Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt of Everything But The Girl talk about songwriting and creating their distinct sound.
Formed in Hull in 1982, the English musical duo Everything but the Girl are vocalist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist and singer Ben Watt.
On 29 February 1988 the group release their fourth studio album 'Idlewild'. Ben Watt describes this LP as being more like their debut album ‘Eden’. Everything But The Girl have always written songs in much the same way either on an acoustic guitar or on the piano. However, Tracey Thorn does not wish to pigeonhole their sound,
We just think of ourselves as songwriters.
It was by accident that Ben Watt became the producer of ‘Idlewild’, but he found the producing work came easily to him as,
I’ve always been very fastidious about our sound.
Rather than restricting her lyrics to the theme of love, Tracey Thorn prefers to sing about things that affect everyone’s lives.
Anything in life is a good subject for a song.
Sometimes Tracey Thorn draws on her childhood memories and the band's current single ‘These Early Days’ is about her two year old nephew.
Everything But The Girl are touring with a drummer, bassist and pianist, but when they play in Ireland it will be the duo with a piano player so,
That will very much be an acoustic show.
Everything But The Girl are playing Dublin’s Olympia Theatre on 30 March 1988 and the following day they will perform at Belfast's Europa Hotel.
‘Borderline’ was a Saturday morning teenage programme that covered music, fashion and film. It was first broadcast on 11 October 1986.
This episode of ‘Borderline’ was broadcast on 23 February 1988. The presenter is Eithne Hand.
