I had the chance to catch up with Jane Eugene last week and get the scoop on what brought the band back together, how they’ve amassed a whole new crowd of young fans, and just what she’s most looking forward to about coming to San Diego.<\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> What got you guys started on this reunion tour? What brought you guys back\u00a0together?<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> We\u2019ve actually been working since 2003, so we\u2019ve been working, but it\u2019s the\u00a0fact that people want to hear the music. There\u2019s been a resurgence in people being interested in what Loose Ends has done. This will be our 40th year this year. So what we\u2019re doing over here is hanging on the streets, slowing down, watching people, watching you. You can\u2019t stop the rain. Everything that people have gone out and loved and we\u2019re gonna do that kind of a show. We\u2019re not going to do a show where you\u2019re going to hear the songs that you don\u2019t want to hear.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> Fantastic!<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> You sound young. How old are you?<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> I\u2019m 25.<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> You\u2019re a baby! How do you know my music?<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> There\u2019s this awesome thing called Spotify. I get to explore all the good stuff.<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> I\u2019m gonna go there. I\u2019m gonna go there and check it out. It\u2019s really nice that you bring the younger generation in to be able to hear what we did so long ago.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> That\u2019s what I wanted to ask you about. Have you noticed your crowds getting any younger over the years?<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> Yes. I\u2019ve noticed that there are a lot of people of your age, and that\u2019s been very surprising to me because you\u2019re singing along with the lyrics and I was like, \u201cOh, you really know this stuff!\u201d It\u2019s really exciting. This stuff is fun because I listen to rap music too you know.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> What do you think has made your audience so much younger?<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> When we used to put songs out, sometimes in England we wouldn\u2019t get as much air play as we would in America, and they would say to us that your music is ahead of its time. And we used to think at the time that was a bunch of you know what. They just don\u2019t want to play it. But when you listen to our music and you can play it now forty years later, it doesn\u2019t have that aged sound to it. Like that was done back in the 80\u2019s. I think it was the way Nick Martinelli produced the track. It had this strange kind of fit that can fit now.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> Well that classic R&B sound has made a resurgence, and I feel like the new records sound like your old stuff does.<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> Even if you go back to Nat King Cole, if you can just play something on the piano, you can produce it any way you want. If you\u2019ve got a beginning, middle, and an end, you can produce the song however you want. Think about those songs, those songs have been out for fifty, sixty years, let alone what we\u2019ve done. So if you\u2019ve got something classic and you can take it away and play it on the guitar, even if it\u2019s a dark tune, you can take it away on the piano or guitar another instrument, you\u2019ve really got something that\u2019s going to last.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> It becomes kind of like a standard. Every genre has its standards, you know?<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> Everybody likes to sing along to something.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> Especially when it\u2019s catchy! I know you guys probably write a ton more material than you record and release, but is there any thing in particular that you look for in a song that you can pin down to know yes, this is something we want to put on the record, yes this is a single, yes we want to release this?<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> Something you believe in. Something that\u2019s relatable. You have to tell your truth. If you tell your truth, it usually relates to somebody else\u2019s. You can\u2019t just go in and manufacture something that\u2019s not real. It doesn\u2019t usually have the same effect.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> That\u2019s funny that you say that because I was just having a conversation with a song writer I know in Nashville the other day. He started off trying to write songs that he thought what other people could relate to. And then he started writing songs about his own life and they were so specific in the details, down to what she was wearing, and what kind of car they were driving. He found that people really related more to the specifics of his story than the generalities of what he thought people were feeling.<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> Because usually emotionally, somebody has been through or been where you\u2019ve been. That\u2019s what is so great about Adele. She tells her story of a horrible relationship on that album. I mean really, I\u2019m sure she\u2019s over crying right now, but what it did is it allowed a lot of other people, through her, to actually get rid of their tears and say, \u201cYeah that happened to me.\u201d I think that if\u00a0you tell your story, if you\u2019re strong enough to tell your truth, it\u2019ll relate. Tell your truth, or keep it to yourself. \u201cHangin\u201d On a String\u201d was about myself and Carl when we were going out with each other. It was about the discourse we had between us. When I look back on it I realize that, \u201cWow, that was really about us.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> What was that dynamic like?<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> It\u2019s something you don\u2019t want to do unless you\u2019re young [laughs]. Not something I\u2019d do now\u2014 it\u2019s like no, no thank you. We cannot do that. That\u2019s not a good idea. We cannot go out with anybody in the band.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> [Laughs] It\u2019s such a classic problem.<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> You\u2019ve got to love it. The truth is when you\u2019re young you\u2019ve got less of a barrier up. You tend to be more truthful about what\u2019s really going on. We were a lot more open then. When you\u2019re young, you\u2019re vulnerable, and it all comes out.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> Tell me a little about what you guys have been working on. I know you\u2019ve got this tour coming up but have you guys been in the studio? What else is going on?<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> Actually next week I\u2019m going to Florida at the Funk Fest doing a gig with Ledisi, Erika Badu, and Doug. E. Fresh.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> That\u2019s a sweet lineup!<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> And then we\u2019re going to do the same gig again at Funk Fest in Atlanta. I wish I had known earlier I would have put you on my guest list in Jackson so you could have come.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> I would have loved that!<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> Yeah it\u2019s fun. It\u2019s really good. And of course we\u2019re working with you so we\u2019re really looking forward to that.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> What are you most looking forward to about coming out to San Diego?<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> Meeting the people. A different audience makes it a different show every time. That\u2019s the best part about it.