The official news broke last night that Ride is back together. On the heels of the announcement, Mark Gardener and Andy Bell of Ride were interviewed this morning on BBC Music 6 by host Shaun Keaveny to talk about their reunion! Gardener and Bell revealed that for the past few years they gotten together to discuss various offers to play festivals (offers come in around this time every year). This year they again discussed the possibility of a reunion and decided it was finally the right time to get back together.
Later in the interview they discussed the Stone Roses recent reunion and Gardener said their reunion inspired him greatly and made him want to play with Ride again. The two didn't dismiss the idea of making new music, but for now they'll focus on the classics for the live shows and see what happens.
The archive of the interview is posted on the BBC Music 6 website, and some highlights from the interview have been transcribed below. For more on Ride visit the official website here.
(on how the reunion came about)
Bell: we've gotten into the habit of looking at offers that come in this time of year, festivals for the next year, that's been happening for the past few years now. So we've been in contact over the past few years, we've been busy a lot of the time, I've been doing stuff with Beady Eye. It's just, the time is now right, we're in a bit of downtime, for the past few months and I was thinking oh, this would be good, let's make it work, from my point of view anyway, and go back and do whatever Beady Eye was going to do afterwards.
Gardener: I remember a few years ago, we've always gotten together throughout the year, we'd meet, and of course through the years, that question has never gone away. Any time I've ever spoken to any press or anybody, it's just what's coming at the end. So at a certain point I remember asking the guys the question at one of our get togethers if we could ever do this. I think we properly talked about it, I think it was 3 years ago maybe. But then of course there's been lots of stuff going on for us individually, I think Loz (Laurence Colbert) as we speak is in a van with Gaz Coombes (ex-Supergrass singer).
(on starting off as an indie band)
Gardener: Yes, I think it's a good feeling, it's madness in a lot of ways. We just went out our thing and did had no conception that one would even hit the charts or any of that. When it started happening it got a bit peculiar in a way.
Bell: We rushed through a lot in that time, it was a quick time, and before you knew it, it sort of exploded and finished in about, what, 5 or 6 years from the beginning.
Gardener: It was full on, quick. And the nature of the music was edgy and full on and I think it was a thing, ultimately it was always going to crash at some point although we couldn't see it. And the upsurge, the early part of it was just incredible, you had no idea it was going to happen. I think it's a great feeling because in the end you just hope you were doing something. Back then everything was analyzed then kind of tried to be put into boxes, you just hope that something you will stand the test of time because a lot of the music we're inspired by and loved did stand the test of time.
Bell: When we started we were indie kids, listening to the Valentines, House of Love, Spacemen 3, Loop, all that kind of thing. We started off sordidly in that indie world, and as we, we were only 18 when we started out, and at that same time we were taking on, oh yeah, have you actually checked out some of the Who albums and have you actually check out some of the Byrds stuff? People giving you things and you're taking them on board on tour and making them part of your sound. So as the years went on we got more and more towards that classic indie sound, but when the balance was right, it was a good mixture, 'cause you sort of had the muscle of the Who, and the sort of washy ethereal, noisy stuff all together in one thing. It was good.
Gardener: And I think at the end of the day you just trying...in the end you just want to do something interesting at least a different kind by mixing all these things together and you're hoping something sounds fresh and interesting. And obviously when it stops, you kind of think well, I did, maybe I've sold out, being trendy...you just think whatever now comes, that's done then, what's next. It's beautiful in a way, you sit back and realize the significance of it, and I think it's because we really just go for it and over time it's grown because it had that itch, I guess.
(on unfinished business, the Stone Roses reunion inspiring them to reunite)
Bell: The Roses' reunion, I was so happy for them, they played such great gigs, I'm still hoping they'll come out with an album.
Gardener: And it was the reunion that made me think, a lot of the time reunions happen, it still didn't make me think I gotta find the guys and say, hey we've gotta do this again, but when the Roses did it, it WAS a reunion that made me think actually we'll have to play again in Ride, it'll be amazing. That's the thing, my quote for the day is "two things rob people of their peace of mind: sonic work unfinished and sonic work not yet begun" I saw that the other day I've kind of amended the quote a bit to make it more interesting.
Gardener: What I've realized is that I love doing different projects and stuff that's been going on over the last few years but there's been something that's been really bugging me, and also the amount of times I've sat and watched festivals and headlines and people, I think that's alright, but what's exciting to me is that I know the audience is there, I don't have to worry about singles or any of that stuff...it feels really great we can just go and make that big sound in big places. And knowing systems and PAs, geeky stuff like that, will help out. It's kind of sounds bigger and better, so that's really exciting to me and that's what I feel about unfinished business.
Bell: From my point of view, I never took time when it was going to appreciate what was going on. I never went round and said, I better appreciate it, that I'm here on stage at festivals, before I knew it it was all finished, and I've moved on to whatever else. And it would be great to do it be able to be round and say I'm here it's cool.
On new material:
Bell: We've not discussed anything but I'm just assuming that we'll just do stuff we know everyone wants to hear.
Gardener: Exactly, I think as a result whenever we get together in a room, then I think, well, actually we've got a lot of homework to do. We have to learn the old chords again, but you never know what can happen with these things. I just want to plug an electric guitar in again, I've enjoyed acoustic things and stuff, but I'm greatly inspired to plug in and make noise again.
Ride tour dates:
5/22 -- Glasgow @ Barrowland
5/23 -- Manchester @ Albert Hall
5/24 -- London @ Roundhouse
5/26 -- Amsterdam @ Paradiso
5/27 -- Paris @ Olympia
5/29 -- Barcelona @ Primavera Festival
6/02 -- Toronto @ DanForth Music Hall (on sale 11/26 at 10am ET)
6/04 -- New York @ Terminal 5 (on sale 11/21 at 12pm ET)
6/07 -- London @ Field Day
Published November 19th, 2014 @ 5:48 AM