Interviews

Republica Interview

• 19th Sep 2010

Rebublica are back… but for how long?… and why?

Their self-titled debut album was released in July 1996 and reached number 4 in the UK album charts. The years following saw a progressive dip towards their demise, their follow up (Speed Ballads) failed to match the success of their debut, quickly followed by their label at the time (Deconstruction) folding.
We caught up with Saffron to dig a little deeper into the re release of their biggest hit ‘Ready to Go’ in April of this year & their upcoming live dates.

Going back to the announcement in April, tell us a bit more about what inspired the reunion.
Our record label wanted us to re-release Ready To Go with mixes, but had lost the original musical parts! Me and Andy Gray recreated it from scratch, Alan Moulder mixed it, and the Republica boys did some mixes aswell.

Where have you all been for the past few years?
I did a duet with The Cure which went on their greatest hits album. I also did a video for the single for the single 'Just Say Yes' and performaed on a couple of shows. Also worked with Junkie XL attaining the number 1 in the dance charts with 'Beauty Never Fades'. Did the Carl Cox and friends world tour, guested on Suicide Sports Club's album Electric Mistress, and guested on Maxim from The Prodigy's solo album. Been studying Wing Chun Kung Fu and written a short film script.
Johnny's been working on his electronic band Contra Mundum, Tim has had a family and solo House project, and Johnny and Tim both did Go Kart Mozart.

How do you feel the band's dynamic has changed since your debut?
The last tour of America was a 65 city date tour, and although it was brilliant fun it became unsustainable, plus pressure from the label. This time around, we have complete control to release exactly what we want.

When Deconstruction folded and BMG acquired your back catalogue, they released a Greatest Hits album without consent. Do you feel this had a negative effect on you bringing out any new material?
Yeah, it was an abomination! They didn't even bother to talk to or contact us on tracklisting, artwork etc and the biog was made up! It was actually politically out of our hands to release anything anyway.

What advice do you have for newer bands having been in the industry for as long as you have?
Clear focus of what you want to achieve, agree on which members write songs, find yourself a good manager and lawyer, and be prepared to work very very hard.

Are there any new bands or artists that you rate at the moment?
Passarella Death Squad, Patrick Wolf, Tenek, Chapel Club, Wild Beasts, Ladyhawke, IMX, Girl In A Coma, and I'm looking forward to the new Leftfield stuff.

Remembering you guys first time round, is this tour about nostalgia or are you looking to grab the attention of a new generation of music fans?
Both! Our hardcore fans have waited for so long we owe them big time, and because in our wildest dreams we didn't expect Ready To Go to be one of the most synced songs of all time, we expect most people to have heard the song but not necessarily seen the band.

Where is the reunion going? Where do you see the band going in the next 2 years? Are you looking to get back into the chart etc?
We're all very excited about the live shows, and to see the fans' reactions to our new songs that we're finishing for our new EP. The industry has dramatically changed in the past few years, so we're very pleased that the Ready To Go remixes got so high in the dance chart.

You a particularly positive and well deserved response from the media back in the 90's being at the forefront of the explosion of female fronted rock bands. How do you feel the media will be this time round?
You never can tell with media! Just desire that their opinions and reviews are based on the merit of our new music and live shows.

Which of the summer festivals would you choose to headline?
Bestival, as it sounds like great fun. T in the Park and V Festival have always been big favorites, we loved playing Reading and Glastonbury and all the US festivals we've played were great.

Who would be your dream collaborators? Is there an artist in particular you think you'd gel with or is a bit of an icon?
Dr. Dre, Missy Elliott, RZA, Suiss Beats, and Jay Z. The production in Hip Hop has no boundaries of genre. They use different drum percussion sounds with Gary Numan minor analogue synth chords. I find their approach to music production more progressive and interesting than anything in rock at the moment.

… See Republica live in London on Wednesday 13th October at Islington Academy