1999 Interview

This interview has been archived from the former Official B*Witched website.

Everyones saying you've got more grown-up. Do you feel like that?

Keavy: You just naturally grow up like everybody else. We got together three years ago and we've learned a lot: we've been all around the world.

Edele: But I don't think that at any point this year we've turned to each other and said "We feel really grown up."

Keavy: I think our parents think we've grown up though. I remember talking with my dad and him sitting back and saying, "I'm so impressed with the four of you, it's like you are all 26! You've grown up six years instead of one. You've just learned so much."

Lindsay: Yeah, you learn a lot in this business really fast.

How about musically?

Keavy: Well, hopefully "Awake and Breathe" will bring us to an even wider audience, as well as giving our fans more variety. We've got more pop music, ballads that we didn't have on the first one, we've got country music which you hear on Jesse, a Jam and Lewis type number and we do a collaboration with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the African choir.

Edele: Our fans are really loyal to us, but if they had to hear the same things all the time they'd be like, "That sounds just like the last record with different words." So it's good for them that we're bringing our music to another level and changing the style a bit.

Keavy: You've got to keep people on the edge of their seat thinking, "What are they going to do next?"

Did you ever consider ditching the denim?

Keavy: We had a choice with the second album whether to carry on with it or get rid of it, but we thought it would be best to stay with it 'cause it's part of us now. Some other group out there has every other image there is. We don't want to wear clothes like everyone else as we wouldn't be distinctive!

Did you get time to enjoy America aside from the touring?

Keavy: We only had about two days off so we didnt have time to go sightseeing, but when we were working we had lots of fun.

Lindsay: We saw the Statue of Liberty in New York and we had a day off in Atlanta so we spent the day up near the lake which was absolutely gorgeous.

Keavy: We've seen the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz but that's about it. We wanted to see the Grand Canyon and we were close to it so many times, but we never got to go!

Do you think it helped being Irish in America?

Edele: I think what really helped us is the fact that the pop market is not that big in America at the moment. Plus weve got an image that nobody's really seen over there, so we stood out and everybody really liked us. But mostly, I think its because were very talented and were a good group!

Sinead: I guess it helped that we were Irish as well though, because Americans really like the Irish and it seems like every American you meet can trace their roots back to Ireland in some way.

Apart from friends and family, what did you miss?

Sinead: A cup of tea.

Lindsay: I agree. The teas different in America somehow.

(tea discussion continues for five minutes until)

Keavy: I missed Irish bread.

Edele: And I craved boiled potatoes.

Are American fans any different?

Lindsay: No, all our fans around the world want to be entertained and just have a good time.

Edele: I think a B*Witched fan is one that wants to think positively, like, and they can find positivity in our music.

What do you think youve learnt about yourselves in the last year and a half?

Keavy: You just naturally grow up like everybody else. We got together three years ago and weve learned a lot: weve been all around the world.

Lindsay: That I need eight hours sleep otherwise I'm moody the next day.

Sinead: I've learnt that when you're quite tired, you have to rejuvenate yourself mentally really, really quickly to carry on. In this business, you can't sleep when you want to sleep and sometimes you can't eat when you want to eat.

Keavy: I've learnt that I'm not very good when it comes to jet-lag.

Edele: Erm, that I really like singing live all the time. Yeah, it's the best thing being on stage.

Keavy: I've learnt that Edele is very, very career minded at the present time. Not that we arent, but she's extremely so.

Edele: Thank you!

Have you had any moments where you've had to pinch yourself?

Edele: I've never had to pinch myself, but its very hard to find the time to sit back and look at what we've achieved. From an outsiders point of view, I've only done that once or twice.

Sinead: I think I've had moments like that when we go to awards ceremonies. I sometimes think, I used to be so excited watching things like that on TV two years ago and now I'm actually here! That sometimes gets me.

Lindsay: We recently performed at the Sony Music Conference (a big, big meeting for everyone at the record label) and the managing director got up and made a little speech about us. And he just praised us down to the ground. I was sitting there listening and I felt so proud of us, I had tears in my eyes.