from=July 29th 1998
Flair: How did you start with The Corrs?Jim: A lot of
those questions are on our biography. How we started and
all of that. Do you have other questions, because I could give you a
better interview if you give me questions that are not on the biography.
Have you got a biography?
Flair: :Well, I surfed on the Internet...
Jim:Then you know the David Foster-story and all that
Flair: :Yes, but I was talking before that... When you were little
children.
Jim:Well, we grew up in a very musical family, with both our parents
being musicians, so it was evident that we ended up in it ourselves.
Though we weren't pushed in it, it was a very natural progression... Our
father taught us all keyboards, then we said: I play guitar and Sharon
played violin, she played in various different orchestra's as a
sessionmusician, Caroline and Andrea were still at school... We didn't actually get
together until we auditioned for The Commitments,
which was organised by a mutual friend of mine.
Flair: :How did everyone get their own 'part' in the band. Was it
obvious that everyone was going to play the instruments they are playing
now?
Jim:I think so, yeah. Sharon was the only one who played violin, no-one
else did. I was the only one who played guitar.... Andrea was the one
that practiced singing most, she got the most character to her voice,
the most unique voice amongst us. And Caroline got on the drums was
simply because we didn't have a drummer, and her boyfriend was a
drummer. He started giving her a few lessons, and she became very very
very good and now she is the drummer in the band!
Flair: :Are there - besides playing the instruments - other roles in the
band? Like, is there a leader or so?
Jim:No, everything is done by democratic decision, with our manager...
That way we are sure it's the best possible direction. It wouldn't work
in a familyband if one person would take control.
Flair: :Dreams seems to be your big breakthrough...
Jim:Certainly was in England.
Flair: :Don't you think it's a shame that that didn't happen with a song
of your own?
Jim:We don't look at it like that. It's our version of the song, a
unique version because it's ours. It happened to be written by someone
else and we couldn't better, that's all. You never know which way the
ball is going to bounce in this business. It would be nice if it was one
of our own songs, but it's equally nice that it is such a fantastic song
of Fleetwood Mac. We don't mind, and it opens up the world to our music.
If we have a hit, no matter who wrote it, it means that people end up
with listening to our music and that's the most important thing.
Flair: :It's going very fast with your succes...
Jim:Well, we are together for eight or nine years, so for us it isn't
that fast...We've worked a long, long time for this succes... And thankfully it's
coming in now, which is growing in a nice pace. I think we're lucky we
weren't literally an overnight succes. Some aspects of that might be
difficult. We want to lay foundations and build and build and build for
as long as we can until we reach the plateau that we want to achieve.
Flair: :What do you want to achieve?
Jim:Part of our goal was to get a number one in England, in Australia
and we achieved that. Now we want a number one here in Belgium, and
ofcourse in America. That's very important to us.
Flair: :How important is 'being Irish' for you?
Jim:Very important for our sound, because it gives us a unique sound. We
grew up with pop- and rockmusic, and also traditional Irish music. I
think if we hadn't got that, we were equated with an awful lot more
bands. Because we have the Irish influence it gives us a unique
position.
Flair: :What is it with you Irish people? There is so good music coming
from Ireland.
Jim:It's all the Guinness that everyone drinks
Flair: :O, then I must try that too.
Jim:I don't know what it is. It's just fantastic that it is. Music is
treated very much as a gift and is handed out from generation to
generation. And I think that that installs early on within people a deep
love for music. And that is probably why so many Irish people make
music.
Flair: :Andrea has also an acting career
Jim:No, acting is a really a sideline. Her main objective is The Corrs
and that is what we are all focusing on. Anything that comes along for
any us on the side, is a bonus. But it is The Corrs at the end of the day, that's what it
is all about.
So I wouldn't say that Andrea has an acting career.
Flair: :She met Madonna while she played in Evita. Can you use that as a
positive thing for The Corrs? Like saying to her: 'hey, I'm playing in a
band, can you come and listen to us?'
Jim:We wouldn't do that because we've got a very good team surrounding
us, we have a very good recordcompany. To be honest, I don't think that
Madonna would be in the position to have us. Because that is not the
direction we're going in. We're very happy with the team that we've got
surrounding us and I think certainly that if Madonna was to say 'o, this
band is great' in a couple of magazines, that it would help, yes. But
it's not necessary to get that endorsement for us, because we got
that endorsement from plenty other people.
