‘Court cases, death and rock'n'roll’

SONYA AURORA MADAN ON THE RISE, FALL AND RETURN OF 1990S BRITISH BAND ECHOBELLY

by ASJAD NAZIR

IN THE early 1990s, Sonya Aurora Madan was one of the first British Asian artists to make it big in the western mainstream with her band Echobelly.

The singer/songwriter not only became a big star but also a role model for an entire generation wanting to follow in her giant footsteps.

After negotiating the rollercoaster of the music industry, the talented singer/songwriter teamed up with fellow Echobelly founding member Glenn Johansson to bring back the band after a gap of 11 years with their acclaimed sixth album Anarchy And Alchemy.

On November 17, Echobelly will release Faces In The Mirror, the third single from their latest album, and follow it up with a series of live dates across the UK. Eastern Eye caught up with Sonya Aurora Madan to talk about her amazing musical journey, latest single, music, inspirations, unfulfilled ambition and more.

Did you expect Echobelly to be so successful when you broke through in the early 1990s?

I didn’t, I just went with the flow. It happened very quickly for us and we got signed after our third or fourth show. We didn’t do the apprenticeship thing that most people do for years. There was a big buzz on the band. There was a big scene going on and we were a part of it.

What is your fondest memory from that time?

I don’t think that I have one fondest memory. There is a myriad of memories. (Laughs) God and bad!

You have done a lot of great songs and albums since then, but which was closest to your heart?

What usually happens is when you write a song and are signed to a record label, someone called an A&R person helps choose singles. But very often it is the B-Side, songs you are free to write and express things how you want to and don’t have to worry about the commercial success.

They tend to be closer to the artists’ hearts because of the freedom of expression associated with them. So it’s the songs the real fans know about on the B-side.

You all took a long break from Echobelly and are back after 11 years. Why was that?

We didn’t decide; it is part of being in the music business. It is very cyclical. You are in fashion and are out of fashion. There are glass ceilings. Sometimes everyone is jumping all over you and the next minute no one is taking your calls. It’s just a part of the momentum of being an artist I guess.

We deliberately didn’t take a break. The scene collapsed and the band disbanded. There were court cases, death and all sort of rock’n’roll problems (laughs). It just kind of fell apart.

You and Glenn Johansson teamed up to resurrect the band. How would you say you have changed as a songwriter?

It’s a natural evolution Asjad. As an artist you are always growing and moving forward. Although sometimes you look back at your youthful expressions and take a lot of joy from that period, you know that you have changed and grown as an artist.

This album is very much close to my heart because it is more poignant and invites the listener to interpret the music and lyrics, rather than me making statements or political comments. This is very much I would say esoteric and inviting people to make up their own minds.

Is it fair to say its one of the most emotional collection of songs you have done?

I think that it’s a little bit more subtle and less ranting. I think it’s part of where I am as a person in my own life.

What inspired your latest single Faces In The Mirror, which I found moving?

(Smiles) Thank you! It was written because my father, coming from an Indian background, sat me down and basically said he was disappointed in where I was as a daughter.

Really, why?

I was unmarried and hadn’t settled down. I was doing something career wise that he couldn’t understand, because for him and his background it is all about security, building up stability. And I had chosen a path that he couldn’t come to terms with. It was my answer to try and explain that being an artist is not a career choice, at least not for me. It’s something that is in your blood and bones, and you just have to do. I was trying to explain nicely that nothing lasts forever, whatever you do, but you have to follow your heart. It is about people trying to find their own truths and meaning, their own interpretations of what’s important to them in life.

Echobelly made a name for being great live. Does performing live still give you the same high as before?

Yes. It’s a funny thing, I was saying to someone yesterday filming something else. I was trying to explain that if I walk into a bar I am really shy and self-conscious. But if I walk on stage and there are thousands of people there, it’s just easy for me. (Laughs) So I am not sure how that works.

Is there any one performance from your amazing career that will remain the most memorable?

It’s difficult to choose. I remember we played two sold-out shows in Los Angeles when we were really hot and playing sold out tours. Loads of film stars were there along with so many movers and shakers.

I remember Glenn and I looking at each other, with eye-to-eye contact, thinking: ‘Wow we have arrived’. (Laughs) It was a moment that happened when all these famous people were looking at us in admiration. We were thinking: ‘My god, we never thought we would ever even meet these people’. That was a very special time in Los Angeles.

What has kept the creative bond between you and Glenn Johansson so strong after all these years?

Because it is a creative bond! Every man-woman relationship has its own needs and whatever important aspects, whereas a creative relationship is based on something that is visceral as well as cerebral, emotional and takes you to a different place. We have always connected that way.

What is the master plan going forward?

The music business has changed so dramatically that you would be stupid to have a master plan. There is always a desire that people will appreciate what you do, otherwise you just sit in your bedroom and play to nobody, but at the end of the day it has to please you first and you have to feel that you are doing what you are here to do. It’s about getting a sense of satisfaction yourself before you even take it outside.

You must be looking forward to your forthcoming shows; what can expect?

Yes! The shows we have done recently, including festivals, have played the greatest hits just to keep the fans happy. Those who hadn’t seen us for a long time. With our forthcoming shows, we will be playing some of the more obscure songs that are personal favourites and songs from the new album.

What is your greatest unfulfilled ambition?

I am always fascinated by friends who have actually settled down. I know it sounds weird, but I have such an odd life and live in my mind. I haven’t actually got a partner and quite like the idea of one day meeting the right person, having some cats and doing some gardening. (Laughs) I just look forward to having a normal life actually.

You were one of the first British Asians to make it big in the western mainstream, does it disappoint you loads more haven’t followed your footsteps in the past 24 years?

I think there are plenty of artists out there. So it depends what you are into.

But there are hardly any in the western mainstream still...

No there aren’t. It doesn’t disappoint me, but it is a curiosity yes for sure.

What inspires you?

I am very much interested in I suppose what you would call esoteric subjects. I have been spending the last decade in my own time and reading and investigating things that I had no conscious awareness of before.

I just think there is so much out there, and a lot of it relates to Indian culture like the Ayurvedic system, the yoga aspect of the spirit, mind and body, and how to live your life. There are just so many things that fascinate me I have got an endless supply of subjects.

Finally, what is the secret of good song writing?

I think in a sentence, it is to move people. You can say three simple words or you could have a whole diatribe of whatever, but I think the key is to touch and move people.