Rewind back to the beginning, where did it all start out for Cutting Crew?
In 1983 I was in a band called The Drivers and amazingly we managed to sign a deal with a Canadian label (RCA).They flew us over to Toronto where we recorded our album with legendary producer Terry Brown and mixed it at Morin Heights studios in Québec where Rush made all their famous albums. Then we toured across Canada and when in Nova Scotia, on the east coast, we were supported
by a fantastic band called Fast Forward and that was when I met my soon-to-be co-conspirator in Cutting Crew… Kevin Macmichael. It really was musical love at first sight. We became good friends and promised that if our bands split up we’d try and do something together. In 1985 he flew over to England and we started what would be a fantastic journey. He arrived with his guitar and holdall…no
suitcase. That is KSMJust like when you find the perfect house, the perfect partner… I knew instantly with Kevin it was right as it all became so easy and so much fun with no egos and he played absolutely majestically on all of our songs. Sadly he died on the last night of 2002 and I miss him very much as a pal, collaborator and teacher.
What and who motivates or influences you in your quest to make great music?
The Drivers were a spunky, hard rocking three-piece band coming out of the end of the new wave movement in the UK. Crazy, superfast three minute songs with me playing guitar. XTC meets Squeeze meets Freddie and the Dreamers. You could not have imagined a bigger change. Suddenly it was a five piece band with big arrangements and layering harmonies and moving into all kinds of areas I’d never gone into before. I think it was this nod of the head to my teenage years loving prog-bands like Genesis and Pink Floyd that I finally got to be in a band that could handle the grooves and changes that I loved as a younger man!! Of course it’s been 34 years since the start of CC and so many other fabulous bands and writers have emerged and I always seek out the unfound and can be totally blown away by somebody nobody has truly EVER heard of. Like Nikki Wells and Blurred Vision and Mir….so damn wrong and that’s the music business.
Also, I’ve always been a big classical music fan and I have to admit that even if I could never write a note in the artistic calibre of somebody like Elgar or Delius but I at least aspire to.. and in the same moment it makes me want to give up forever and at the same time makes me wanna get the keyboard and guitar and write my next song..if that make sense?
We’ve seen a classic track of yours reworked incredibly! What else can we expect from Cutting Crew in the coming months? We’d love to see a tour!
Yes, the new album “Ransomed Healed Restored Forgiven” is ready and released and we are getting some very very kind comments. CC are not used to this haha.
It’s 10 songs I chose from the past 30 odd years recorded with the Prague and Slovenia Philharmonic Orchestras. We have a UK tour with an orchestra arranged for next year (if the dreadful pandemic allows). I’ve sung with orchestras before and it is a truly uplifting experience. So I’m very excited AND if I can find a conductor and an orchestra in Australia I’ll be there in a second…I’ll even pay for my own flight and shack up with mates in every State..that’s the Aussie way eh??
What are you guys working on right now? Any new projects in the pipeline?
Well we’ve had 22 gigs cancelled so far this tear with huge festivals all over the world but they are slowly beginning to come to life again next year… so that would’ve been the upcoming 2020.
Of course because of the lock-in, like 10,000 other musicians we all get idle fingers. I’ve been looking over songs I’ve written since I was 18 and finding demos on all kinds of different formats.
Cassette, CD, minidisks, DAT tape. It’s been an arduous but rewarding process and I found a few real gems. So maybe a compilation of that…OR one that’s really exciting me is an album of songs that blew me away since I was 12 years old where I get the band to rework them and I belt them out: anything from Led Zeppelin to The Faces to Paulo Nutini to James Taylor..gotta do that before I die..odds are lower these day.
Give us an insight into Cutting Crew’s creative process. What gets you guys writing songs?
I’m talking to you now in my studio and on one of the walls I have a piece of wallpaper 25 feet long which has every lyric or title idea I have written on it in big felt tip pen, so that I can look up at any point from the keyboard or guitar and see out the corner of my eye. I like this non-sequitur approach where you are working hard on the melody and chords and grooves and as soon as you see the lyric you just sing it immediately… because it gives meter and also sense. Often nonsense…haha…but that’s the trick and the fun. I’ll record a very rough demo of my guitar or keyboard playing with the rough melody and lyrics and then it’s up for grabs. Usually I stand in the middle of the room with the full band which could be anything from 5 to 12 people as it was on the “Add to Favourites” album and we record mostly live off the floor. I love that edge and excitement of everybody being in the same boat, so any mistakes you start again. Of course some parts can’t be recorded totally live and I usually get to do my vocals immediately afterwards.
