Miki Berenyi of Lush: it was the best of times, it was the worst of times … 

It makes me so sad to think of how many decades she went, believing that Lush was nothing significant and that she was a disposable, underwhelming musician. I’m glad that at least these days she sees the value of her music. Lush personally changed the way I looked at music, opened my mind to what music could be, what could be done, and most of all as an early 90s young boy - who could do it. I still listen to Lush multiple times a week and I’m raising a daughter and she has no doubt that women can fucking CRUSH as musicians and performers, and without none of the misconceptions that I had (which Miki and Emma nevertheless were able to tear down)

"Split" is a masterpiece & my favorite Lush album. The songs are incredibly well written and performed, and the cool, ethereal production. I'm always amazed how they never fully realized how amazing that album was/is. I never liked the follow-up as much, that one was more full-on Brit Pop, but SPLIT was the right combination of melody and shoegaze elements.

@@julianschulz1620 No question. Split is their deepest and most fully realized album, by a mile.

@@julianschulz1620 yup, imo, 'Split' is the best stuff I've heard from them.

​@@julianschulz1620I agree with you 1,000%: Split is their best album. I think Miki has s very low self esteem, due to her troubled childhood. She never was/is satisfied with the things she did/does. That's a shame.

100%. Their music is so much more sophisticated and interesting than most of what’s happened in rock since. Except for like, Radiohead.

You should make a text tone for your phone saying "Oh blimey!" with her voice.

well put

It’s wonderful, you really should!

Hey I was at that show too - it was amazing! I think Swordfish and Crow were supporting? Good times! The Marquee Club (Sydney) came and went fairly quickly iirc. What is it now, apartments? Saw a few good shows there. Apart from Lush, Died Pretty circa 90-91 were a stand out. Now going to a Miki Berenyi book signing event in a few weeks. Can’t wait!

@@allansmithee7230 Don't remember Crow playing, I know John the drummer. Briefly stood next to Miki at the bar! Saw Died Pretty many a time. They rehearsed where I work a few years ago!

@@geofflee6295 Ah, must’ve been getting it mixed up with MBV at Sydney Uni Refectory in 91 - Crow definitely supported at that one! (and loads of other international acts too iirc). That flailing drummer was a force of nature! Oh yeah, and I think I exchanged smiles with Miki on the way to the bar at the Lush gig too, come to think of it. Let’s see if she remembers! :) Saw Died Pretty again in Sydney last year - both shows. They know how to play up a storm! Happy days!

@@allansmithee7230 I'm sure she'll remember!

I met her after her gig in London students Union in May 1990. I was doing security at the gig and shared a smoke with her in the back of her tour van. Great memory and lovely lady. Looks good for 56, I still have a lush crush!!! Lol

:- D

Methinks the Britpop switch was more of an economic decision? Like New Jack Swing, shoegaze and dream pop didn’t hold up after the mid-1990s. It was a fad that fizzled regrettably despite being great music subgenres of its time. I feel that way about acid house, trip-hop, acid jazz, IDM, 2-step, post-punk, UK garage, don’t know why those subgenres fizzled and disappeared. I love ‘em to bits.

They lost me as well at "Lovelife" (the album, not the song from Split). Sadly I really disliked that album. Spooky on the other hand...well, as a big Cocteau Twins fan, and especially of Robin Guthrie, there was a certain magic to that album that makes it stand out.

I saw an interview with Miki and she said she showed her book to Emma and Emma said she was "hurt and confused". But they don't really speak any more.

​@@robertwilson3866 God, I wish I could stumble on her perpective about her musical story. I'd love to hear from Phil too.

@@kevinfisher5492 _Spooky_ is known to be Emma's favourite. It is also mine from Lush. This said, I always thought that the _Lovelife_ songs made sense live. Also, I love all the single flipsides they recorded that year (1996), it looked like their way to the future.

From 1989 to 1994 (two LPs, one mini album, six EPs) there are literally two Lush songs that I don't like that much (and it's not like they're awful, but the bar was SO damn high). Lush were amazing then! Their sound changed in 1996, but there were still plenty of great songs. '89 to '94 though - best band ever! Berenyi/Anderson absolutely belong alongside Morrissey/Marr, Tilbrook/Difford, et al. Indeed, 4AD was perfect for them. The Vaughan Oliver artwork is just sublime. And yes, Desire Lines - a truly stunning song. Their comeback EP in 2016 is gorgeous too - it recaptures that glorious earlier sound.

@@unakennelly If you ever get a chance at it, there was a vinyl box set released for RSD a few years back, plus there's a comprehensive CD box set. I agree about the comeback track. I'm waiting for a signed copy of Miki Berenyi's book to arrive. Yeah, Lush and Slowdive were two bands from that era that I really liked (still do). Cheers...

@@onsenkuma1979 yeah those box sets look beautiful! Can't wait to read the book, seems like it's gonna be superb. This and Bernard Sumner's are the only musician autobiographies I've ever really been interested in!

@onsenkuma Same here! Such an atmospheric track. I remember being floored by it the first time I heard it - still am to this day! One of the live versions out there (video of a gig at some place in Austin, Texas I think?) is stunning, too (they all are, really). There’s this moment you don’t get on the recorded version where Emma Anderson, from the dimly lit side of the stage in this sweaty venue, strums just a simple chord but at just the right time after the intense lead guitar part in the middle. Something about the light and shade. It will send shivers up your spine!

@@unakennelly The 1996 Lovelife album was definitely a change of sound, and not always in a good way - Shake, Baby, Shake? I mean, come on! :) But it had some truly standout tracks on it as well. In fact, probably my second favourite after Desire Lines - Last Night. That chunky bass line you could walk on and a trip hoppy feel - would’ve been a cool direction for the band to explore further on a next album in the late 90s (which sadly wasn’t to be). The last track, Olympia, is great, too. Very poignant, and prescient (the ‘goodbye’ at the end). And it’s apparently about a cat!

