Thanks so much to Nicola and Robert for the interview! The interview dates from 2020, for some reason or other, only now I am able to publish it. The Applicants is such a fantastic band. You probably know them. If not, you are missing out. Perfect pop. Upbeat and fun. They released one 7″ single and appeared on many compilations. So happy to finally publish this and hoping we can chat soon about their sister band, The Dufflecoats soon!!
++ Hi Nicola and Robert! Thanks so much for being up for this interview! How are you? Still making music?
Nicola: Hi Roque, thanks for contacting us. I’m fine thanks, just about coping with the current lockdown in the UK and keeping healthy. I am still part of a band in Coventry, though I don’t live there anymore. Me and the rest of Celestial get together whenever I go back to Coventry to visit family, and play the odd gig.
Robert: Yes, still playing.
The Zephyrs are going to release an album this year on Acuarela records in Spain. It will be the bands 6th album. It has taken us a few years to make it and we are already writing music for the next album. As there was a ten year gap between Fool Of Regrets and this one, I am hoping it will not take ten years to release the next record.
++ We got in touch thanks to the post I wrote about The Dufflecoats, but we want to go in order. Your first band was The Applicants, another band I am a fan of. So I hope we go in order, and next time we do a Dufflecoats interview. But, was The Applicants really your first band? There was no other before that?
Nicola: Yes, the Applicants was the first band I was in. It started with me and 4 other girls in sixth form at Bishop Ullathorne school in Coventry, we were 17 at the time.
Robert:
The Applicants and Difflecoats were the same band but one had Georgina in.
The Applicants existed before Richard and I came along, We were already in a band together, called the Quants and we met Marion and Nicola at the same time at the first indie night that Coventry put on in the middle of 1988 (I think). We had a band, they had a band and we asked if we could join their band, as by then the girl group line up had moved on from their time at school. I already had a fully working band space at my parents house, with drums and guitar equipment permanently set up. I started building that room when I was 14 or so, so that the band I was in at school had somewhere to play. When I got to 18 and we started the Quants we had somewhere to rehearse. We would go in there as the Applicants and play and write songs. It was the same room where in a few years Adorable would start playing also. I think around the five to ten bands I was in probably over the years wrote songs and learned how to play in that room. The eagle eyed will see it featured in the Sam Knee ‘A scene in between’ book, if you look hard enough.
++ So let’s go back in time. What are your first music memories? Do you remember what was your first instrument? How did you learn to play it? What sort of music did you listen at home while growing up?
Nicola: I first learnt to play guitar having lessons at school at the age of about 8. I carried on having lessons for about 4 years, learnt to read music and did grade 1 and 2 classical guitar, but to be honest, I wasn’t keen on the music I was playing and just didn’t like practising, so gave up when I was 12. When the Applicants got together 5 years later, I hadn’t picked up a guitar in all that time, I’d forgotten how to read music, but could remember basic chords, so that was a start! As a young teenager I was into typical pop music, Wham and Duran Duran etc, but as I got older I discovered the Housemartins and The Smiths, and really got into the Wedding Present as I went into sixth form. Best friend Marion introduced me to all the Sarah bands as she bought all the singles as they came out.
Robert: So let’s go back in time…
I started with drums at 12 and guitar at 13. My brother had a guitar and I had a drum kit. They were set up in the room at home and over the years I was able to obtain more and more equipment. The best thing was we could play at gig volume and my Mum and Dad didn’t mind.
I used to listen to whatever was around but I remember hearing the Smiths and then the Cocteau Twins and the Jesus and Mary Chain, after that I stopped listening to the Clash quite so much and I went from being a punk to being an indie kid. Always liked punk rock though. And I will always like punk rock.
++ Where were you from originally?
Nicola: Born and raised in Coventry, lived there till I was 18 and then went to Leeds University.
Robert: Coventry.
++ How was Coventry at the time of The Applicants? Were there any bands that you liked? Were there any good record stores? Or what about the pubs or venues to go check out up and coming bands?
Nicola: Ska was big in Coventry in the late 70’s, early 80’s with The Specials and The Selector hailing from the city. Then there was King in the mid-80’s. And of course The Primitives, a big influence! Me and Marion met Robert and Richard (Coventry Poly students who would later join The Applicants) at an indie disco at the Hope and Anchor, they were in another local band called The Quants. For record stores, Spinadisc was great. The best gig venues at that time were The Dog and Trumpet, The Colin Campbell, The Hope and Anchor, The Golden Cross, The General Wolfe and the Tic Toc.
