Interview with Much Music


(February 8, 1999)

Juliette: HEY, I'M JULIETTE. JUST TO REMIND YOU THAT WE'VE GOT AN ENVIRONMENT FULL OF PEOPLE HERE TO SEE ONE BAND. THEY JUST RELEASED THEIR VERY FIRST ALBUM "PIECE OF PARADISE" LAST WEEK, BUT THEY'VE ALREADY GOT A HIT, "SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL." SKY, LIVE ON Much. (Cheering) (Live performance) (Cheering and Applause)

Juliette: SO EXCITED, I LOST THE COVER TO THE ALBUM, BUT THAT'S OKAY. THEY'RE ALL GOING TO GO OUT AND TAKE A VERY, VERY SHORT BREAK BECAUSE, WHEN WE COME BACK, WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT "SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL" AND SKY, THE BAND AS A WHOLE. YOU GUYS INTO THAT? YOU WANT TO HANG OUT WITH US? IS THAT COOL?

SOUNDS REALLY GOOD!

Juliette: ALL RIGHT. WE'LL SEE YOU IN JUST A FEW WITH SKY. (Cheering) (COMMERCIAL)

Juliette: AND WE'RE WITH SKY RIGHT HERE ON THE NATION'S MUSIC STATION. GOT THE FANS HERE. (Cheering) I GOT THE ALBUM RIGHT HERE, WHICH HAS ONLY BEEN OUT IN STORES FOR A WEEK, YET EVERYBODY THAT'S HEARD THE SONG IS ALREADY LIKE SINGING THE LYRICS OR ATTEMPTING TO, BECAUSE EVEN AS WE HAD TO LOOK AT THE CLOSED CAPTION TO FIND OUT WHAT THE LYRICS WERE TO THIS SONG "SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL." SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS THAT YOU HEARD OF THE LYRICS?

OH, WE'RE HEARING ALL KINDS. SHE MAKES A MEAN STEAK AND APPLES.

SHE EATS STEAK AND APPLES.

SOME OF THEM WE CAN'T SAY ON THE AIR.

WE'VE HEARD EVERYTHING, DEFINITELY.

Juliette: AND WHAT WAS ACTUALLY YOUR OWN INTENTION WHEN YOU WROTE THE LYRICS?

SHE MAKES A MEAN STEAK AND SHE'S AN EYEFUL.

Juliette: AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

WELL, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SEE SOMEBODY AND, LIKE, YOUR EYES ARE FULL OF THAT BEAUTY OF THAT PERSON, SHE'S AN EYEFUL.

IT'S A TERM I HAD SEEN IN SOME OLD HOLLYWOOD WHO'S WHO IN HOLLYWOOD BOOK THAT ONE OF MY UNCLES HAD GIVEN ME. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE TITLE OF A FILM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, SHE'S AN EYEFUL. IT'S AN OLD, LIKE, '40s TERM.

Juliette: AND TELL US ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT IN THE SONG AS A WHOLE, BECAUSE "SHE'S SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL" HAS GOT THIS NICE LITTLE MAGICAL QUALITY IN THAT, IF YOU DIG A LITTLE DEEPER, THERE SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON THERE.

IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE WANTED TO GO A LITTLE CRAZY ON THE LYRICS IN THIS ONE REALLY TO ACTUALLY JUST TO GO AGAINST THAT REALLY POPPY MELODY, AND IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A CRAZY STORY ABOUT THIS GUY WHO'S SORT OF SELLING HIS SOUL TO THE DEVIL TO HAVE THIS KIND OF BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, AND THEN HE SEES HER AS A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, BUT EVERYBODY ELSE AROUND HIM SEES THE DEVIL. SO HE THINKS HE'S GOING AROUND THE CITY AND EVERYBODY'S LOOKING AND HE THINKS IT'S BECAUSE HE'S GOT THIS BEAUTIFUL WOMAN BY HIS SIDE. BUT NO, IT'S BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S FREAKING OUT BECAUSE HE'S GOT THAT SIX FEET RED DEVIL, YOU KNOW, ON FIRE BESIDE HIM.

THERE WAS NO REAL DEEP MEANING IN THE BEGINNING. IT WAS JUST A PSYCHEDELIC DREAM I HAD HAD. I HAD THIS POSTER OF THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST, IRON MAIDEN WITH EDDIE KIND OF.

Juliette: OH, YEAH.

AND I SAW HIM WALKING INTO THE SUNSET WITH KEN, WITH BARBIE'S BOYFRIEND.

Juliette: NO WAY!

OH, YEAH. AND THEN THAT KIND OF BECAME THE LYRIC.

Juliette: SO YOU JUST KIND OF TRANSPOSED THAT WHERE YOU GUYS BECOME KEN AND THEN THE DEVIL IS...

EXACTLY, SATAN. IT TURNED INTO THIS KIND OF METAPHOR FOR MARRIED LIFE.

Juliette: MAYBE A METAPHOR FOR FEAR OF COMMITMENT.

MAYBE. VERY GOOD. I'LL HAVE TO WRITE THAT DOWN.

