Mondo Bizarre Magazine Interviews

In Conversation with Jose & Sara of The Mild Ones

Suede © Dean Chalkley

Insider Questions

by Raquel Pinheiro

I don’t remember when I first heard about or listened to Suede. It was long ago, most likely through the British music weeklies.

In September 2024, I joined The Mild Ones, an online Suede fan group. A bit weary at first. However, the Mild Ones are different from most fan groups.  Jose (Duarte) and Sara (Bona) the group administrators won my heart, so did the Mild Ones community.

Being part of the Mild Ones left me curious how it is to manage an online open fan community that large for a band that draws such strong emotions as Suede do. The Mild Ones are a place for fun, our life stories, our band crushes, endless creativity from painting to poems, through bracelets and knitting. And music, of course. It’s an equalitarian place. Well known musicians, producers, etc. side by side with fans. It’s a place of debate.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present you The Mild Ones, and my conversation with Jose and Sara.

P.S. Dear Sara, we were not all in love with Brett. Some of us took a fancy to the one behind the drums! 😎

Suede are currently touring the UK. They will tour mainland Europe in March, and Asia in April and May. Suede premiered a new song, Tribe, Saturday January 30th at Guildhall, Portsmouth, England. And I really like it. 🙂 It’s the kind of song that makes you want to pick up a rock instrument and start a band.

How did The Mild Ones begin, was it a spontaneous act of devotion, or something that gathered momentum over time?

Sara Bona (SB): We were honestly quite determined to make this project happen. We had been discussing the idea for a few months, and we were really excited about creating a community for Suede fans which, thanks to the existence of social media, could reach as many enthusiastic fans as possible. When we finally felt the timing was right, we set the wheels in motion. It wasn’t exactly a walk in the park, though. Was it, Jose?

Jose Duarte (JD): Absolutely! We both felt it was necessary to have a space where every fan mattered, regardless of their place of origin, whether they’d been fans forever or just discovered the band, whether they’d seen Suede live a gazillion times or never at all, whether they collected every record or didn’t own a single one. Even casual fans, or those who only like a song or two, are totally welcome. Every opinion counts in our group. But it wasn’t easy to bring so many people together, certainly not.

When you first created the group, what was your vision for it, and how close has the reality come to what you imagined?

JD & SB: We just wanted for Suede fans all around the world to have a public space where they could share their love for the band and find out whether other Suede fans were into the same things we are – other bands, books, films, etc. We didn’t have a long-term plan; it was all pretty improvised, but we had the feeling that there were people out there just like us. And, indeed, there really are!

What does the name The Mild Ones mean to you now, given that most of the fans and the band are older? Does it capture a sense of calm, reflection, or continuity?

SB: Choosing The Mild Ones as the name for the group was a bit tongue-in-cheek, really. We’ve been wild, we still can be wild but, at our age, we just want a little peace in our lives, we just want to be mild, while still loving Suede wildly. We can’t speak for other fans or the band, but that’s how we feel.

JD: In our everyday life, we’re quite mild, we like to go unnoticed but trust me, we can be wild at gigs.

And what does The Wild Ones – the song – still mean to you today, both personally and in relation to the community?

SB: I remember watching the video for The Wild Ones on MTV in the 90s, over and over again, after I discovered the band. Back then, I was head over heels in love with Brett (as we all were!), and I was just a 14- or 15-year-old girl, not very good at English yet. Of course, I loved the song but I think I can appreciate the beauty of the music and the lyrics so much more now than I probably did back then. 🙂

JD: The Wild Ones, for me, is the best song Suede have ever composed. Of course, The Asphalt World is the quintessential Suede song but there’s something about The Wild Ones that makes it universal. It reflects an optimism mixed with nostalgia, which makes it very appealing both to us and to most Suede fans.

SB & JD: We both feel incredibly honoured that Brett and the band have, in a way, linked our group to that sublime hymn.


Suede isn’t just the thread that binds this community, it seems to live within it. What does Suede mean to you personally, beyond the music? How has their work shaped the way you see or hold this space?