Robert: There was a lot going on, Spinadisc was the record shop. We didn’t really play a lot in Coventry though but we did make ourselves part of the scene.
The idea of an ‘indie night’ was a new thing, or at least there wasn’t an indie night really established when we joined the Applicants. There were places to go, such as the Dog and Trumpet but it was mainly goth and you might get one track you liked to dance to. A local dj called Cap started a night and we went to the event and bought our records with us, so we could dance to the Pastels all night, if we wanted to! The ‘scene’ expanded from there and we moved to a place called Silvers and after a few months we had a larger crowd and if you get a larger crowd (of like-minded people) you get more bands coming out of it. There was the Wonder Stuff and James crowd and the Nitzer Ebb crowd but there was also the Dinosaur Jr Sonic Youth Pastels Shop Assistants Smiths Beat Happening crowd and that was us. This is 1989 sort of time, up around 1992.
++ When and how did the band start? I read that it was thanks to some Fall fans mocking you? How did you all meet? How was the recruiting process?
Nicola: Just a bunch of friends in sixth form at school, all into similar indie music, wanting to form a band. At that time, most people of our age at school were into U2 and Simple Minds. I remember having my 18th birthday party at the Hope and Anchor with an indie disco, when I gave invites out at school, I had people coming up to me asking what “indie” meant, it was a pretty new genre at the time. So the original band members were me on guitar, Marion on vocals, Debbie on bass, Sarah on drums and Claire on keys. Debbie had never picked one up before we started the band, and Sarah had never sat behind a drum kit before, so we really started pretty much as beginners. Claire however, had done her grade 8 piano so this was a good start!
++ How was the creative process for you? Where did you usually practice?
Nicola: We practised in the music room at school, after school finished, with the help of the music teacher who lent us all his kit. Marion wrote a few songs and lyrics and we also did a few covers, of The Shop Assistants and The Flatmates.
++ What’s the story behind the band’s name?
Nicola: It’s after a Sylvia Plath poem, “The Applicant”
++ And who would you say were influences in the sound of the band?
Nicola: Most definitely the twee/Scottish/Sarah/indie bands of the mid to late 80’s…Shop Assistants, The Motorcycle Boy, Pastels, Talulah Gosh, The Flatmates, Jesus and Marychain etc etc
Robert: The Shop Assistants
++ You only put out one 7″, the “Say Goodbye EP”, in 1990. It came out on Glut Records. Who was behind this label and how did you end up working with them?
Nicola: It was Shaun who was behind Glut Records and put our single out, I really don’t know how he came to hear of us, but some of our songs were included on various compilation tapes around that time, the legendary “Corrupt Postman” tape, also “Everlasting Happiness” and “Happy or Sad”, all featuring various Sarah bands and Slowdive etc, so maybe he got to first hear us on one of these tapes?
Robert: By then, there was the fanzine scene and I was in touch, as was Marion and Nicola, by writing letters, with various people around at the time. Shaun Glut and I had a shared love for Thrilled Skinny so we sort of bonded on that. He wanted to release records and we wanted to make one for him, so we did. Shaun Glut asked us and we said yes.
++ Was there interest of any other labels in The Applicants?
Nicola: We were included on a Windmill Records 4-song flexi, with 3 other bands: The Fat Tulips, The Haywains and Paintbox. Not sure of any other interest. To be honest, being in a band for me was all about the enjoyment of making music with my friends, it wasn’t about making it big; I love that we were included on this single and flexi and compilation tapes. There was also a lovely blue flexi featuring 4 bands called This Morning Light (released in 1992 on Sunday Records) and the Sound of Leamington Spa Volume 6 CD which featured one of our songs which wasn’t released till 2009 by a German label.
Robert: Why would we have needed record company interest? Not the point of it.
On a personal level, I went through that experience with another band, namely Adorable (who were picked up by Creation records). The Applicants was a totally different thing.
++ The two songs on the record were recorded at Sable Rose Studios in Coventry. How was that experience? How long did it take? Was it your first time at a proper record studio?
Nicola: Yes, I seem to remember we recorded most of our songs at Sable Rose. It was a small local studio run by Andy. Although I think we did record a few at Robert’s house as he had a 4-track. We were pretty rough and ready, everything recorded in a few takes.