They were in the UK music press and indeed 'Shoegazing' was not meant as a compliment - the press soon turned on bands like Lush and rival bands joined in - famously the Manic Street Preachers called Slowdive 'worse than Hitler'! MBV got through unscathed because they were so extreme and weird, and Ride probably because they quickly ditched the ethereal, dreamy "shoegaze" sound and went more trad-Indie and Britpop with subsequent records.

Talk to Rachel from Slowdive if you want to hear about how brutal the weeklies could be... in particular certain journalists.... straight up vicious playground bullying...one journo springs to mind....

@@timhall3575 It's the internet, you can name names!

I think it was justified to a point. So many soundalike bands jumped on the droney mini bus. Mostly posh kids with shiny new Fenders and one band in particular case actually turned out to be a bunch of session musicians put together by a record label. It was all rather beige. MBV were unfortunately lumped in with them but were a very different beast.

Not sure if this interview does Miki and Lush enough credit for their output, style, song writing etc. For what it is worth, l rated Lush extremely highly. In later years l made a small contribution to recording the Sing Sing album that Emma Anderson was involved in. Back to Lush, saw them at Cambridge Junction where they performed material from Lovelife. Remember it as though it was yesterday. They were an exceptional group in an interesting music genre. I realise though that the interview is about Miki's book ...rather look forward to Emma's viewpoint.

Your memory more likely harks back from 1992 since they played only one gig in '93 (for the 13th Year Itch, the 13th anniversary of 4AD). It was THE place to be that year !

@@julosx Lush toured with Weezer in 94.

History always gets wallpapered over, but younger fans don't realize that 'shoegaze' was coined by the weeklies as a term of derision as much as a description of the less-than-lively stage manner of some of the bands. Of course, time has been kind to Ride, Lush and (especially) MBV...

@@onsenkuma1979 for me, shoegazing was infinitely better than Britpop. I really disliked Britpop overall.

@@unakennelly With hindsight, and away from the media glare of all the dumb labels (grunge, Manchester, shoe gaze, Britpop, jungle, trip-hop) and all the phoney division fabricated by the weeklies at the time (hey, gotta shift copies in a market that's rapidly disintegrating), what's left is the music that's worn reasonably well and stood the test of time. I can still listen to and appreciate at least some of Suede, Nirvana, Saint Etienne, Portishead, Manics, Teenage Fanclub, Primal Scream, Weller, Edwin Collins, Pulp, MBV, Slowdive, Super Furry Animals, Lush, Oasis, Massive Attack, Blur, Sundays, Bjork, Goldie, that whole 'Rebirth of Cool'/Mo 'Wax/Metalheadz thing, etc... That only scratches the surface, but it's still a lot of music, and if it was good it still is good. There was a whole mess of 'lesser lights' who simply hopped onto one bullshit bandwagon or another and deservedly went down, um, 'un-remembered'. Artists should just play what's real for them and screw all the labels. Lush did just that, and was all the better for it. And I've still got all the time in the world for Miki Berenyi!

@@onsenkuma1979 yes, Britpop had rubbish like Sleeper, Echobelly, Shed Seven, Menswear, Dodgy... Blur's output at the time was nowhere near as good as their other periods. But Supergrass were great (with the exception of Alright), Elastica good too. And give me the much maligned Kula Shaker and Ocean Colour Scene before any of the lot I mentioned at the start. And there was really good stuff coming out of Wales.

@@unakennelly I can remember a very awkward silence permeating a room full of housemates in 1995 when a newcomer (not me!) said they liked Oasis! Some of the snobbery on the indie scene back then was pretty bad in hindsight. But not when it came to Britpop! :) Pulp, some Suede and maybe Supergrass are the only notable exceptions for me. The rest? Happily consigned to the dustbin of history.

She mentions Emma

Hardly anybody remembers it today if you ask me. It's the same for their cover of "Chirpy Chirpy Tcheep Tcheep" that I always loved to be honest !

@@matthewdavies2057 - Im talking financially, you ding bat!! She originally retired broke and had to work for someone. I call that a failure. You can still be a failure and popular at the same time.

And PJ Harvey ❤

I'd add Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donnelly, especially together.

Shoegaze? Lush's 1996 single 'Shake Baby Shake' sounded exactly like Kirsty McColl...

@@philiphalpenny3783 They'd been around since 87 & were pretty shoegaze until the last album. Definitely would't' call them Britpop

Yep - when the word britpop was first used, I immediately checked to see if Miki would grimace!

Shoegaze on and off from '89 (first record, Scar) to '94 - but their own distinctive sound too, as well as post punk, garage and goth influences. 1996 though - much more Britpoppy sound, but far better than so many Britpop bands, and like Pulp, mistakenly deemed "new" when they were well established. Their "comeback" EP in 2016 channels that earlier shoegaze sound I think. It's wonderful.

@@unakennelly And the shoegaze in Lush was just as much off as it was on, as I remember it. In 1990, say, I always thought of them as some kind of late post-punk. The generalising of them as a shoegaze band seems to be a more recent thing as far as I can tell (not to mention the, ahem, ‘Britpopping’ of the band). Interesting how perceptions change with time. And, yes, the 2016 reunion EP is amazing. Would’ve loved to have seen one of the reunion gigs. Shame it ended so soon. Still, Piroshka have done a couple of great records though. Definitely catching them whenever they strut the boards again!

Lol 😆 .. u must not have been around back in those days ?

The music of the two bands could not be more different.