An Obsession
I started playing in my first band, The Obsessions, in the late 1980s. We played the various popular watering holes around London, such as The Mean Fiddler, The Dublin Castle, and Dingwalls, offering our take on Indi pop with a melodic twang.
A demo tape produced by The Rumour's Martin Belmont did the rounds of the A&R offices, but we were seemingly men out of time. Lost somewhere between the dying embers of New Wave and the popular phoenix of New Romantics.
An Attraction
After producing a two-song demo with Attractions bass player Bruce Thomas, the formation of our new band, ‘Absolutely Sweet Marie' in early 1990s proved more promising, picked up by Richard Niles (who hasn’t he worked with?) to produce our hot two-song demo that was going to land us that big record deal. We showcased at Subterranea in Notting Hill but our twist on pop was not to be any record label's shout.
A big break
In 2016 a friend of mine died suddenly of a heart attack. I was invited to play at his wake (he was a keen bass player). I loved it. I’ve missed this so much, I thought.
The next day, playing football in the garden with my son, he smacked the ball at me incredibly hard. I broke three fingers and my thumb.
A set back. But with physio I got my fingers working again and found a gift for writing songs and lyrics that I didn’t realise I had. And I can’t stop.
It may come to nothing, but hey, I’m gonna do it anyway.
Songs for humanity
As a singer/songwriter I have a passion for the examination of the human condition.
And an obsession for the current state of the world we have inherited. It’s up to us all to have the conversations about how we live our lives, and how we can think and act for the benefit of everyone. It’s not quite too late.
You could say I've left it a bit late to still be writing pop songs. But as my current hero Sky Brown put it, “You can do anything no matter what age you are”. Such inspirational spirit!
I’m not claiming to write songs as well as she can skateboard. Or play guitar as well as she can surf. So don’t be getting your hopes up.
But if you can take something from any of these songs, if I can move you in some way, I’ll be really happy.
This is for all the people who deserve love.
Andy B