This is how they used to do it in the old days and my first manager, Chas Chandler was the bass guitarist with The Animals (he also managed Jimi Hendrix and Slade) and one night he told me about The Animals coming down to London and recording their entire first album in one afternoon, then sleeping in the Turkish baths in Russell Square overnight and catching the train home to Newcastle the following morning. That album spawned “ House of the rising sun” “Don’t let me be misunderstood” and “ We gotta get out of this place”. Not a bad day’s work!
In the 80s it was very different with lots of layering and sequences and horrible reverb… and that defined the early CC sound, as that is what you did in those days, but I did find the process extremely labourious and you really had to keep focused especially with so much booze and chemicals around the studio….but that’s another story……..
Success is something you guys are familiar with! What’s the secret to it?
I can only lay claim to keeping my success going for all these years, but the secret of the initial success is the absolute mystery and also the total allure to why the music business will always draw thousands into it: it is the complete fairy story where you can come from nothing to stardom within months. No other industry can do that apart from maybe online gurus and porn.
Our first album “Broadcast” sold over 3 million albums and of course “ (I just) Died in your Arms” went to number one all over the world. Always thought it was strange how the press couldn’t wait to attack us because we had the audacity to come from nowhere, but of course we’d all paid our dues for 10 years before that in all the other bands that would fade away miserably in all those shitty pubs and from earnest but awful demo recording sessions. There’s always a book to write on this…
But I will say to any youngster trying to break into the industry, only ever be yourself, never listen to the so-called experts, especially managers. Some managers are an hilarious breed who don’t have to have any qualifications at all and 80% of them are completely useless!!!! So be true to yourself and don’t be mis-guided, right through to the very end because if you try to fake it…the public will see it. I’ve been there, and sadly it can cost you years of your life: Ask my daughter and wife.
What do you think has been Cutting Crew’s biggest career highlight so far?
Radio City Music Hall, NYC in 1989 being nominated for a Grammy. Going to Prince’s after-show party then bumping into Steve Winwood and Little Richard…the true KING of rock and roll!!!
But for me when I first started to play guitar properly I was a huge “ Police” fan and therefore Sting was an hero of mine. I don’t mind admitting we played Top of the Pops in Los Angeles in 198? and I met him in the mezzanine preshow and he was sitting there very nervous and I said, are you okay mate?..he said yeah but I’m nervous, I’ve got to dance in this song tonight and I’m a shit dancer…. so he showed me a few moves and I told him you’ll do just fine.. I think the song was called “If you love somebody, set them free”. Unforgettable as you never know when you’ll finally meet your pin up.
Which stars of the music industry do you find inspiring?
Like I said earlier, I dig deep and probably don’t own any of the really big famous albums. “The Colours of Spring” by “Talk Talk” is my all-time number one album and I think that Mark Hollis was a true genius and the album is perfection in every single note from start to finish. Tom Odell is one of the best somgwriters out there as he can make emotion pour through every single word that he sings BUT probably my favourite pop songwriter of all time is your Antipodean mate Neil Finn. I met him once at a gig in London I went to see him and afterwards he came up and
chided me for having the audacity to leap over top of “Don’t dream it’s over” when “ (I just) died in your arms” went to number one in USA. Frankly, I prefer his song!! Some really cool successful newish bands I adore are Black Keys, Van Hertzen Brothers and Midlake.
The music industry is constantly changing, what’s been the biggest change for you guys since the 80’s?
It’s totally unrecognisable nowadays and it would take an entire book to write about how many changes there are. When I started out, you would turn up in an office 200 miles from where you lived and play a cassette to an A&R guy who was probably on the phone at the same time, after you’d spent the last six months of your life and every penny you had recording three plucky demos.. Now you don’t even go to labels with a demo. You have to give them the finished product; record labels are more like shops now.
And then if you fail, all on your own tab, you are never heard of again: BUT if you have success then of course they have the muscle of these huge corporate entities at pushing you further and further up the ladder. THAT IS THE LURE. We got the benefit of that with Virgin when our first album was released. But I strongly feel that the risk and endeavour and blood sweat and tears is all on the side of the artist these days.It mostly always was, but now it’s an even more unfair equation.