Robert: The record wasn’t really ‘produced’, it was recorded. Andy had a room in his flat and you would go in and play. He was really friendly and helpful and it didn’t matter that he was into heavy metal and was an accomplished bass player in a band that used to do shred 1000 miles an hour guitar solos in their songs. He was great fun and really supportive and taught us how to relax and have fun as we play and he’d get it down onto 8 track tape. He had a half inch tape Fostex tape machine. He didn’t care that we were indie and he let us do our own thing. He never said that we were bad or inexperienced or that we made mistakes. He just recorded us. A lot of it was one take and that’s what it sounds like. We’d leave mistakes in, if they happened. We went there a few times and I went there with other bands too, including the Williams. Andy was great. He had an electronic drum kit because live drums were too loud for his neighbours!
++ Who produced the record? And were there any other songs recorded during that session?
Nicola: Andy Faulkner at Sable Rose did the recording and mixing. I can’t remember what songs we recorded at each session, we had quite a few sessions with him over several years
++ Tell me about the art of the 7″. Who made it?
Nicola: Do you know, I really don’t know! Marion and Robert sorted the cover out, as I was away at Uni during that time, the insert photo was taken during a weekend when I was back in Coventry. The photo of the 5 of us was taken by Mark and Laura, two Welsh students who were studying at Coventry Polytechnic who became friends, they went on to form The Rosaries (with Robert as drummer) who had a single out on the Sarah label
Robert: I think that was me. And a photocopier
++ There is a photo of the band that came on an insert of the 7″. I really like the look of the band! Very cool looking! Was there any indiepop heroes that you all looked after for their style or not? And where was this photo taken?
Nicola: Thanks, glad you like it! I think it was taken at Robert’s house. Standard indie fashion of the time…bob hair cuts, long fringes, leather jackets, stripy tshirts, 60’s style herringbone, band tshirts (Danny in the middle is wearing a Loop tshirt). Bobby Gillespie and the Reid brothers were definitely an influence
Robert: We were a bunch of cool indie kids who liked indie. We are still all very cool
++ Aside from the 7″ you did appear on a few compilations. You appeared for example on the legendary “Corrupt Postman” tape with the song “Crush”. And also on Windmill Records on the flexi “Four Bands Four Songs”. How did you know the people behind Windmill Records? And did you ever play with any of the bands from the flexi (Fat Tulips, Haywains or Paintbox)?
Nicola: Yes, we were on quite a few compilation flexi’s and cassettes. I found another one on Discogs recently that I didn’t know about, “Hacia La Luz”, a cassette from Spain made in 1990. Windmill Records was Neil and Chris from Cheadle Hulme, I don’t know how we connected but probably via fanzines. The last gig The Applicants ever played was at the Narrowboat in Nottingham in December 1993. It was us, The Fat Tulips and The Haywains. Though I’m told The Fat Tulips didn’t play in the end as Sheggi had injured her arm, so they were replaced by Confetti instead.
Robert: I think we did a gig with the Fat Tulips. We had a distortion pedal (and they didn’t) so we kicked ass (and they didn’t).
They had their sound and we had ours but I certainly remember us being a lot louder than the other bands that night. The distortion pedal was an 80’s Big Muff. Nic used it. I played drums. Marion played guitar as well and Rich played bass. We were loud and our songs were fast.
++ You also ended up on some tape compilations in Germany, like “Everlasting Happiness” or “Nachtsonne – The Noise and The Melodies”. How did you end up on them? I suppose it was all through snail mail or did you ever meet the people behind them?
Nicola: I didn’t know about the “Nachtsonne” one, I wonder what song is on that? Again, no idea how we ended up on them…probably connecting via fanzines and writing to each other, snail mail was the way back then. I’m sure Marion told me once that we’d been played on German radio, maybe with help from these tapes?
Robert: Fanzine people writing to us
++ The one tape I am totally clueless about is “Happy or Sad Wearing Your Anorak” released by Cloud Production. Do you remember anything about this one?
Nicola: This tape, along with us, has The Wedding Present, Applemoths, St Christopher, Fat Tulips, Mousefolk and Boy Racer amongst other on it, and was put together by Martin from Keighley in the UK in November 1990, and came with a free lollipop!
++ Why were there no more releases by the band?