SB: Suede have ALWAYS been with me, my whole life since my early teens. They were there when I first fell in love, when I first got my heart broken, when I studied my degree in Translation and Interpreting, which I chose because of my love for the English language and the British culture, when I’ve lost loved ones… They’ve been there in my happiest moments and in my lowest ones. Every single moment of my life is tied to a Suede song. They are my band. And, of course, their music has definitely shaped the person I am today.

JD: In terms of music, Suede were my first love. Since the moment I discovered them at 14, they have always been with me. When I felt sad, I found shelter in Suede’s music. I feel their music is like a friend, one that makes me feel I belong.

SB & JD: The Mild Ones is mostly about Suede music, but also about the influence that they’ve had on our taste in other forms of art.

Even your dog carries the band’s name – Suede – which feels both tender and symbolic. What does that say about the place the band holds in your daily life?

SB: Well, when I got my dog, Jose said it wasn’t a great name for her. But it wasn’t his decision, really, haha. I think the name suits her perfectly. She’s moody, she’s an outsider, she barks a lot and howls, and her fur feels exactly like suede. Of course, she’s an Andalusian hound, so her name sounds a little different in Spanish. Now I find myself calling ‘Suede’ out loud a million times a day so, she’s an ever-present reminder of my beloved band. 😀

JD: Okay, I was wrong and you were right, haha. The name really does suit her.

The group remains open, where many communities choose to be private. What guided that choice, was it about accessibility, trust, or something deeper about how you see connection?

SB: Now my question would be, why do those communities choose to be private? It’s all about the music, nothing to hide there. And yes, it’s certainly easier for people to find the group this way.

JD: Sharing content with other groups, at least on Facebook, wouldn’t be possible if the group were private. In the beginning, it was a great way to promote the group around. I agree with Sara: what is there to hide? What’s wrong with your family and friends knowing that you love Suede?

SB: My family and friends are sick and tired of hearing me babble about Suede, hahaha!

Managing a community of over thirteenth thousand members must carry moments of both joy and overwhelm. What have you learned about human nature through holding this space?

SB: In the meantime, we’ve gained fifteen hundred more members! 😀 I’m genuinely impressed with Suede fans but, then again, I totally expected they’d be top blokes and gals! The good moments far outweigh the not-so-good ones.

JD: I’ve learnt that, at the end of the day, and deep down, we’re all very similar, which is a good thing. I’ve also learnt that people enjoy being part of something bigger than themselves. They like to participate, give opinions, share their thoughts with like-minded people, and they need to relax after a long day at work. That’s what social media is for, isn’t it? No drama, just fun!

Some members of the band – like Simon Gilbert (Suede’s drummer) – and people who work closely with them are part of the group. Has having Suede themselves within the community affected the way members express themselves, or does it remain a space where everyone feels free to share their opinions?

JD: Not at all! Honestly, it has zero influence. We even wonder if people realise that Simon is a member! We’re also thrilled to have among our fellow Mild Ones other people who work closely with the band, like Paul Khera, Jip Nipius, Mike Christie, Saul Galpern, Justin Welch, Simon Price, Jim Hanner, and plenty of other musicians who are friends with the band: Rialto’s Julian Taylor and Louis Elliot, Emma Anderson, Mark Fernyhough, and Ian Watson, among others. and, of course, the lovely Mariana Enríquez [who wrote the book Porque demasiado no es suficiente: Mi historia de amor con Suede].

SB: And I’m pretty sure Brett must be lurking somewhere too, haha! People here aren’t shy about speaking their minds, even if it’s not always flattering. And that’s perfect: critical thinking and constructive criticism, when said with respect, only makes the space better. Luckily, our members know how to disagree gracefully and still have fun.

Online spaces can often feel fleeting, yet The Mild Ones endured. What keeps it alive, is it the music, the shared nostalgia, or something ineffable that Suede evokes?

SB: In my opinion, Suede isn’t a band for the masses. Their music isn’t easy listening, and the lyrics are not straightforward. I think it speaks directly to certain people, those of us who sometimes feel out of place, those who expect music to say something about life and themselves, those who need to feel poetry and grandness in a world that can sometimes feel devoid of it. It’s music that touches your soul and never lets go. That’s probably why Suede fans are so faithful. It’s not just music; it’s a lifestyle. And once people feel that, they want to stay.

