Still fire in the Belly...
THE Britpop era is close to the hearts of those who lived through it, with the likes of Oasis, Pulp, Blur and Elastica shaping the blissful musical landscape of a generation now grappling with the complexities of middle age.
Less fabled than some of their peers, but just as close to the hearts of their fans, Echobelly are making a low-key return to a live music scene that was unceremoniously stopped in its tracks in March 2020.
Downsized from its 1990s heyday, the band is now comprised of just guitarist Glenn Johansson and vocalist Sonya Madan.
But the two still possess excitement and enthusiasm, alongside a new level of maturity and understanding about what they want to achieve musically.
Echobelly are set to embark on their first post-Covid tour in the autumn, which will see them play at Firebug, Leicester, on October 11, and they are expecting a strange but exciting feeling being back on stage once more.
“I think it’s going to be a strong wave of emotion when we get back on stage and it will be just as strong as the people coming to the gigs,” said Sonya.
“We’ve been in this strange situation this past year and hopefully people can get really excited and look forward to shows again, maybe let off some steam, and be able to go out with their friends and enjoy live music for the first time in a while.”
Glenn said: “It’s going to be a good experience to play in front of people again. I think everyone has missed live music and will be desperate to get back to it.”
This is far from the band’s first trips to Leicester. They played at The Charlotte throughout the 90s, while more recently they appeared at The Cookie in 2019.
Sonya said: “Leicester fans are always really lovely, welcoming, and supportive. Playing for as long as we have, you see fans coming and going depending on how well-known you are.
“But we always try and put on our best possible show, and the people of Leicester always respond very positively to that.”
Glenn agrees. “We played at The Charlotte many times at the start of our careers,” he said.
“They really supported us through those early years. We had a great reception from them.”
Minfdul of their Britpop heritage while always looking to progress their sound, the duo strive to accommodate die-hard fans alongside the ones who only know their biggest hits.
Sonya said: “We have hardcore fans who know the lyrics better than I do, and then there are people who are only
there for the old music and the biggest hits, and would be disappointed when you don’t play them.”
Glenn said: “There are some songs that we will always have to play, but you’ve just got to time it right and judge the crowd. People have been really responsive to our new music and appreciate what we’re doing, and it’s good to see.”
The pair are passionate about what needs to be done to support the music industry as it comes out of the pandemic, saying that not enough support has been offered to help venues and bands trying to get back on their feet.
“I think it will need to be a national recovery with support from the government for the industry to fully recover,” Sonya said.
“I was speaking with a French journalist and they spoke about the big effort and support being offered to bands and venues – it’s vast compared with what we’ve had here.
“I think it’s awful how little support there is for bands and venues. The big acts will be okay, but it will have been really tough for small to mid-sized bands trying to get by as professional musicians.
“It’s a very weird experience to be a member of a band, you’ve got to be a bit crazy to do this because there’s no back-up or support when it fails.
“I think, for local venues and working artists, it’s going to be very strange and difficult post-Covid.
“The musical heritage of our country makes us all very determined, and I think gigging will be something we work hard to get back to what it once was, but we will not stop to get there.”
Sonya and Glenn believe the demand and desire for live music is still strong, but the industry has become a more challenging environment in some ways.
“I think the passion for the live scene is as healthy as it ever was,” said Sonya. “Covid-19 has just reassured people of their love for live music and want to get out and see bands as soon as possible.
“But it has changed in other ways. If you see live music as a pyramid, it’s a lot more longer and pointier than what it once was, there’s not as much middle ground for bands to progress and grow.
“At the same time, you’ve got to try and not be negative when everyone else is, and just keep writing and performing songs, showing them why they should listen.”
Glenn added: “I think record companies have gotten a bit tighter and a bit less likely to put forward as many singles. I think it’s harder for smaller artists to break through.”
Britpop survivors Echobelly talk to Corey Bedord about Leicester audiences, pleasing the die-hard fans while staying contemporary and live music’s difficult path out of lockdown