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> What brought you guys back together in \u201903 that made it different this time around?<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> Well, all the original members are not together. I\u2019m working with Steve who\u2019s an original member. Carl is doing his own thing in England. But what happens is you just get old enough to realize that it\u2019s really about the music. That\u2019s really it. It\u2019s beautiful. Nothing else is that big.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> Have you guys been writing new stuff?<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> Yeah I was in the studio the other day, I won\u2019t say with whom, but it was fun. It was actually fun because for a long time it wasn\u2019t fun when we got back in the studio.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> Did you at least keep writing on your own throughout the time you guys weren\u2019t together as a group?<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> Yeah, I\u2019ve written other stuff because you get to the point you write that much, you can just do it in your sleep. But do you like it? That\u2019s the thing. So right now, I\u2019m writing stuff that I like. You may actually get to hear it soon.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> When you write, can you tell me a little about what your writing process is like?<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> I like to write things as they come. I prefer to write to somebody playing an instrument, whether it\u2019s a guitar or piano, and then you can set it to a track. But I like to hear the chords; I like to hear the freshness of that. And that\u2019s how I\u2019m used to writing. I\u2019m melody based. I hear a melody, go along with it, and then I write the lyrics. Then I put it back and let the producers do with it what they\u2019re going to do.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> When you’re writing lyrics, where do you start? Do you get a hook happening first or a story mapped out in your head?<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> It really happens organically because even when you get a melody you kind of mumble something. And when you actually hear the melody go down, you get a feeling for a certain type of words. If it\u2019s a hook great; if it\u2019s a verse fantastic; it could even be the middle eight. It\u2019s kind of like a jigsaw puzzle in my mind. That\u2019s what works for me.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> Do you play any instruments?<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> I play my voice. The guys are so much better, so I don\u2019t like getting clunky on the piano because what I can play versus what I\u2019m used to hearing is not the same. I play melodies in my head. I can hear melodies all the time. I can hear melodies of other people\u2019s songs.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> Is there anyone that you\u2019ve been listening to lately that really influenced you or had a strong impact?<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> I love a lot of different music for a lot of different reasons. Who was I listening to the other day? I think I was listening to Young Jeezy and Ne-Yo\u2019s track \u201cForever Young.\u201d I like stuff with a good melody and a good beat. I listen to a lot of different stuff. I like a lot the young music. A lot of people don\u2019t my age, but I tend to like it.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> Yeah it keeps you current.<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> Somebody asked me the other day, \u201cHow do you feel about being called \u2018Old School\u2019?\u201d I don\u2019t mind. I worked hard to get that title because old school to me means quality. Old school to me means a time when we can go to the studio and get a whole string section because the record companies were paying for it in that day. These days, you wouldn\u2019t even be able to afford to do it unless you were Jay-Z. You know what I\u2019m saying? Old school to me meant we had percussion instruments. We had so much more available to us and we were very lucky because it was at a time when record companies were doing very, very well. Now they\u2019re not selling so many records, so you have to turn that stuff as cheaply as possible. I think old school were the days when somebody could hear you in the club, he might have a friend in A&R, and that\u2019s how you got a deal. It\u2019s kind of harder in these days. We had a format where we could head to. Like if\u00a0the record company was into you and the record company sold, it took off, and you didn\u2019t really know how it took off because the right people were there and they were doing the right stuff. Even artist development was there. They would wait for you to get where you\u2019re going. Now days if you put something out that don\u2019t hit, it\u2019s over. You\u2019re onto the next.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> When you guys go into the studio now, do you still try to use some of the older recording techniques?<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> It depends what it calls for. You don\u2019t go in and manufacture stuff and seal it; you go in with the vibe \u2013 it\u2019s really artistic. If it calls for it, you can hear it because when you\u2019re writing the song and the song is really right, it\u2019s almost like a spiritual moment. Something is moving in the room, and it\u2019s almost directing you and telling you this needs this and that needs that. What it really comes down to is movement.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> What\u2019s the main message you want to send out to your fans?<\/em><\/p>\n JE:<\/strong> Listen. Life is short, so live your life. Believe in yourself; get out there; don\u2019t think about it\u2014 be about it. Life is bleak sometimes, so people tend to think that they can\u2019t live up to their dream. They say, \u201cI can\u2019t be a musician anymore, there\u2019s no money in it, blah blah blah.\u201d I tell them, \u201cHey, God has a journey, especially for you. So believe in it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Special thanks to Jane for her time! Be sure to come on our and celebrate the group’s 40th anniversary tomorrow night!<\/p>\n Loose Ends on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n WHAT: <\/em>Loose Ends Reunion Tour ft. Jane Eugene<\/strong><\/em> An Interview with Jane Eugene of Loose Ends by Casey Pukl\u00a0 One of the biggest British dance groups of the 1980’s, Loose Ends is celebrating 40 years of music together this year. With hits like, “Hanging on a String” and “Slow Down”, it’s apparent that there’s a great musical chemistry there. Although the trio is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1442],"tags":[11512],"class_list":["post-6304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-artists","tag-artist-interviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6304"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6304\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32905,"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6304\/revisions\/32905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/LooseEnds.jpeg\" "\\"LooseEnds\\"")
<\/a>One of the biggest British dance groups of the 1980’s, Loose Ends is celebrating 40 years of music together this year. With hits like, “Hanging on a String” and “Slow Down”, it’s apparent that there’s a great musical chemistry there. Although the trio is not in it’s original form, original members Jane Eugene and Steve Nichol have been going strong on their second time around since 2003.<\/p>\n
\nWHEN: <\/span>Wednesday, May 16, 7:30pm<\/strong><\/em>
\nTICKETS: $10-$39 <\/span>Buy Tickets<\/a><\/em>
\nMORE INFO: <\/span>Artist Profile<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"