And of course now we have just released a new CD and I have been happily sending out to my friends the box set (and vinyl) and so many of them have said thank you so much Nick, but I don’t even have a CD player anymore. Everything is about streaming now and our figures on Spotify have been quite remarkably good, but the lawyers and accountants representing us in the music biz haven’t caught up with the streaming world yet…aaaaaagagahahaha and I feel so much for a young band who have have a hit record: back in my day you would sell pieces of plastic and then money would actually arrive (eventually) sometimes by the truckload.. but the streaming royalty is so dismally paltry and so, frankly, insulting, something has to change SOON!
Tell us your favourite and least favourite part about this line of work and why?
My favourite part is walking on stage in NSW or in Mexico City or Montréal or Berlin and singing songs that I wrote last year, or 30 years ago and 2000 people recognising them or singing along ..or at least pretending to. I make my money from songwriting and I think I’m a pretty good record producer too, but the real buzz is on stage singing my ass off and telling the stories and I’m privileged to still be doing it all over the world.
The worst part is walking on stage in NSW or Mexico City or Montréal or Berlin and the promoter or agent has lied and there is not any correct equipment even close to the city, and the venue is not what we expected…the cool club is a deserted garage and our meagre request for a shower cubicle, a kettle, some towels, and a soundcheck, 10 bottles of beer and some sandwiches is replaced with 6 packets of crisps, 4 old avocados and the worst PA you’ve ever heard.
CC played a show in the old East Germany years ago in beautiful town called Weimar and when we got there the support band were looking at us as if to say… we are so sorry. They were the support band and the promoter and the provider of the gear. It was so bad it was exploding every 10 minutes. So they did their show throughout an audio firework display and before we hit the stage I got the entire audience to move their chairs into a round circle and I sat in the middle with CC and we played it acoustically. It was a beautiful evening of honesty and sharing and I’m proud that we had the balls to change it up. I still get emails from fans who were there that night.
Name a few of your favourite Australian artists.
Well I lived in the Fitzroy area of Melbourne for about six months a few years ago, as my daughter was working down there in your beautiful country and without blowing any smoke up any arse, I do adore Australia. I do love the new Australia. It was pretty spiky back in the 80s for a Pom but I think you have a gorgeous new young generation coming through alongside you oldies. I have a lovely girlfriend in Ballarat and we went on up to the Rainbow festival at Mount Mitchell and I could not believe my eyes when I saw the amazing Tash Sultana. Quite astonishingly talented…she hasn’t really broken here but I know she’s a big, hard name on the festival circuit: I want to hear more from her.
On the superstar level… well one of the greatest song writers and singers of the last 10 years has to be Seer. Full stop. An enigma. Damaged goods that she shares with the world. True, raw, beautiful writing that I think possibly accidentally became a provider of worldwide smash hits for her and others. I hear she’s just directed a movie and if she puts the same amount of emotion into that and I can’t wait to see it.
One of the things I love about Australia is your sense of humour. I need to have this ability as well (because I’m a big cricket fan) and a band that nailed it for me (in general it’s really hard to do because if you do comedy in music you sometimes fall over flat dead) is your Adelaide band “The Beards”…just bloody sensational. Inventive, fearless and nuts!!!.I couldn’t believe that they played their last show in the UK a few years back and I could’ve been there that night. I hope they all are well and successful and looking after their beards without their barbers to help them
through this crazy upsidedown world.
The shape of the music industry has changed significantly over the years, including the use of social media, how do you feel about the industry as a whole and what does it mean to you in getting Cutting Crew back out into the public eye?
Yeah, we got all the Facebook and Instagram and Twitter and it takes a lot of work to keep it going but frankly it is absolutely crucial. Remember the days when used to put a poster on the wall outside a crossroads in Perth or New York? Well now we can do that and 100,000 people can read it. It’s a very powerful tool and necessary evil. I only say evil because sometimes the wrong kind of image can come over if you’re trying to sell product so I always try to keep my pages balanced between fun personal stuff, old pictures, new projects and then occasionally slipping in a bit of sales. I reluctantly gave permission for my record company to own my Facebook page for the release of this album but they’ve been pretty kind actually, but I know I need to keep it personal so I’ve been recording video clips of each song on the album and what it means to me and why it was recorded. A tricky balance….the jury is out.
