Well, you’ve got all these demos you’ve done since Ride finished” because I’d come into Creation and played him so music. He said, “These are really good songs and you should put a band around yourself.” Because at the time I was doing the solo thing. I was recording and almost playing everything myself and I was doing the lead vocals. Alan McGee said, “Well, you could do this yourself, but why don’t you get a band yourself and get a fresh start and you can be the songwriter and the guitar player and you can relax a bit more.” In a way he was trying to say, “You can’t sing, you know. In the post Gallagher world.” Which is true.

Social Outlets

Andy Bell: I tend not to have a social life. I hang out with the people I’m in a band with. If I’m not with them I’m with my wife and my kids. Kid. I’ve got my second kid on the way.
Marcus Kagler: Congratulations.

Andy Bell: Thanks. So at the moment I’m with my kids, but at the moment there’s one I haven’t seen yet. You know what I mean?

Marcus Kagler: So do you feel like being in a band is kind of a social outlet for you?

Andy Bell: Yeah, yeah. I mean, that’s just with people I get on with. I guess I’m a bit lazy about keeping up with friends outside of my work. I do see them occasionally but I guess I’m not that sociable.

More Hurricane #1 & Oasis
Marcus Kagler: Are you satisfied with the material you did with Hurricane #1?
Andy Bell: Yeah. Looking back on it...of all the songs we released, which was two albums and B-sides I think we could’ve put together a really good album out of that. I don’t think that every track on the albums are good. I think about half the tracks on the each album are good. I think a few of the B-sides are really good and I think a few of the remixes are as well. So there is some good stuff there, but it was a weird old time.

Marcus Kagler: So were Noel and Liam big Ride fans when they asked you to join the band? Didn’t they tour with you at one point?

Andy Bell: Yeah, kind of. In the beginning Oasis or quite early on we did a last minute support slot with them which is one of the last gigs we did in England. There was kind of a cross over you know. When they first signed to Creation, me and Ida, my wife, used to see Noel and Liam around quite a lot in London because we were spending a lot of time in London. Either at Creation or going to Creation gigs. So we saw Oasis very early on a few times, and saw them at parties and got along really well with the guys we met which was Noel and Liam basically. Then Ride ended up supporting Oasis about two years later when Oasis was just breaking it really big. End of 95 or end of 94 or something like that, but anyway, we did a tour with them.

Marcus Kagler: So were you sur