Nicola: I don’t think so, but like I said before, it was just a group of friends enjoying making music together and playing the odd gig, the releases and fanzine interviews were a bonus, but we never set out to make it big
++ What about demo tapes? Are there more recordings by the band? Unreleased tracks?
Nicola: I have lots of cassettes in my cupboard of Applicants rehearsals with songs that we never released, but I think that everything that was recorded properly in the studio is on a record or tape release.
Robert: Nope. I’ve found a bunch of 4 track tapes and live recordings but it’s not about releasing stuff
++ I think my favourite song of yours might as well be “Say Goodbye”, wondering if you could tell me what inspired this song? What’s the story behind it?
Robert: Marion would have to answer that, she wrote that song I think. Marion and Robert were the song writers and lyricists
++ If you were to choose your favorite The Applicants song, which one would that be and why?
Nicola: Probably “You said to me”, fast and furious!
Robert: All of them equally
++ What about gigs? Did you play many?
Nicola: I have photographic evidence of 6 gigs, I think that was it. Slightly different line-up for each.
- Bishop Ullathorne School 6th Form block, March 1988; Marion (vocals), Nicola (guitar), Debbie (bass), Claire (keyboard), Sarah (drums)
- Hope & Anchor, Coventry, July 1988); Marion (vocals), Nicola (guitar), Robert (guitar), Rich (drums), no bass! We supported Those Guilty Minutes and Mr Smith & The Lovesquad
- Bentleys, Scunthorpe, September 1989; Marion (vocals), Nicola (guitar), Robert (guitar), Paul (bass), Danny (drums); we were supported by The Williams, who a few months later were supporting Primal Scream on tour
- Robert’s house, July 1991; Marion (vocals), Nicola (guitar), Rich (guitar), Paul (bass), Robert (drums); this was a gig for Marion’s 21st birthday, we had a big party and lots of other Coventry bands played too (Robert was a member of most of them, he’s an amazing musician and can play guitar, bass, drums and has a great voice too)
-
- The Adelphi, Hull, August 1991; Marion (vocals), Nicola (guitar), Rich (guitar and tambourine), Paul (bass), Robert (guitar and drums); we supported Rugby band, The Losers at this gig
- The Narrowboat, Nottingham, December 1993; Marion (vocals and guitar), Nicola (guitar), Rich (bass), Robert (drums); Robert was also in Adorable at this point and had a break in this touring and recording schedule
Robert: 7 I think, or maybe 6.
++ And what were the best gigs you remember? Any anecdotes you can share?
Nicola: The one for Marion’s birthday at Robert’s house was a good one, relaxed amongst friends and no stage. Me, Marion, Robert and Rich also played with The Dufflecoats that night, I think our one and only gig!
Robert: The gigs were good because of the time and events around them. Or bad for the same reason
++ And were there any bad ones?
Nicola: I remember being so incredibly nervous at our first gig when we played at school. The one in Scunthorpe I remember being really loud, I’d bought a distortion pedal by this point and Robert had a whole effects board…lots of squealing guitars and feedback, and Danny playing two drums standing up (a la Bobby Gillespie), definite JAMC vibe, I think we managed to clear the pub 😉
Robert: Playing wise, no but yes because of what was going on
++ When and why did The Applicants stop making music? Were you involved in any other bands afterwards?
Nicola: I moved away from Coventry in 1994 for a new job, and Robert was in Adorable so things just sort of finished. There was The Dufflecoats (an Applicants spin-off band), and me and Rich were in Celestial from 1992 onwards.
++ What about the rest of the band, had they been in other bands afterwards?
Nicola: See above. Robert went on to play guitar in Adorable, and now he’s in The Zephyr’s
++ Has there been any The Applicants reunion?
Nicola: No. We should do one. Getting us all in the same town at the same time could be problematic, we’re spread all over the UK now.
++ Did you get much attention from the radio?
Nicola: As mentioned above, I’m sure we were played on German radio once, and possibly Spanish radio? Nothing in the UK as far as I know
++ What about the press? Did they give you any attention?
Nicola: We got a write up in Sounds in April 1991, a review of our Glut single.
++ What about from fanzines?
Nicola: Yes, a few fanzine interviews, including Waaaaaah! Issue 3, Pop Eats Apathy, and Everlasting Happiness.
++ Looking back in retrospective, what would you say was the biggest highlight for the band?