JD: The relaxed atmosphere of the group greatly contributes to its permanence. People know they can talk about whatever they want, whenever they want, without others taking offense and, unfortunately, that’s not true for every group on social media, as the algorithm often favours conflict and bad vibes.

Have you witnessed friendships, collaborations, or even transformations emerge from within the group? Things that remind you why you continue?

JD & SB: We have, indeed! Many a friendship has been forged within the confines of the Mildlands, about which we are truly happy, as it is a way for fans to connect in a disconnected world, to quote Brett.

Some collaborations have also emerged, notably the project Swayed with Wayne Readshaw, Jo T. Jones and Carlos Rodrigues, who have made a magnificent cover of So Young.

In their own words: “Remote cover of the classic Suede hit ‘So Young’ featuring Jo Taylor-Jones (vocals, bass and keys), Wayne Readshaw (guitars) and Carlos Rodrigues (drums). Via ‘The Mild Ones’ Facebook group, the trio got together online to record this track at each of their homes before it was compiled across 5,365 miles.” But they aren’t the only ones. We’d also like to mention the best tribute band in the world, our Indonesian friends Animal Lazy, as well as other consummate artists who share their striking covers with the group such as Helen Wong, Lunachangue Tak, Maximilien Poullein, Bettina Korn, and Popping Shi, to name a few.

Other talented members have also shared drawings, designs, artistic performances, make-up and jewellery creations with the group including Susan Gallagher, Wanzhou Ji, Carmen B. Leung, Erika Seya, Haruko Masuyama, Laura RK, Ingrid Petry, Lindsey Barton, Mel Langton Art, SW Portraits, Matthew Williams, Hardeep Sihota, Maeve, Isabella Arp, Silvio Balija, Jim Morey, Anna Walsh, Pat Taylor (Patsy), Neil Reid, Simona Valenti, Kay Kitto, Petrol Blue, our two moderators DeanJean Phng and Melissa Waterfield. Even we have shared some poems and drawings ourselves.

We are happy to say that ours is a lovely community full of artistic talent!

Neil Codling wire portrait by Kay Kitto © Kay Kitto



Suede’s work often balances elegance with rawness, beauty with disquiet. Do you sense that same duality in the way the community expresses itself?

JD: Yes, we do notice that duality. You can come across posts that are particularly harsh about a song or their latest work, but you can also find posts praising their music with beautiful words. But all opinions are more than welcome.

SB: One of the things I believe people appreciate most about the group is that they feel free to express themselves in whatever way feels right at the moment. Of course, there are limits: we only ask that people remain respectful towards others and the band, but within those limits, everyone is free to say whatever they want, however they want. And yes, that duality is definitely there.

How do you personally stay inspired as administrators, what restores your energy when things get heavy or chaotic?

JD: When things get tough, I listen to other bands like Radiohead, The Divine Comedy, Manics or Pulp to disconnect a bit from everything related to the group. Then, I go back to listening to Suede to restore my energy.

SB: I must confess that I’m not a big fan of social media, so the time I spend on my phone is usually in the group. I’m more of a watcher and reader than a responder, but Jose keeps me informed about everything. That said, I only listen to Suede; I don’t have time for other bands since I have a pretty busy life. And I have Netflix and a lot of books.

After three years, what do The Mild Ones mean to you, not just as a group, but as a living archive of feeling, music, and shared history?

SB & JD: Well, as we’ve mentioned before, this started almost as a joke. We were more like a comedic duo in another space. So the fact that we’ve grown so much, and gone from being just an anecdote to now being the largest Suede fan community, fills us with pride and satisfaction. And it’s all thanks to the fans who, every day, fill our space with stories, anecdotes, photos, information, videos, experiences.

The Mild Ones Facebook | Instagram

Suede related interviews on Mondo Bizarre Magazine:

In Conversation With Simon Gilbert
Five Questions With Andrew Johnston of Repercussion Drums
The Asphalt World: Growing Up on Tarmac and Songs – An Essay by Neal Reid

Mondo Bizarre Magazine Interviews

Hand to Earth in conversation with Peter Knight

Hand to Earth © Emma Luker

Carrying Songlines Across Worlds

by Raquel Pinheiro

We spoke with Australia musician and composer Peter Knight about Hand to Earth, and his solo and other collaborative work.Hand to Earth have released a new album Ŋurru Wäŋa, co-produced by Peter Knight and Lawrence English.