Juliette: ARE YOU AFRAID OF COMMITMENT?

NO, NOT AT ALL.

YOU GOTTA BE CAREFUL WHO YOU COMMIT WITH.

Juliette: RIGHT.

BUT I THINK ONCE YOU FIND THE RIGHT PERSON, THEN YOU'RE GOOD TO GO. DON'T YOU THINK SO?

Juliette: OH, DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY. I'M STILL LOOKING FOR MY ROMEO BUT, YEAH, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

WE'RE STILL LOOKING, TOO. HOPEFULLY WE'LL FIND IT SOME DAY.

Juliette: WELL, YOU WILL. FIRST THINGS FIRST THOUGH. YOU'VE GOT TO FOCUS ON YOUR CAREER FIRST.

OH, YEAH.

Juliette: VERY IMPORTANT --

IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY BUSY FOR A WHILE.

Juliette: YEAH! I WAS SHOCKED TO FIND OUT THAT YOU GUYS WERE FROM MY HOMETOWN OF MONTREAL BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU RECORDED THIS PARTLY IN L.A., NEW YORK AND THEN YOU'RE FROM MONTREAL.

YEAH.

Juliette: SUCH A BEAUTIFUL THING! BUT YOU DECIDED TO RECORD "EN ANGLAIS," IN ENGLISH, EVEN THOUGH YOU GUYS ARE PRETTY MUCH BILINGUAL.

YEAH.

Juliette: WAS THAT AN ISSUE?

NOT REALLY, BECAUSE I'M FRENCH, BUT JAMES IS SPEAKING ENGLISH AND WENT TO ENGLISH SCHOOL ALL OF HIS LIFE, AND HE'S WRITING, YOU KNOW, 95% OF THE LYRICS, SO IT WAS SORT OF AN OBVIOUS CHOICE FOR US THAT WE WERE GOING TO WRITE THE SONGS IN ENGLISH, OBVIOUSLY.

Juliette: SO NO FEEDBACK FROM THE FRANCOPHONES IN MONTREAL SAYING, OH... (Speaking in French)

NO, BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE DOING IT. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IT WOULDN'T FEEL RIGHT EITHER FOR HIM BEING ENGLISH TRYING TO WRITE A FRENCH SONG JUST TO GET ON THE MARKET. SO IT JUST FELT MORE NATURAL FOR US.

AND WE TRIED AT ONE POINT, YOU KNOW, WRITING FRENCH, BUT LYRICALLY, IT WASN'T -- IT DIDN'T COME.

MONTHS TO FINISH ONE SONG, SO IT WAS LIKE -- IT WAS KIND OF POINTLESS.

IT WASN'T NATURAL.

Juliette: NORMALLY, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE YOU?

WELL, DEPENDS. A GOOD SONG, IT COULD TAKE -- YOU KNOW, IN A NIGHT, WE CAN WRITE THE LYRICS TO THE SONG IF IT COMES OUT SPONTANEOUSLY, LIKE "SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL." THIS WAS A SONG THAT REALLY CAME OUT SO -- LIKE WE WROTE THE MUSIC IN A DAY AND, LIKE THE DAY AFTER THAT, WE WROTE THE LYRICS FOR IT, SO IT CAME OUT REALLY NICELY. ACTUALLY SOME SONGS ARE HARDER TO COME OUT.

WE'RE JUST HONING THE PRODUCTION AND THE KIND OF EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WENT AROUND IT THAT TAKES A WHILE.

Juliette: WELL, IT MUST HELP AS WELL BECAUSE YOU GUYS SEEM TO BE ALWAYS TOGETHER. YOU LIVED TOGETHER.

YEAH, WE LIVED TOGETHER FOR SIX YEARS. NOW WE CAN ACTUALLY --

Juliette: OH, YOU'RE NOT?

WELL, WE CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD NOW TWO PLACES, BUT FOR A LONG TIME, WE WERE LIVING TOGETHER AND HAD THE STUDIO IN THE LIVING ROOM AND, YOU KNOW, WRITING ALL DAY IN THE STUDIO. IT WAS THE CHEAPEST WAY TO -- IT WAS OUT OF CONVENIENCE.

EXACTLY.

NO MONEY.

Juliette: OH, IN FACT YOU GUYS ACTUALLY HATE EACH OTHER.

NOT THAT WE HATE EACH OTHER, BUT WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT KIND OF RHYTHM OF LIFE, SO IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF SPACE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU WORK WITH EACH OTHER. THAT'S WHY NOW WE SPEND SO MUCH TIME ON THE ROAD AND STUFF LIKE THAT. WHEN WE GET HOME, IT'S NICE TO HAVE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF -- I MEAN, EVEN YOUR BROTHER, EVEN IF YOU LOVE YOUR BROTHER, YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH HIM, ACTUALLY ONCE IN A WHILE IT'S GOOD TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO YOURSELF.

NOW THAT THE WRITING PERIOD IS OVER, THERE'S REALLY NO POINT ANY MORE, SO...