Nicola: For me, it was going into Jumbo Records in Leeds and asking for a copy of our single, which was on a display behind the counter. Marion and Robert had already sent me some copies in the post but to be able to go into a record shop and buy it was super cool
Robert: Being together
++ I am aware of a great Instagram account you have packed with memorabilia of the indiepop halcyon days! How do you enjoy doing it?
Nicola: It’s fun, reminiscing about the good old days! I did take a lot of photos back then (way before phone cameras came along), and I’m glad I did, to have all those memories now. It’s also been nice to connect with other people who I didn’t know at the time but were at the same gigs back then, sharing our memories
++ Aside from that and music, what other hobbies do you have?
Nicola: I have 2 children now so my life revolves around them. We live in the Lake District which is great for hill walking and cycling, and we do a lot of mountain biking. I still play guitar occasionally when I get together with my Celestial band mates on visits back to Coventry
Robert: No time for anything apart from music and family
++ Never been to Coventry so I’ll take the opportunity to ask a local for any recommendations you’d have? Like sights one shouldn’t miss? Food and drinks one should try?
Nicola: Coventry has a great history and lots of amazing medieval architecture, though the city centre was bombed during the 2nd World War (the “blitz”) which destroyed a lot of important buildings, including the old cathedral. There is now a modern cathedral built next to the ruins of the old one. A walk up the spire of the old cathedral gives a panoramic view across the city. The Specials did a gig in the old Cathedral ruins a few years ago, I’d loved to have been there. Next year would be a great time to visit Coventry as it’s the 2021 UK City of Culture, so there will be lots of arts and music events on throughout the year celebrating all that the city has to offer.
Coventry has changed a lot since I left over 26 years ago, the two universities (Warwick and Coventry, which used to be Coventry Polytechnic) in the city have expanded massively so the requirement for student accommodation has increased, so there are now lots of high-rise student blocks in the centre which dwarf some of the old landmarks, like the three famous spires of Coventry. But there’s still some real gems to be found if you look close enough, for example if you follow the old city walls trail, parts of which still exist (it was built in the 14th century and was 4m high and 3m thick!) along with some of the old city gates.
FarGo (in Far Gosford Street) is Coventry’s Creative Quarter, a repurposed industrial space that has many independent businesses, including bookshops, vintage clothing stores, all sorts of food outlets, and a fab independent record store run by my brother-in-law, Alun, called “Just Dropped In”, a must for all vinyl enthusiasts.
For food, try a good old chip batch. If you ask for one of these outside Coventry you will be met with a blank stare! A bread roll is known as a “batch” in Coventry, and nowhere else. And by “chips”, I mean as in French Fries (for non-UK readers). So, a big batch with some greasy chips with plenty of salt and vinegar and some tomato ketchup – perfect post-gig snack (and so unhealthy)!
Robert: Go visit and see for yourself
++ Anything else you’d like to add?
Nicola: Firstly, thank you Roque for contacting us and being interested in the Applicants, it’s been good remembering an important period in my life and the fun we had as a band.
Secondly, I’d like to say a massive thank you to all the fanzine writers of that time, who interviewed us or wrote reviews, and those who put out our records, and included us on their flexis and compilation tapes. In a time before Soundcloud, YouTube and Bandcamp, these people made our songs available around the UK and further afield. I still have all the fanzines, they were a real labour of indie love, made in the days before computers, on a typewriter and then no doubt photocopied down at the local newsagent, and sold for no financial gain. We could read gig reviews and interviews of our favourite indie bands that at the time weren’t covered by the music press (NME and Melody Maker). Much appreciation from us all.
Robert: The Applicants was friends being friends and as we all liked the same music and we could all play and wanted a bit of creative outlet and it was how we lived our lives at the time. I still listen to the music that we made and I still think that it sounds good. It was never about selling records, it was about us being together. It was a great time to be doing this stuff, no internet, no Bandcamp so you had to write letters and make tapes. You had to communicate very enthusiastically and wait for a reply to appear in the post. I remember going to London to get the Applicants records with Shaun, just beaming with delight that he was a record label and we were a band with a 7” single.
I would also like to add that there is a Baby Lemonade interview elsewhere on this blog. You can forget the Oasis and all that, the best bands ever to exist were Baby Lemonade and the Charlottes.
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Listen
The Applicants – Say Goodbye