Hand to Earth are coming to Europe from September 12. Peter Knight has an upcoming album For A Moment The Sky Knew My Name, will be released on 21 November, with the first single out 11 September.Hand to Earth are a unique ensemble carrying the living Wägilak songlines through Daniel and David Wilfred, preserving one of the world’s oldest continuously practised music traditions. Hand to Earth music bridges cultures, combining tradition with contemporary exploration, honouring Wägilak oral tradition.

Peter Knight © Sarah Walker

Lineage & Preservation

Hand to Earth carries living Wägilak songlines through Daniel and David Wilfred, connecting directly to the world’s oldest continuously practised music tradition. How do you, as collaborators, approach supporting and honouring that lineage while also creating something new together?

We try to bring what we each have to contribute to the creative table and make sure that all voices have a space to be heard. Daniel said something very instructive once as a reply to a question posed in a masterclass: ‘I sing my song to them and they sing their songs to me.’ It made me realise that for him we each have a song, just as he has his song, and that all of our voices are important in this relationship and this musical setting.

I personally also try to help in practical ways and two years ago started a fundraising project with Jerry Remkes who I worked with at the Australian Art Orchestra. We raised money to buy a vehicle for Daniel so that he can travel to remote places to conduct cultural business, and teach the young kids about culture. This is something Daniel asked us to do to help keep his culture and song strong in the future. Everybody in Hand to Earth has played a role in this campaign, which has now successfully delivered a vehicle called the Ngukurr Culture Car.

Daniel Wilfred and members of the Ngukurr Language Centre Board of Directors with the  Ngukurr Culture Car

Daniel has described being a song keeper as both a responsibility and a joy. Could you share how this role is understood in your ensemble, and what it means for listeners encountering these songs for the first time?

I don’t want to presume too much or to be speaking for Daniel, but my impression is that navigating between the Yolngu world and the non-Aboriginal world is challenging at times for him. The context he works in Hand to Earth is so different to what he is doing as a song-keeper when he works in his community, running funerals, circumcisions, and other cultural business. It’s ritual rather than ‘performance’.

When people going to a concert hear Hand to Earth for the first time and hear the songs Daniel is singing in his Wägilak language, I think they are moved because even though they can’t really understand the import or all the meaning of those songs, they know there’s something very deep happening. I think they are also moved by witnessing people working together across the cultural borders and barriers that normally divide us to create music that speaks to human commonality.

Collaboration & Context

Hand to Earth new album Ŋurru Wäŋa expands the ensemble with additional voices and textures. How did these collaborations shape the music, and what guided the balance between tradition and experiment?

Lawrence English had a big hand in helping to shape the sound of this latest album and also our last album, MOKUY. He is an incredibly perceptive person and often notices things or possibilities that we have not thought of. It’s really special to have somebody outside of the dynamic of our ensemble who we really trust and who can see it all from a slightly different perspective.

We were also lucky to do some touring with the violinist Amalia Umeda from Warsaw. This was part of a project instigated by Piotr Turkiewicz from Jazztopad Festival (Poland) and the Melbourne International Jazz Festival. We played in Europe, the US, Canada and in Australia together with Amalia. When we were in New York, we had the chance to do some recording and recorded a piece called The Crow which is on this new album.

The percussionist on the album on the title track is actually my son Quinn Knight, who is an amazing drummer. I roped him into recording on Ŋurru Wäŋa one afternoon and he made a beautiful contribution. It was all quite spontaneous.

You are about to perform in prestigious venues such as the Barbican and Pierre Boulez Saal, and collaborate with Shabaka. What shifts when these songs and improvisations are carried into such international contexts?