Flair: :How do you write your songs?
Jim:Generally it's a collective affair. We get together, one person has
got an idea and we work it out on keyboards or guitar. Normally, the
music is there first. And then the melody-line and lyrics come then as
well. It varies, but at the end of the day we all chip in.
Flair: :If there was going to be a tribute-album for The Corrs, which
artist would you like to do which songs?
Jim: Oh, the most popular at the time
Flair: :Very commercial thinking!
BROOD:Em, that is a tough question...
Flair: :Well, you wanted 'other' questions, here you got one!
Jim:Yeah, that's true! Em... there are so many people in the charts at
the moment that I like. Natalie Imbruglia, I think she's great. Jewel, I
think shé's great. Sting, I like him very much. Those three for a start.
Flair: :Would you like other Irish bands on that album?
Jim:We did a song with The Chieftains on our last album. It was a great
honour to work with them. It would be nice to collaborate with the likes
of Clannad. But as I said, Natalie Imbruglia, Jewel and Sting for a
start.
Flair: :Who sings which song?
Jim:I haven't got a clue, I wouldn't even know where to start...
Flair: :Is there a life besides The Corrs? Is there time to go out, fall
in love, watch a footballgame...?
Jim:This is the compromise that you have to make because there isn't
really much time for relationships, but we do meet people from time to
time. Sharon is in a relationship, and Caroline. Myself and Andrea
aren't. That is the one compromise. There is a life beyond The Corrs,
but not at the moment! In the distant future.
Flair: :What do you miss most when you're abroad?
Jim:Our parents, my car, our hometown, going out with friends there...
we miss that.
Flair: :Is your hometown the place you're going to be old, or can you
see yourself in another country?
Jim:I would like to travel from country to country. I don't know if I
could settle anywhere. Ofcourse I love Ireland. But I love Stockholm too
and parts of Australia. The wonderful thing of this business is that you
get too experience these places. But at the end of the day, there's no
place like home.
Flair: :Where do you get the energy to do this: having interviews
with
the press, meet 'n greets with your fans... Because everyone says that you're so kind and
always take time for your
fans.
Jim:It's very important that we look after our fans, because they buy
our records, they are responsible for our livelyhood, they are
paying our wages... I think it's just important to be nice to people
anyway. Sometimes you do get tired, and it becomes like a job. And
that's when you sort of have to kick yourself and say: hey, this is a
fantastic job, it's great fun. We love what we do and it's always great
to feel appreciation.
Flair: :How do your parents react when they see you doing you're thing
all over the world?
Jim:It's a very special experience for them, they are very thrilled with
the succes we're having because they were musicians themselves.
Flair: :If you ever get children, do you want them to be musicians too?
Jim:Not necessarily. I would want them to be in a job where they're
utilising their talents. That's all. Because I believe that you make the
most enjoyment out of life is when you're in a job that is actually
you're hobby. Unfortunately, not many people have a chance to do that.
But you can, if you're 100% determined and focused, you can.
Flair: :If you hadn't been into music, what would you do now?
Jim:I couldn't answer that, I have no idea. I did dabble with some
things before I got into music. Electronics I found interesting. I
suppose there's nothing more that interests mé. I'm a little bit
interested in philosophy, you know, with the question why we're here.
But beyond that, I couldn't see myself doing something else.
Flair: :You've got an answer to the question why we're here on earth?
Jim:Have I got an answer? I don't know, from my sort of small pool of my
human mind, I think that we're like children. We are still children when
we're old, we're learning all the time. We're learning to be
compassionate, to love, to look after other people, yourselves and the
environment. I think that's probably what we're here to do. Because we
got a lot of powerful energy inside us and perhaps when we move on, when
we leave this world we get to use that energy in a different way. But we
have to be very careful how we use it.
Flair: :Do you try to put those visions in your songs?
Jim:Yes, when I write lyrics I try to do that. I will go on to do that
in the future. Sometimes things are best left unsaid, somethings you
cannot put into words. You can only hint through words, like the great
poets do.
Flair: :When are you coming back to Belgium?
Jim:Hopefully soon, I'm not sure (at his point he asks the
recordcompany-people who say that nothing is scheduled).But I'm sure they let you know.
Flair: :Or I'll find it out myself.
Jim:Well, you probably find out on the Internet before we do! Because
the Internet knows everything and is everywhere!
Flair: :Thank you very much
Jim:You're welcome.