Interview: B*Witched
5 min read
They ruled the UK pop charts in the nineties with hits like Rollercoaster, Blame It On The Weatherman and Cie La Vie and reunited back in 2012 as part of the 1st season of ITV’s The Big Reunion and since reforming, once denim clad four-piece, B*witched have been busy touring the UK and promoting their 2014 EP, Champagne or Guinness – their first new material since originally disbanding back in 2002.
It’s been a while since we last caught up with the group but we recently spoke with band member Keavy who brought us up to date with the bands latest adventures together. We discussed what it has been like getting back in the saddle to promote Champagne or Guinness, plans for touring in 2016 and the groups latest ‘hits’ package, C’est La Vie: The Collection. Here is what she had to tell us…
Brendon Veevers: How are you Keavy and where in the world does our interview find you?
Keavy Lynch: I am very well thank you and you’ve found me in London today :).
BV: The last time we spoke with you, the band had just released your EP Champagne or Guinness. What have you all been up to since the release of the EP?
KL: We have enjoyed playing many gigs around the UK and Ireland. Also as you know we have released a CD that’s a collection of the majority of songs we have recorded. Aside from the band I have opened my Counselling Private Practice which is going very well and I love my work there too.
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BV: Were you happy with the release of Champagne or Guinness. Did it meet the bands expectations and do you think the songs represented the band well?
KL: I think the songs represented some of the changes in life that we have had since what people knew of us in the 90’s but at the same time we kept the pop flavour that people know us for. We were really happy with the journey of writing and recording it and excited to share our new music with our old and new fans.
BV: What was it like being back in the saddle, promoting the EP and your first material after so many years apart?
KL: It was great to be back in the saddle although I must say it did differ greatly. The biggest changes were how many interviews take place via email and telephone and social media madness.
BV: We were hoping to see news of the release of an album soon after the release of the EP but all seemed to go a little quiet. What can you tell us about new material and is there in fact and album in the works?
KL: We had always planned an EP at that time and not an album. We wanted to get back in studio, write and record and get something new out to people as fast as we could because fans had been waiting since The Big Reunion.
BV: Now that the band have been back together for couple of years since appearing on The Big Reunion back in 2012, do you feel confident about the bands future and, what do you see in B*witched’s future?
KL: We are so happy to be back together and gigging again. For the moment we are concentrating on the love aspect. Lots of gigs in the UK and discussions about some overseas tours.
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BV: The Big Reunion has obviously done some amazing things for many of the bands that appeared on the show. It has resuscitated life into several acts who are back together and recording and touring again. If the show signs up for another season, who would you most like to see take part?
KL: It has been a wonderful journey for us that’s for sure. In terms of the big reunion there is a lot of back story about what happened back then and in between then and now. I’d like to see NSYNC’s story as we toured with them a couple of time years ago. The story would be interesting to me.
BV: Music has changed since the heydays of 90’s British pop music when B*witched and your peers dominated the industry. With the likes of Nicki Minaj and Miley Cyrus in mind, music – and the promotion of it through video and performance – has changed quite significantly over the years. Nothing is left to the imagination these days. With B*witched returning after so many years, would you say the industry is intimidating for those making comebacks? What are your thoughts on acts that use these ‘methods’ to sell records?
KL: It’s a very different story theses days, yes. I don’t feel intimidated by the changes no, I just feel that we need to embrace the difference and find our own way that we are comfortable to embrace those changes.
BV: A new collection was recently released – C’est La Vie: The Collection – which contains two discs of hits, singles, catalogue notables and two new tracks. What was it like putting this new greatest hits together and taking that trip through memory lane?
KL: It’s a fun collection for fans who have saved our music from the 90’s to today. Some of them may have lost a CD or played it so much that it’s now very worn. This was a nice way of collating songs in one place without having to replace everything. It was fun for us and confusing at times to know what to leave in or out haha.
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BV: Are there any songs from the B*witched catalogue that you feel didn’t get the attention – by fans or the industry – that it perhaps deserved? Anything from the singles vault that should have been received better than it had?
KL: We always thought that ‘Never Given Up’ would have been a great single back in the day.
BV: What can you tell us about the new tracks that feature on the new collection?
KL: The new tracks featured are from our EP Champagne or Guinness. It’s a nod to our new music to represent us as we are today and also in case someone has missed that we recorded new songs :).
BV: Are there plans to head out on tour in 2016?
KL: In terms of ‘touring’ meaning being on the road, we are up and do the country doing love gigs for all of 2016. A headline tour is not in the pipeline in the UK at the moment as we did two arenas tours with the Big Reunion not so long ago but we discussing opportunities overseas.
BV: Thanks Keavy
KL: Thank you :) xxx
::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
Brendon manages and coordinates the amazing team of writers on RenownedForSound.com who are based in the UK, the U.S and Australia.