We have done quite a lot of collaborating as a band and so it feels quite natural, as long as people bring a good spirit and openness to the musical meeting. We find a way to make something interesting happen. Shabaka is an incredibly open spirit, as well as a brilliant musician, and we are very much looking forward to playing with him. We are also collaborating in Belgium with the incredible Sami artist, Ánnámáret and I’m looking forward to that too. 

It’s worth noting that Hand to Earth actually began at a residency run by the Australian art Orchestra called the Creative Music Intensive in the Southern Highlands of Tasmania. I was the Artistic Director of the Australian Art Orchestra at the time and had invited both Daniel and Sunny Kim to be part of the faculty for the residency.

Hand to Earth began as an informal jam between Sunny, Daniel, and I, and the moment that Sunny and Daniel met there was an instant rapport. During those residencies Daniel and David and the rest of us also regularly collaborated with all the young artists attending and so this musical conversation – this spontaneity – is very much part of the DNA of Hand to Earth.

Hand to Earth © Emma Luker

Ŋurru Wäŋa involves field recordings and atmospheres from Lawrence English. How does place and environment feed into Hand to Earth’s music?

This album is all about place. All about the sense of belonging and a sense of what ‘home’ means. This notion of home and belonging is related to place – to physical place – but is also a kind of meta concept. I think that for Daniel and David place is at the heart of everything. The connection to land, and the connection of land to the stories that relate to particular places are central. But the notion of place also exists as a kind of dreaming. I don’t fully understand all of this, but it is an amazing thing to be around.

Lawrence is very tapped into this notion and is one of the sound artists who has really influenced how field recording and a sense of place exists in contemporary music. He also has a very deep and sensitive relationship with David and Daniel and he listens intently to what they have to say. You can hear the seriousness of his engagement in the work he produces, not just in Hand to earth, but in many other contexts as well.

Ŋurru Wäŋa was co-produced by you and Lawrence English, with Lawrence also handling the mix and mastering. How was the experience of shaping the album together, and what did Lawrence brought into the sound and spirit of Hand to Earth?

I love working with Lawrence. We have really developed a flow between the two of us and we seem to work at a similar pace. When things are moving then they move quickly. I think Lawrence as a producer works like an improviser (which really suits me as that’s my main training). He is flexible and likes things to flow with spontaneity and ease. At the same time there’s a deep rigor in the way he works, and hopefully in the way I work as well.

I have also collaborated with Lawrence on my two recent solo projects, the second of which, For a Moment the Sky Knew My Name, is about to be released on ROOM40 We also produced The Prey and the Ruler together with Senyawa, and there’s another one of those in process at the moment.

Peter Knight © Sarah Walker

Personal & Future Directions

What have you personally learned from working so closely with the Wilfred brothers and the Yolŋu tradition?

I have learnt so much that I honestly barely know where to begin. I think a lot of the learning is about my sense of self and my identity in this place we call Australia.

My family arrived in Australia only in the last 150 years from England and Europe.I’m living in a land that was inhabited and that had so much rich cultural life for 60,000 years previous to that.

The history of invasion and colonialism and everything that followed is a burden we all carry whether we realise it or not, whether we articulate or not. I grew up in an Australia, which had perfected the practice of forgetting and historical erasure.

Witness the nomenclature: Terra nullius. We pretended nobody was here, or that the people who were here had no ownership of, or connection to, the land. This is the very definition of wilful ignorance.

As a nation [Australia], we are all grappling with this legacy, and it will take a long time for that process to play out. One of the amazing things about Hand to Earth is that I feel in music and art we can address this legacy in some way.

The music we make is not didactic though – we’re not trying to directly answer issues or questions. Rather, we are just trying to be together in this moment, and be real about this moment while expressing our relationships and the legacies of our combined histories.

Music is often described as a bridge. How do you understand the act of listening across different worlds – cultural, musical, spiritual?

I guess this question relates to my previous answer quite directly. Music is a bridge because it can express things that we can’t put into words. It can express things that we need to express when language fails.

It can also take us deeper – below intellectual conceits to something more primal, more emotional, more physical.It’s not a direct or simple path though and I wouldn’t want to be thought of as too grandiose in my ambitions for this band.

For me, it’s both deep and profound, and also quite simple: we are five friends, with different backgrounds, we like to hang out and play music together. Sometimes we push the record button as well!

