SWING OUT SISTER ON THE POWER OF PATIENCE:

Autonomy and a methodical approach are the keys to album number 10 for the 1980s jazz-poppers

INTO the mid-1980s mire of poodle perms, white stilettos and tinny drum machines, Swing Out Sister breathed stylish air. From the shiny jazz-tinged pop, influenced by Bacharach and David, to Corinne Drewery’s style that merged androgyny with bright red lipstick, the razor-sharp bob that launched a thousand trips to the salon carved a smooth path through the charts.

Their first single, Breakout, introduced the band here and in the US, reaching No1 on the Adult Contemporary Charts. The debut album, It’s Better to Travel, went platinum and brought two Grammy nominations. However, the trio became a duo when Martin Jackson left during the recording of the second album, Kaleidoscope World, leaving Drewery and Andy Connell to continue. And they have, with the 10th album, Almost Persuaded, released in a fortnight.

Like many bands who have taken back control of how they make music, the album is the result of a crowdfunding campaign, but one that was considerably longer than they first planned. “We started this Pledge campaign about three years ago,” says Drewery. “We had already begun recording an album with cinematic arrangements of our old songs, but those who pledged seemed to be keen for us to write some new songs, so we changed direction. We thought it was going to take us a few months, but it’s taken us a few years.

“The great thing about Pledge is it puts you in direct contact with the audience, and they give you a lot more encouragement than a manager or any record company. They were incredibly patient. At one point we even offered them their money back but they were willing to wait. I think they knew we wanted to get it right.”

Connell believes this way of working allows them to be more “forensic” in targeting their audience. “If you want to find them you can find them, and when you do it’s much easier to have a conversation with them,” he says.

“The downside of Pledge is that it feels like a bit of a gold rush – anyone can take part, but some people shouldn’t. And as you know, in the gold rush very few people struck gold.”

The Pledgers received their CDs last November, one of the benefits of supporting the process, but the public release will also be available on vinyl. “I thought we’d never see anything we did on vinyl again, so I was surprised by the demand,” adds Connell, “but I forget that some of the people who have been with us from the 1980s will still have the original stuff kicking about.”

Well suited to the recent good weather, Almost Persuaded is a slice of feelgood music. “Yeah, these spells of sunny weather are falling nicely for us,” says Connell. “I’m looking ahead to the weather forecast for the release date. Music really does change, depending on the context you’re listening to it in.”

The band’s unmistakable sound is still there – a nod to cinematic Technicolour and a 1960s songwriting vibe, which can equally lend itself to late-night listening. “We’ve always done our own thing,” says Connell, “and never been too influenced by what else is going on. I’ve always been slightly monk-like, especially when we’re recording, but Corrie has been a little more receptive.

“I don’t think the records we’ve made are at all retro. We’re making the kind of music that was sidelined by punk and rock and others. If that hadn’t happened I think a lot of people would be making similar music to us.”

If the sound is still there, so is the style. The bob is back after years of being abandoned to different styles, and as Drewery worked in fashion design before joining the band, her eye is pretty unerring. “I never wanted to be pink or fluffy or girly, and there was a lot of that when we emerged. I wanted to look quite androgynous. Apart from being inspired by Annie Lennox in some ways, I loved the style of Bette Davis and Louise Brooks. I was never a sex bomb.”

SHE became something of a style icon, however, something that surprised Connell. “To be honest I’m not the most attentive to things like that, but I remember wandering around, not just London but other places too, and seeing girls who had the stripy tops and the man’s jacket, and a haircut that was very familiar. It’s interesting when you see that happening. I think it only works if it’s authentic; you can’t plan it.”

For Drewery it was simply a continuation of what she had been wearing at art school. “I wanted an element of freedom and something more durable. That’s why I started to go towards men’s clothes, because they tend to be better made. They last years and are more flattering in the cut.”

I mention that we met way back then, when I was pop scribe for the teenage magazine Jackie. “Oh, did I tell you back then that I applied to be a fashion illustrator on Jackie? I was so inspired by the drawings of the long-legged girls with massive eyes and painted-on eyelashes – those made me want to study fashion.”

Apart from borrowing heavily from her style, I also tortured my Billie Holiday-loving flatmate with the relentless optimism of the 12-inch remix of Breakout.

“Ha! I think our music was probably a rebellion against the likes of Billie Holiday. My mum always listened to the blues and loved Billie Holiday and Mahalia Jackson. She would say: ‘Why don’t you sing like that?’

“But I’ve always liked optimistic music. I think that we emerged at a time when things could be a bit more moody. I don’t think we were considered as being particularly cool at the time, but in hindsight people seem to appreciate what we did then.”

With the news that Hipsway have reformed, Drewery recalls their first tour in Scotland, supporting them. “That was a great way to see Scotland as well. We all piled in the back of a van and stayed in B&Bs. I think we benefited from an association with Hipsway and other Scottish bands who were label mates of ours like Texas and Wet Wet Wet. We did a gig in Glasgow – I think it was at the Pavilion – and at the aftershow, people were coming up to ask if we supported Celtic or Rangers. But there were crowds standing behind them, trying to tell us what we should or shouldn’t say! I didn’t care, of course. I was more