80s hit band Eurogliders return to the stage
20 Mar 2015
After more than two decades since creating number one hits all over the world, Australian band Eurogliders, has reunited and is touring around the country with their new album, Don't Eat the Daisies.
The duo, guitarist Bernie Lynch and singer Grace Knight, first met in Perth when they fell in love and came together to create synth-driven, new wave music in the 80s. They became one of the country's best live acts and their hits, such as Heaven (Must Be There) and We Will Together, hit the charts in America, Canada and Asia.
Active Retirees had a chat with Grace Knight about the band's tour, life on the road and how the music industry has changed since the 80s.
What is it like being back on the stage and touring together with Bernie?
It’s so fantastic. It’s been a long time between drinks for Bernie and I on stage , as they say. But we’re really good friends and it’s lovely to see your dear friend beside you on stage and sharing what we both love doing.
There have been a lot of young, new fans, too. It’s fantastic and a testament to Bernie’s songwriting that his songs have stood the test of time.
How has your music changed over the years and how is that reflected in your new album, Don't Eat the Daisies?
We’re artists and we don’t want to keep re-hashing the old stuff. We thought it would be an idea to record our big hits in this new alternate folk vibe, so they’re still recognisable, but with a different energy to them. It was really a way of re-introducing ourselves to our old fans and to some younger fans too.
These songs are so well-written that they can stand up on their own. They don’t need the 80s synthesisers and they’re still beautiful songs when they’re given the space to breathe.
It must have been very difficult for you and Bernie, who formed the band when you were in love, to then break up and continue working together.
There were a couple of weeks of silliness, but very, very soon after that, we both realised that we love working together. I love singing his songs and I hope he loves me singing them. We have a great energy on stage together and very quickly, we realised that is what we loved and that it would be crazy to let the odd marriage to get in the way.
How do you think the music industry has changed since you and Bernie first entered it in the 80s?
With technology now, many young musicians can have a recording studio in their bedroom and make records. There are a few warning bells there, I think. We went through a phase a few years ago when there was a lot of really boring songs coming out because these young kids didn’t understand the musicality, they didn’t understand the building of music and the sorts of things older writers do understand.
Having said that, it sort of doesn’t matter, because people are buying the music. If they get pleasure and joy from it, it doesn't matter whether I think the music is monotone or not.
I’ve never been into rap, but it’s really important, because it talks of what that generation is feeling and what's effecting them, so it’s very, very important. The fact that it doesn’t do anything for my soul does not matter, because it’s not addressing me or my age group. So there are reasons that all this music exists. It’s the same as the punk movement. You’d be hard stretched to call it music, but it was important for that time.
I never comment on whether I like an artist or not, because if that artist is there and selling music, there is no question - it doesn’t matter whether I like them because other people do and the same applies to me. If people don’t like me, that’s entirely their choice - there are so many other performers to choose from.
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