Glenn : Thank You

Brett Anderson : Hello again, Glenn.

G.O. : Hello, Brett.

B.A. : How are you doing mate ?

G.O. : I'm doing fine. Thank you very much for doing this interview.

B.A. : Not a problem.

G.O. : OK, Brett. Let's begin the interview
right now.

B.A. : OK.

G.O. : First & foremost, Brett. Congratulations on the release of Head Music, the 4th album from you guys.

B.A. : Thank you. (chirpyly)

G.O. : I'm just wondering, are you guys happy with the final product ?

B.A. : Yeah. I think so ,yeah. You can be , you know what I mean ? It's kind of one of the weird things of being in a band is you're always looking forward to the minute you release (your new album) & suddenly go to the next one. I'm (already) thinking of that & what we should be doing (for the next album). But you know, I'm happy with it.

G.O. : How much has Suede changed over the years musically ?

B.A. : Ermm…(thinks) I can't ( tell whether) the kind of music we love & we make has changed that much, you know what I mean ? I think (that) at the end of the day ( when) we write a song, that's the important thing for us. I think we probably should lose some back….?(inaudible) a little bit. And hopefully we'd get a bit more range. I think when we start back (working on the next album), we'd pretty much (do) one (part) to it only. You know what I mean ? I mean, there's only one thing (at a time) that we could do. I'm quite proud of the sound, you know. You get Elephant Man next to She's In Fashion, next with Everything Will Flow, you know what I mean ? I feel we've got a bit of range.

G.O. : Speaking of She's In Fashion, I heard you guys had a lot of trouble on that track.

B.A. : Yeah, we spent 6 months trying to make it sound like we spent 5 minutes to be able to do it. It's really weird. It's not like something we haven't done before, you know what I mean? It's just 2 chords & it's about 15 instruments. It's just a mere extension, it's always the same way about how it sounds, really simple & easy & stuff (but ) you spend 15 months trying to get it right.

G.O. : It's (She's In Fashion) a really big hit here in Singapore.

B.A. : That's cool. (chirpyly)

G.O. : What's Suede's vision for the youth of today ?

B.A. : Well, that's something…..Mmmmmphh, (to tell you the truth) I don't really have one ! (surprised). You know what I mean ? I don't really think I (should be exampled ) as a leader in any way. You know, honestly, my job is to describe to people rather than leading them on, you know what I mean ? I won't probably make the wisest choice of my life telling people what to do ! (laughs)

G.O. : Many of your fans seem to connect with Suede, not just imagewise, but lyrically as well. How have you managed to stay connected all these years ?

B.A. : I really don't know ! (chirpyly) I guess, the things,there are a couple of things that I sing about, are common to a lot of people, (they're) kind of universal. I sing about what's it like to be , you know, young & hip in a big city. You know, it's not a complex thing (that)I sing about. I sing about, kind of like, a love life, work life & a pig… ? (not very sure) in a big city. (mumbles)……. I still (cherish) my friends I mixed with, (they) haven't really changed . You know, I don't spend a lot of time, you know, at celebrity hang-outs. I don't go to film premieres & stuff. And I always find it a bit grim when bands get to the stage & sing about what's it like being in a band. I can't think (that) most people (would be) interested. I sing about a man, about (ordinary) people literally. Luckily, the things that we do & the life that we lead, I think are structured to a story of (everyday) people.

G.O. : Suede, without a doubt, has one of the largest fan bases in the world, with the websites, internet & stuff. The suede fan base looks set to increase even more. What do you guys do stay in touch with your fans ?

B.A. : Tell the world. The rest of the band are constantly on the net. If anyone has been on a Suede chat page or anything like that, chances are, you're probably talking to one of the rest of the band. You logged in & they turned out to be some 12 year-old Spanish fan. (laughs) They'd be going spying on & see what everyone is saying about you. Yeah, it's great. I know Simon (has done this) a couple of times. He actually got involved with these things. He's the most silent (in the band, but at the same time, he's) giving info on the band & stuff. But now, it doesn't relate to (us) anyway because it doesn't make sense. (Me - I think Brett is trying to say that Simon makes jokes & tells funny lies about the rest of the band, that's why they don't make sense. )

G.O. : If you guys can make one difference in the world right now, what will it be ?

B.A. : (Takes a very deep breath). I'll tell you what I like actually . I'd like who is a man, becomes a woman & a woman is to be a man. (laughs) I'd utterly completely change the world & people would like to (treat) each other with a bit more colour, slightly more with interest. No, it might be a huge wall, but it's worth a try. I'd be off the coast.

G.O. : What's the most disturbing thing you've heard in the news recently?

B.A. : The most disturbing thing I've heard in the news recently ? (thinks) God, this is a bit of history. Let me think. I think the thing, that I've always been scared of, you know, (is) regarding the atomic bomb, Nazis & skylights ? (not very sure) in Germany. I guess, it's always the scariest thing , you know what I mean ? If you're ( living in) a a part of Europe, that sort of thing, (you take) it incredibly, seriously. That sort of thing affects every family in Britain.

G.O. : Suede will embark on a world tour soon. Tell us more about it.

B.A. : Mmmm….well, we're going all around Europe. Ermm, we've actually questioned the band before ( on the length of the world tour) . The touring session will take a long time actually, for the first time. We're going to Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong. We're going to Australia for the first time. Ermm, & then we'll come back (to England) for Christmas & (then we'll) decide if we want to tour some more or perhaps just make another record.

G.O. : You guys might be coming to Singapore on the 30th September. That's still tentative.

B.A. : Oh, no,no,no ! We're definitely coming ! (chirpyly)

G.O. : That's good. Alright.

B.A. : Oh, yeah ! I'm really excited about it. The last time was absolutely fantastic.

G.O. : The last time you performed in Singapore , you guys were pleasantly surprised because the singapore audience have been known to be pretty 'anal' .(Me- that's what I heard. Maybe I heard it wrong)

B.A. : (Laughs) That was what everyone kept telling us. It's got to be all the mix (of what to expect). It really works. Because everyone said to us "Oh, the singapore crowd will be very quiet", you know what I mean ? You wanna win them (the crowd), you really have to work it out. We were really thinking that it was going to be one of those gigs, where it's just musician laid. It'll be quite boring, you now, it's just the way it is. I mean, but when we just got on stage, it was absolutely a mayhem ! It was fantastic !

G.O. : We're looking forward to your concert this time around.

B.A. : Yeah, me too, mate.

G.O. : Can you tell your fans what they can expect this time around ?

B.A. : They can expect nothing more complicated than five men playing along to Suede's songs & there's no theaterical rock, just a live delivery of good songs loved (by fans) worldwide & leaping around. I mean, the best thing about a gig is you almost talk to them, you know what I mean? It's the audience(response) , (which determines) the rank of the gig. It doesn't mean if you have the coolest band in the world, (and) the best players, (your gig must be succesful). If the feel is not into it, then there's no electricity. We're getting (a) time out for this.

G.O. : Well, we're certainly looking forward to seeing you guys in Singapore on the 30th September. Thank you so much, Brett.

B.A. : You're welcome, Glenn. It's nice to talk to you again.

G.O. : No, it's fantastic speaking to you.

End of interview. Trivia: 1. There are 10 "You know what I mean ?" phrases in this interview.
2. There are 8 "You know" phrases in this interview.

Transcribed by Nurul Aida Mohd. Agil