What are your hopes for Hand to Earth in the coming years, and how do you see the ensemble evolving?

My hope for Hand to Earth is that the trust we have for each other continues to deepen and grow. This is the basis of everything in this group.

We’ve done a lot of traveling now – we’ve traveled across North America, Asia, Europe, and we’ve also been to some pretty remote places in northern Australia.

David and Daniel Wilfred © Sarah Walker

It hasn’t always been easy. Sometimes it’s been unbelievably fun and sometimes it’s been really quite difficult. But these experiences are all valuable in terms of building trust and it is from trust that the music flows.

In terms of my ambition for the band, I think the bigger the better. For David and Daniel playing at places like the Barbican Center in London, Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin, and the Lincoln Center in New York, represents something really really special. These venues have a powerful cultural imprimatur in Western culture but they also have power in remote Aboriginal communities like the Wilfreds’ home in Ngukurr.

When we played at the Lincoln Center they were sending home so many videos showing where they were and there was a real excitement in their community. It makes the young people excited and it makes the young people want to sing the songs because they see what Daniel has been able to do – what he’s been able to achieve singing the songs. It makes them want to play the didgeridoo because they see David playing the didgeridoo in these amazing places all around the world.

So, I would like to do more of this. I would like to play beautiful festivals and create spaces where this culture can connect, and where this idea of what contemporary Australia can be heard by as many people as possible

Beyond this ensemble, you have your own concerts and projects — do they feed back into Hand to Earth, or does your own work stand in a different space for you?

I do have quite a few other projects, in particular my new solo album – For A Moment The Sky Knew My Name coming out on ROOM40.

I also have a quartet with my son Quinn, the incredible Australian bassist, Helen Svoboda, and brilliant young guitarist, Theo Carbo. It’s called TL;DR and it’s a band I really love playing in. We just released our debut record and we did a large Australian tour.

I’m hoping to take this one to Europe and beyond as well. All these other projects do feed into Hand to Earth because I continue to develop an idiosyncratic language on my instrument with electronics, and in Hand to Earth I have the space to bring that to bear. It’s a similar thing with Aviva and Sunny.

As I said, at the beginning of this interview, we sing our songs to one another and bring our musical and personal perspectives into this musical conversation we call Hand to Earth.

Hand to Earth are:

Daniel Wilfred – voice, bilma
David Wilfred – yidaki, voice
Sunny Kim – voice, percussion
Peter Knight – trumpet, electronics, synthesisers, bass guitar
Aviva Endean – clarinets, winds, electronics

Hand to Earth in concert:

September:
12th (Friday): Shabaka and Hand to Earth, Barbican Centre, London, England

14th (Sunday): Galerie Boomerang Amsterdam, Netherlands

17th (Wednesday): Ánnámáret and Hand to Earth, De Singel, Antwerp, Belgium

20th (Saturday): Shabaka and Hand to Earth, Pierre Boulez Saal, Berlin  Germany

Peter Knight in concert and at the Europe Jazz Conference

September:
18th (Thursday):  Knight & Buck  – Peter Knight (trumpet, delays, laptop),  Tony Buck (percussion), Sowieso, Berlin, Germany

21st (Sunday): Knight & Piotrowicz – Peter Knight (trumpet, delays, laptop), Kamil Piotrowicz (piano), Hala Koszyki, Warsaw, Poland

25th-28th: Europe Jazz Conference Bari, Italy

October:
06 th (Monday): Kight & Anastasakis – Peter Knight (trumpet, delays, laptop), Jannis Anastasakis (guitar), TV Control Centre (KTE), Athens, Greece

22nd (Monday): Raki + Infinity – Earshift Music label showcase
Raki (Daniel Wilfred, Paul Grabowsky, Peter Knight) + Infinity (Jeremy Rose, Novak Manojlovic, Ben Carey, Alexander Flood), Melbourne Jazz Festival, Melbourne, Australia

Mondo Bizarre Magazine Interviews

In Conversation with Simon Gilbert

Simon Says

We interviewed Simon Gilbert, Suede’s drummer, whose book So Young: Suede 1991-1993 is a journal and photographic document of the band’s early years that will be published October 8th.

