Interview: B*witched
7 min read
They were pop poster pin-ups in the 90’s, sold millions of records around the world and had 4 consecutive number one singles with C’est la Vie, Rollercoaster, To You I Belong and Blame It on the Weatherman. B*Witched had found the pot of gold during the foursomes 90’s hey day before things turned upside down and the luck of the Irish had run out and the group called it quits in 2002 after 3 million record sales.
In late 2012, band members Edele Lynch, Keavy Lynch, Lindsay Armaou and Sinéad O’Carroll made a successful comeback alongside fellow pop groups 5ive, Atomic Kitten, Honeyz, 911 and Liberty X through the ITV reality show, The Big Reunion, igniting the spark on the bands career, 10 years after it all came to an abrupt end.
Almost 2 years after reuniting for The Big Reunion, B*Witched are gearing up for the long-awaited release of their first new material since the band decided to call it a day in . Champagne or Guinness is a 6 track EP from the group, set for release at the end of September and led by the collections first single, the appropriately titled, The Stars Are Ours.
With the wheels set in motion for the groups welcome back to the spotlight, we were lucky enough to steal some time from band member Keavy Lynch to talk about the bands career, their comeback through The Big Reunion, the bands upcoming EP release and how things will be different this time around. Here is what she had to tell us…
Brendon Veevers: How are you doing today Keavy?
Keavy Lynch: Hello! I just got back from the Lake District last night, today I am at home. I a well today, hope you are too.
BV: Firstly, Congratulations on the new EP, Champagne or Guinness, which is set for release on September 28th in the UK. It’s been a while since you last released any new material so can you tell us a bit about the new collection of songs and what fans might expect from this new material?
KL: We have taken our time to write this new EP as we wanted it to feel right for where B*Witched are at as a group now. We have been through so much life since our first hit in 1998 and we wanted to share that through song. It’s inspired by our lives, from heart break to falling in love, self finding journey to embracing life as is. The Irish influence is still thread throughout and there are some great feel good riffs for people to enjoy.
BV: Now, the name of the EP is Champagne or Guinness which suggests two things – that perhaps these are two things the band is particularly keen on to dedicate an EP title to or that it suggests that the release contains a contrasting mix of new material. Can you tell us about the title, the real meaning behind it and why you decided on this title for the comeback EP?
KL: It’s the name of one of the tracks on the EP and when we were writing this one it was about experiencing the fun side of life and being feminine.
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BV: The lead single is called The Stars Are Ours. Can you tell us about the single in terms of its message, the theme of the track and the general style of the song?
KL: The song is a feel good upbeat track that’s set to get people dancing. When we gig it people jump up and down to the chorus riff. It was inspired by my self journey. I spent many years not knowing myself and being very shy. It represents how I felt like I could take on the world when I started to understand myself more.
BV: The band made a very successful comeback with the Big Reunion, one of our favourite shows, back in 2012 when you joined the comeback train alongside Atomic Kitten, 5ive, 911, Liberty X, Blue and Honeyz. Can you tell us what you have all been up to since the series ended?
KL: It was so exciting that we could sell out two Arena tours after such a long time and we enjoyed every minute.
As a band we have been doing lots of gigs and working on our new music since then. We didn’t want to rush, we wanted to take our time to get it right for us.
Personally since then I have finished my degree that I was doing at the same time as the Big Reunion, I qualified as a Humanistic Counsellor. I am in the process of opening my own private practice which I am very excited about.
BV: What has it been like being back together as B*Witched and what was it like to step back into the recording studio again after all this time to record these news songs for Champagne or Guinness?
KL: As you seen on the show it was somewhat tough getting back together as there was past things that needed to be dealt with. But as soon as we were back in the studio rehearsing we remembered why we were a unit and well we worked together. It was great to get back in the studio and get creative together again.
BV: Are there plans to take these new songs out on the road to your fans and if so, what can you tell us about that?
KL: At the moment we have some gigs in the diary and we will definitely be playing both old and new tracks for people to enjoy.
BV: We learned the reasons for the bands collapse in the 90’s through your time on the Big Reunion. What changes has the band made or what plans are in place to ensure that history doesn’t repeat?
KL: We are much more in control and aware of what is going on now. Back then we were to young to realise that we could speak up and make sure that things were going the way we wanted. We make sure that we talk about how things are going and have conversations about finding the right avenues that suit everyone to some degree. We are also embracing and enjoying the creative side of what we do, loving writing new music and being on stage together.
BV: Looking back over your career which has been peppered with all kinds of success and achievement, what would you say are some of or THE highlight of the bands career throughout the nineties up until today? What moment(s) are you most proud of as a band or individually?
KL: Having 4 UK number 1’s was an unbelievable achievement and one we are very proud of. I think our UK Arena tour is a highlight for all of us, we designed our own stage set and put in a lot of our own ideas. It was amazing to be able to create that and share it with our fans who got us to where we were. Touring America with N-Sync and Brittany was fantastic too.
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BV: Are there any plans for the band to offer fans a full length record or are you all taking things one step at a time and seeing how things go initially with Champagne or Guinness?
We are definitely taking things one step at a time, we’ll see how Champagne or Guinness goes, if it’s received well we would love to do more.
BV: The four of you wrote and produced the 6 new songs yourselves. Can you tell us where you drew inspiration from the most during the writing and recording of these new tracks?
KL: It’s been inspired by some of our life experiences and been influenced by our Irish roots again but not ignoring that we have been and always will be a pop band.
BV: Things have changed in the music industry quite significantly since the band were last setting the charts alight – the world has embraced the digital era and brick and mortar record stores have almost vanished entirely. What are the key differences that the band has noticed or has been challenged by since reforming in terms of how things are done compared to the 90’s?
KL: It has changed so much, our first album was on tape, imagine that! Seems crazy how different things are now. I suppose the good thing is that it’s more accessible for people, one click of a button and there you have it. With illegal digital downloading and sharing it has changed sales dramatically too so that’s a downside. We got dropped for only selling 600,000 copies of our 2nd album and that wouldn’t happen now, that would be a successful figure these days.
BV: Aside from the new EP and single release over the next month, what other plans are in the pipeline for the band during the remainder of the year and 2015 that you can tell us about?
KL: Our plan is to continue to enjoy more gigs and embrace our new EP Champagne or Guinness.
BV: Thanks for time and best of luck with the EP.
KL: Thank you x Keavy
B*witched’s new EP Champagne or Guinness is out on September 28th.
::: 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.
