Back and on a mission: Chatting with The Boo Radleys

Critically acclaimed and adored worldwide, the Merseyside band The Boo Radleys are back and with a bang with their long-awaited new release 'A Full Syringe And Memories Of You'.                  The brit-pop spectacles known for their hard-hitting lyrics and cheerful renditions of 'Wake Up It's A Beautiful Morning' have decided to re-form after a long and restful break. Known for their instantly recognizable vocals and up-beat instrumentation, the band are back to prove that they're here to stay and The Boo's won't back down so easily.

Whether you realise it or not, there's a chance you've found yourself enthralled in the astonishing vocals of The Boo Radleys. 

With the release of their first single in nearly a quarter of a century, I had the pleasure of chatting to Sice and Tim about 'Wake Up Boo!' and everything sparkling and new...

Hey guys! How are you doing?

Sice: I’m doing very well, thanks. How are you?

 

I'm doing great thank you! For anyone unfamiliar with The Boo Radleys, would you introduce

yourselves?

Tim Brown: I am Tim Brown, bassist with The Boo Radleys.

S: Hi there, I’m Sice from the Boo Radleys. We’re a pop band from Merseyside. First, we were told we were psychedelic… then grungy… then we were told that we were shoe-gazey… then we were told we were Britpop… then we got told we were being difficult… then we were no more. Now we are more again.

 

How would you describe the band’s sound?

S: As tuneful as it gets.

T: Hard to describe, we have a history of being experimental which has given us the freedom to go anywhere with each song. However, our new material is a more poppy mix of guitar and keyboards than some of our older material.

With the band name coming from ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, are there any other hidden easter-eggs in your music that is related to or has been inspired by literature?

S: We had a song called “Charles Bukowski is dead,” and also one called “Boo Forever” (which is a poem by Richard Brautigan). “Sweet Salad Birth” from our first album “Ichabod and I” was inspired by a line from Antony and Cleopatra by Shakespeare… there is a shedload of them.

 

Do you think being from Liverpool and having such a rich northern music scene has had any influence on the way you create?

T: Certainly, Liverpool bands have had an influence on my aspirations in the music industry. I wanted to be in the Beatles when I was young. But of course, my influences come from across the world.

S: I honestly don’t think so. I don’t feel it anyway. I left the north a long time ago…

 

With the success of ‘Wake Up Boo!’ were you ever scared of being pegged as a ‘one hit wonder’?

S: Not at the time… then I became terrified of it… now I just think it’s funny.

T: Subsequent singles very quickly proved that that may be the case. There is still hope that it is not. But in this world of streaming, who knows.

What was the decision behind the band coming to an end?

T: Certainly wasn’t something I wanted but in hindsight was probably the right decision. We would have had to start again and frankly we had been spoiled. Our debt to Creation / Sony proves that.

S: We were just tired of it. These days, nobody splits up, they just go on hiatus when they’re sick of each other. I like there to be a definitive ending to things.

Following on, what have you guys been doing for the past 20 years?

S: I was a stay-at-home dad. Formed a new band for a bit. Wrote a novel – Thimblerigger (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thimblerigger-Simon- Rowbottom/dp/0992995647). Retrained as a psychologist. Ran my own private practice (still do). Launched a business in educative mental health. Wrote songs. Played a lot of golf. Made new friends. Had fun.

 T: Teaching IT and Music Technology in Northern Ireland.

What brought on the decision to come back and make music? Did you feel that that part of your lives was missing and you needed it back?

T: I have missed being in the Boo Radleys and had no great desire to be in any other band. It was great to rekindle our friendship and work together once again.

S: It came out of a decision between me, Tim and Rob to work on each other’s songs. It’s something that the Boo Radleys had never done before – so we’re trying something new. We were always about experimenting to keep ourselves interested,and this is more of the same.

 

Talk to us about A Full Syringe And Memories Of You.

S: It’s my angry response to the horrifying inhumanity that will not allow a terminally ill person to depart this life with dignity, grace and comfort. We will look back on these times with the same horror that we now regard the indignities of early asylums.

How does the new single differ to your previous releases? Are you taking your music in a new direction or picking up where you left off?

T: This is very much DIY. In the past we spent thousands recording in the top studios in the UK. This time round it was all done at home. In reality the sound is more open and less space is consumed by distorted guitars which gives listeners a chance to hear Bobby Boo shine.

S: Well, it’s a completely new direction as there’s never been a Boo Radleys record written by me, Tim and Rob before.

 

What do you want to accomplish this time round?

S: To have fun and enjoy every second of life.

T: It is just great to have new music out and I it is great to hear Sice's voice on a Boo’s record once again. I am looking forward to playing together live and hope that our new songs bring some joy to our fans.

 

Any messages for your fans?

T: Hello, we are back.

S: Hello again! It’s been ages. Let’s grab a beer and you can tell me everything you’ve been up to…

Lana Williams

@swimdeeplana

Image: Provided by PR