So Young has foreword by journalist Stuart Maconie and a vibrant, lively text by Simon himself, documenting his move from Stratford-on-Avon, his hometown, to London, the audition with Suede, life in the van, the early success years and the many amusing things that come with it. It is one of those rare books that make an outsider feel like they were there, in the van. Or in absurd mansions in L.A. belonging to industry types. Or was it record producer(s)?…

The conversation extended to Coming Up, Suede’s third album that turned 25 this year and drumming. Simon’s witty, often, one-liners contrast with my more elaborate questions, proving an interesting insight into our way of writing/replying.

by Raquel Pinheiro

So Young: Suede 1991-1993

What made you want to realease So Young?

I was searching through my archives when researching for the insatiable ones movies and found lots of old negatives and my diaries. They had to be seen.

When and why did you start your Suede archives?

As you can see from the book, it stared from the very first audition day.

From the concept idea to publishing how long did it took you to put So Young together?

30 years … I’ve always wanted to make a book since I was first in a band.

What was your selection process for which items – diary entries, photos, etc.- would be part of the book?

I wanted to form a story visually with a few bits of info thrown in here and there, also most of the photos tie in with pages from the diaries.

Which methods, storage, preservation, maintenance, if at all, do you employ to keep the various materials in your archives in good shape?

Boxes in an attic … one thing about getting the book out is that I don’t have to worry about the photos getting lost forever. It’s out there in a book!

Other than medium what differences existed between selecting material for The Insatiable Ones documentary and for So Young?

Video and photos … photos don’t translate well on a TV screen.

Do you prefer still or motion pictures and why?

I prefer photos … they capture a particular moment in time … as video does, but there’s a unique atmosphere with a photo.

So Young’s cover photo has a very Caravaggio and ballet feeling to it. Its chiaroscuro also contrasts with the images inside.  Why did you choose it for the cover?

It was a striking shot and I wanted the book to be black and dark …it fitted perfectly.

How many of the photos on So Young were taken by you?

Probably about 3/4 my 3 school friends who were there with me at the beginning Iain, Kathy and Phillip took a load of us onstage, backstage, after  the gig, etc., photos I couldn’t take myself.

So Young can be placed alongside books like Henry Rollins’ Get in The Van and Michael Azerrad’s Our Band Could Be Your Life, that not only chronicle and show the less glamorous, more mundane side of being in a band, but also totally immerse the reader so deep in it that we are there, feeling and going through the same things. Was your selection of materials meant to convey that “band being your(our) life” sensation?

Yes, exactly that. I was fascinated by photos of bands, not on the front cover of a magazine or on TV. The other bits of being in a band are far more interesting.

In the foreword, Stuart Maconie mentions the brevity of your diary entries which, as someone who keeps diaries, I immediately noticed. Do you prefer to tell and record a story and events with images?   

I haven’t kept a diary since the end of 1993 … looking back on them they can be a bit cringeful … So, yes, I prefer images.

Contrasting with the diary entries brevity your text  that accompanies So Young is lively, witty, detailed and a good description of the struggles of a coming of age, heading towards success, band. Do you think the text and images reveal too much into what it really is like being in a band, destroying the myth a bit?

I think the myth of being in a band is long gone … Reality is the new myth…

In So Young you write that when you first heard Never Mind The Bollocks by The Sex Pistols music was to be your “future dream”. How has the dream been so far?

Still dreaming … lose your dreams and you will lose your mind … like Jagger said.

Is there a reason why So Young only runs from 1991 to 1993?

Yes, I bought a video camera in 1993. It was so much easier filming everything rather than take a photo, wait 3 weeks to get it developed and find out it was blurred.

So Young has a limited deluxe numbered and signed edition already sold out. The non deluxe edition also seems to be heading the same way. How important is it for you to keep a close relationship with the fans?

So important. I love interacting with the fans and is so easy these days … I had to write replies by hand and post them out in 1993…

Playing Live Again & Coming Up

Before Suede’s concert at Qstock Festival in Oulu, Finland on 31.07.2021 you wrote on your social media “cant fucking wait dosnt come close!!!!!” and Mat [Osman, Suede’s bassist] on his “An honest-to-goodness rehearsal for an honest-to-goodness show. Finally”. How did it feel like going back to play live?