Juliette: I SEE. AND WAS THE CHEMISTRY THE SAME WHEN YOU GUYS WERE LIVING TOGETHER AS OPPOSED TO WHEN YOU WERE RECORDING TOGETHER OR PERFORMING TOGETHER? IS IT THE SAME KIND OF THING THAT YOU GIVE OFF?

WE WENT SO MUCH TIME -- BECAUSE WE MUST HAVE WROTE 150 SONGS IN THE LAST SIX YEARS, AND SO WE REALLY SORT OF LEARNED TO WORK WITH EACH OTHER AND LEARNED WHO'S DOING WHAT AND WHO'S STRONG IN WHAT, SO IT'S REALLY GOING WELL.

Juliette: AND WHO IS DOING WHAT, STRONG IN WHAT?

WELL, I'M MORE OF A -- YOU KNOW, OF A GROOVE GUY, SO DRUM TRACKS, BASS TRACK, THAT KIND OF STUFF, THE RHYTHM OF A SONG, THE FOUNDATION. AND JAMIE'S REALLY A MELODY, LYRICS, CHORDS. THAT'S REALLY HIS THING. THAT'S WHERE WE COMBINE THE MOST THE BEST WAY. OUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES ARE REALLY DIFFERENT EITHER. I REALLY COME FROM LIKE AN R & B BACKGROUND, AND JAMES IS MORE FROM A FOLK, BRITISH KIND OF BACKGROUND.

I WAS A BIG BRIT POP FAN FOR A WHILE.

Juliette: OOH.

IT WAS A COMBINATION OF WHAT I GREW UP ON, WHAT MY PARENTS WERE LISTENING TO, WHICH WAS AMERICA, STEELY DAN AND THE DOOBIE BROTHERS, AND WHAT WAS COOL, YOU KNOW, OASIS, BLUR, BEAUTIFUL SOUTH, ALL THAT BRITISH STUFF.

Juliette: NOW, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, YOU GUYS HAVE SOMETHING ELSE IN COMMON AS WELL IN THAT BOTH OF YOU HAVE PARENTS THAT WERE OR STILL ARE IN THE BUSINESS. HAS THAT INFLUENCED YOU AT ALL?

IS YOUR MOM STILL DOING THE THING?

MY MOM DID A BRIEF STINT ON RADIO. SHE WAS DOING RADIO. WE WERE LIVING IN THREE RIVERS FOR A WHILE, AND SHE WAS WORKING DOING THE MORNING SHOW AT A STATION. THAT LASTED FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS, I THINK. THAT WAS ABOUT IT.

MY DAD IS STILL DOING HIS THING IN QUEBEC. HE'S AN ACTOR OVER THERE.

Juliette: A VERY WELL RENOWNED ACTOR, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND.

YEAH. HE'S PRETTY BUSY OVER THERE.

Juliette: YEAH. SO THINGS ARE GOING WELL ALL AROUND. THAT IS EXCELLENT.

THINGS ARE REALLY GOOD.

Juliette: SO WE'VE GOT A BRAND-NEW VIDEO. AND HAS EVERYBODY SEEN THIS NEW VIDEO? YOU GUYS SEEN THIS NEW VIDEO? YOU WANT TO SEE IT AGAIN? (Cheering) OKAY. SO YOU GOTTA TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE VIDEO BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU GUYS HAVE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT LOVE AND ROMANCE SINCE YOU WROTE "SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL," WHEN YOU LISTEN TO THE NEW TRACK, BUT I COULD BE WRONG.

WELL, ACTUALLY, THE VIDEO WAS ALSO -- WE ALWAYS LIKE TO GO AGAINST THE GRAIN A LITTLE BIT. "LOVE SONG" WAS A SONG THAT HAD A LOT MORE DEPTH AND A LITTLE DARKER, SO WE WANTED TO REALLY BRING MORE WHAT THE ENERGY OF THE SONG WAS, WHICH WAS A SONG THAT GOT A LOT OF POWER AND ENERGY AND STILL GOT A REALLY SENSUAL FEELING. SO WE WANTED TO BRING THAT KIND OF -- THOSE TWO VIBRATIONS IN THE VIDEO, THAT KIND OF SENSUALITY AND THE DYNAMIC OF THE ENERGY OF THE PERFORMANCE OF THE BAND.

JUST LIKE WHAT WE DID WITH "SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL," WE OFFSET THE POPPINESS OF THE SONG WITH A KIND OF ECLECTIC...

SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE WANT, AND I THINK IT CAME OUT GREAT. WE'RE HAPPY ABOUT THE RESULT OF THE VIDEO.

WE'RE REALLY HAPPY WITH IT.

Juliette: DO YOU GUYS AGREE? DID IT COME OUT PRETTY GOOD? (Cheering) LET'S GIVE IT A LOOK-SEE. GIVE IT UP FOR SKY AND THEIR LATEST SINGLE CALLED "LOVE SONG." DON'T FORGET THE ALBUM IS OUT.

"PIECE OF PARADISE."

Juliette: THANK YOU SO MUCH!

IT WAS A PLEASURE.

THANK YOU.

Juliette: BIENVENUE. MON PLAISIR. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING. (Video played)

© 1999-2001