Interview: THE LOTUS EATERS (interview with Jem Kelly in June 1999) England may not be well known for its lovely weather, but 1983 was an exception. Gorgeous summers tend to throw up glorious summery Pop - the kind of songs ideal for lazy, um, Sunday afternoons in the park, snoozing under trees beside a cool blue lake (or something). 1983 was one of those - "Long Hot Summer" by the Style Council, Nick Heyward's "Blue Hat For A Blue Day", and most memorably, "The First Picture Of You" by young Liverpudlian duo the Lotus Eaters. However, the Lotus Eaters seemed to vanish almost as soon as they'd arrived. Despite releasing a string of fine follow up singles, none of them hit the charts, and less than two years after their debut single success, they decided to split. Now, well over a decade later, Jem and Peter are recording together again. Part of the reason for their decision is a recent upsurge of interest in the Lotus Eaters, particularly from my old home, Japan. The interest in 'neo-aco' music in Japan - the kind of sunny, acoustic pop that the LE's specialised in - has undoubtedly been a factor (you can find LE singles for upwards of Y7000 in Shinjuku), with the Vinyl Japan label releasing a BBC radio sessions LP last year, and re-issuing their only album "No Sense Of Sin" on CD for the first time. Jerry Kelly was keen to acknowledge the "Japan factor" when I spoke to him:	(top) The Lotus Eaters in 1983 - cherubic top 20 pop stars and (below) Re-united at the Camden Falcon, October 1999.
· What made you decide to re-activate the Lotus Eaters ? Well, Peter and I had been writing songs on the rare occasions our paths crossed and we'd amassed about 5 that were worthy when Vinyl Japan contacted us regarding the release of the Peel sessions. We subsequently decided that that was the time to record a new album. . What are the bands plans for new releases and playing live ? We have a new album, Face of the Century, which will be released early in 2000, and we'll be releasing singles from that. We're also in the process of shooting videos (directed and financed by ourselves) to go with the songs on the album, and we did our first gigs in 14 years in Liverpool in September. · How does the new LE material sound ? Acoustic with one or two loops and filter swept arpeggios. · What ended the Lotus Eaters in the first place ? We were only together for about two years and, being relatively young when we had success with "The First Picture Of You", were not really prepared. Tensions arose and we decided that we should go our separate ways. . How aware are you about the interest in neo-aco, or the LE and many contemporaries, in Japan ? We're very aware, thanks to our Japanese friends. It's odd, but The Lotus Eaters have always been into acoustic music, as anyone who has the five singles wereleased will be able to attest : the b-sides are all neo-aco. This may sound mad, but after the punk explosion the logical step to take was to pick up an acoustic and do something radically different with it (or so it seemed at the time). Japan is the one place in the world I would most like to visit, and perhaps I can have tea with Ryuichi Sakamoto. · How did you decide which tracks would go on the "No Sense of Sin" CD ? This was difficult. The record company had kept the master tapes in poor condition and some tracks had faded beyond retrieval. We hadn't listened to the songs for some 13 or so years, so we had to revisit them and assess their merits and limitations, both songwise and sonically. · Has the belated recognition of contemporaries like Ian Broudie (now Mr. Lightning Seeds),and more recently Michael Head (Pale Fountains, Shack), inspired you in any way ? Well, I used to be in a band with Mike Head called The Dance Party and gave him my Cub Scout neckerchief - he's an old, but distant friend and we were both into Geoff Love's orchestrations. As for Ian Broudie, I rather think my guitar sound inspired him. Perhaps you should listen to "Bringing Home the Ashes" by The Wild Swans (Jem Kelly's post LE group) to hear more of Broudie's Lightning Seeds sources. · What are your recollections of the Lotus Eaters "Smash Hits"/TOTP period ? We adapted naturally to life in front of the lens and that's an enduring image : Peter and I being stuck in countless photographers' studios and sweating on numerous TV studios whilst the summer of '83 flashed past outside. We were on the front or back cover of practically every music publication in the UK, which was also odd. · What's it like to be briefly a pop star ? Disorientating and mega-fun. Our first gig in Liverpool was really strange. We got mobbed by hordes of screaming teenage girls at the matinee, and uncertainly received by 2000 Scousers, including the entire music fraternity, who blanked us! · Would you like to be popstars again ? We never really wanted that kind of success in the first place as we've always felt that music is an expression of our inner selves. That may sound cliched, but who wants to reveal something fragile to the uncaring masses? It will suffice to regenerate our audience and, judging by theamount of interest in the band, that shouldn't be too hard to do. · What's your favourite Lotus Eaters song ? It's a new one, Minimal Emotion, which is about a couple explore the extremities of bondage in an attempt to keep their love alive. Of the old songs, I like It Hurts and Endless. --------------------------------------------------------------- "Face Of The Century" is due out, as promised, in early 2000, and will comprise 12 new acoustic songs, one of which I understand is a new version of 'First Picture'. More news when the release details become clear ! @ Darrenpop 1999/2000 @ Back to Darrenpop home page & contents