It was great. Heathrow was empty which was amazing. A bit strange to play for the first time after 2 years …., but great to get out again.

Coming Up was released 25 years ago. How does the record sound and seems to you now compared with by then?

I haven’t listened to it for a long time actually … love playing that album live … some great drumming.

Before the release of Coming Up fans and the press were wondering if Suede would be able to pull it off. What was your reaction when you first heard the new songs and realize the album was going in quite a different direction than Dog Man Star?

Far too long ago to remember.

Coming Up become a classic album. It even has its own Classical Albums documentary. Could you see the album becoming a classic by then?

I think so yes .. there was always something to me very special about that album.

Is it different to play Coming Up songs after Suede’s return? Is there a special approach to concerts in which a single album is played?

No … didn’t even need to listen to the songs before we first rehearsed … They’re lodged in my brain.

Which is your Coming Up era favourite song as a listener and which one do you prefer as a drummer?

The Chemistry Between Us.

Will the Coming Up shows consist only of the album or will B-sides be played as well?

Definitely some B-sides and some other stuff too.

Simon & Drumming

If you weren’t a drummer how would your version of “being the bloke singing at the front” be like?

Damned awful … I auditioned as a singer once, before I started drumming … It was awful!

In his book Stephen Morris says that all it takes to be a drummer is a flat surface and know how to count. Do you agree?

No.

Then, what makes a good drummer?

Being in the right band.

Topper Headon of the Clash is one of your role models. Who are the others?

He is, yes … fantastic drummer.

Charlie Watts is the other great …and Rat Scabies … superb.

She opens with drums so does Introducing the band. Your drumming gives the band a distinctive sound. How integral to Suede’s sound are the drums?

Well, what can I say … VERY!

Do you prefer songs that are driven by the drums or songs in which the drums are more in the background?

Bit of both actually … I love in your face stuff like She, Filmstar …, but ikewise, playing softer stuff is very satisfying too.

You’re not a songwriter. How much freedom and input do you have regarding drum parts?

If the songs needs it, I’ll change it.

Do you prefer blankets, towels or a pillow inside the bass drum?

Pillows.

Do you use gaffer tape when recording? If so, just on the snare drum or also on the toms? What about live?

Lots of the stuff … gaffer tape has been my friend both live and in the studio for 30 years.

What is the depth of your standard snare drum and why?

Just got a lovely 7-inch Bog wood snare from Repercussion Drums … sounds amazing. It is a 5000 year old Bog wood snare.

Standard, mallets, rods or brushes?

Standard. I hate mallets and rods are always breaking after one song. Brushes are the worst …no control.

How many drum kits have you owned? Of those, which is your favourite?

5 … my fave is my DW purple.

How long to you manage without playing? Do you play air drums?

7 years 2003 – 2010 … and never.

Can you still assemble and tune your drum kit?

Assemble, yes …tune no …have never been any good at that.

You dislike digital/electronic drum kits, but used one during the pandemic. Did you become more found of them?

Still hate them … unfortunately,  they are a necessary evil.

When you first joined Suede you replaced a drum machine. Would it be fair to say you didn’t mind taking its job?

Fuck him!

Brett [Anderson, Suede’s singer] as described the new album as “nasty, brutish and short”. How does that translates drums wise?

Very nasty brutish and short.

When researching for the interview I come across the statement below on a forum: “If you’re in a band and you’re thinking about how to go about this, get every player to come up with their own track list & have a listening party. I’ve done this, not only is it great fun, it’s also massively insightful when it comes to finding out what actually is going on inside the drummer’s head!”. What actually is going on inside the drummer’s head?

Where’s my fucking lighter!

And what is going on inside the drummer as a documentarist head? How does Simon, the drummer, differs from Simon, the keen observer of his own band, bandmates, fans, himself, etc.?

There is no difference … I’m Simon here there and everywhere…

What would the 16 years old Simon who come to London think of current Simon? What advice would you give to your younger self?

Don’t smoke so much you fool!