Any plans to collaborate with others? Who is on your wish-list?
Well if Annie Lennox gave me a call I probably would not turn her down. Truly an angel in every sense….. and if I was in a bar in Nashville and Bonnie Raitt asked me to get up and sing with her I’d probably buy her a bourbon, piss my pants but still jump at the chance.
Bowie is on another sphere…I’d just make him beans on toast and watch him eat…if he asked for coffee it would have to be instant….of all those brilliant, towering gods we have lost recently, his passing is the the one I still believe is a hoax.
(I Just) Died In Your Arms , one of the biggest tracks to come out of 1986. Tell us how it all came together for Cutting Crew, the lyrics, the performances and what does it mean to the group now after all these years.
About half of the debut album I wrote before we even formed the band and one of these was “(I just Died in your Arms)” The story behind the writing of this has become mythological…
pathological even. But the truth is I got back together with a girlfriend and we spent the night together and I wrote those words down the following morning and within a month I’d written the song. I bet you’ve been told 100 times by your interviewees that the best ones come quickly. Julian Cope once said something like this… that if ever you have a song at your fingers that sounds familiar, or you feel uncomfortable because it’s just too quick, too easy… just hold on and see it through: and that’s what I did.My demo was pretty good but when Kevin heard it he realised that I’d made an 8 track demo with about seven guitar tracks on it so he had the impossible task of trying to make seven guitar parts into one!! and he did it of course because he is Kevin MacMichael. We put the band together and after two false starts, one in New York and one in London, we finally called the cavalry, my old mucker, Terry Brown, flying in from Canada and within a week we are back on track.
Brilliant Colin on bass and Martin on drums, and crucially Peter Vetesses on keyboards we invented that sound we made. Nothing earthshatteringly really different… but it was our sound and IJDIYA..well it just screamed and screamed. People would come into the studio and ask who we were… who is this band with this song? But that’s just the easy bit….then you have to make sure
the record company shoot the video right…. get the press right… and the pictures right and we just managed to sneak in right at the end of the 80s…. a couple of years before the whole scene changed. Timing is everything even if it’s accidental.This song is my passport, my surprising dinner conversation, my 23 year old nieces’s screenshot moment, my friggin’ bank manager, and often I’ve been asked if it’s like an albatross around my neck…..but not really; I never have had a problem with that. So long as you keep the song fresh and play it with a big rocking heart and respect all those fans that have driven hundreds of miles to hear a song that meant something so much to them back in the day, or even yesterday..simple really.
Recording it again with the orchestra all these years later was a daunting task. My dad used to save say ‘leave well enough alone’ and I was nervous about the deal I just signed, but we pulled it off and I’m really proud of the album and the new version of my song. There is also a track on the album where I am singing that same tune, just with the orchestra, re-arranged, and I have to admit that I cried my eyes, out sometimes during, and definitely after my performance as the lyrics can mean so much more to a 60-year-old man as opposed to a 28-year-old man especially with that lyric about dying, love and regret.
Any last words?
Thanks for the chance to tell my stories and I wish it could’ve been an audio interview, because actually so many of the stories, I’m telling with a few dark laughs and sometimes with my tongue firmly in my cheek. Cutting Crew is not the biggest band in the world by a very long shot but we had about five fantastic years at the top of the tree…and we left our mark..like it or not… and since then, being out of the driving seat can be hard but my steering is good and my wheels are still turning.
I’ve toured your country three times now (last time gasping in the bushfires in Coffs Harbour) and I’m always humbled by the amazingly generous reaction from you all… on the other side of my world.
One quick secret if I was 18 now I’d be down there picking oranges in Queensland and trying to sneak under the radar after my Visa ran out. Hope to see you all again soon.
But whatever…. please be safe, wise and stay patient. This too shall pass and when words fail, music speaks!!!! Nick
Website: cuttingcrew.biz
Facebook: facebook.com/CuttingCrewMusic
Twitter: twitter.com/The_CuttingCrew
Instagram: instagram.com/cuttingcrewmusic
Apple Music: music.apple.com/gb/artist/cutting-crew/
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/3cniTumSiUysiPWXapGx1i
Youtube: youtube.com/channel/UC3pQprxYRAezQae-og8U0VA/videos