The sweet sound of success
In fact, chart-conquering synth duo Hurts met in rather less glamorous circumstances — in the middle of a fist-fight outside a Manchester nightclub.
“It was 2am and things were kicking off between our two sets of mates,” chuckles singer Theo Hutchcraft. “So we stood glaring across the alley. There were two options, weren’t there? Start fighting or have a chat. Fortunately, we went with the sensible choice.”
Rather than kicking lumps out of each other, Hutchcraft and future Hurts partner Adam Anderson struck up a conversation and discovered a shared passion for European electro-pop. There and then they decided to start a band.
“We both sensed we were coming from the same place,” says Hutchcraft. “We only had one question for each other: ‘Are you serious about this?’ There was no way we were going to do this if it was just mucking about with someone. I knew I wanted to put 100% into it. Adam did too.”
Things happened quickly. Within six months, trading as The Bureau, they were signed to a major label and had started to attract media buzz. However, any expectation of overnight success was rapidly quashed. Not quite knowing what to make of The Bureau’s glittery, catchy sound, their record company marketed them as a sort of edgy R&B act and put them on a bill with Beyoncé’s sister, Solange. It was, says Theo, one of the lower moments of their career.
“Those are the occasions when you suddenly have a moment of clarity,” he says. “You see where you’re at and what you need to do to get to where you want to be. That happened to us. We knew it was time to return to the drawing board. If we learned anything it was do things at your own pace — don’t do loads of gigs in empty venues ’cos people are telling you it’s a good idea. Go at your own pace.”
There was another issue for The Bureau. To their dismay, they discovered first dibs on their name belonged to another band, a Dexy’s Midnight Runners spin-off of the mid ’80s. “There was a fuss. It struck me as silly,” sighs Hutchcraft. “I didn’t have job. I was living off the dole. Is that what they were going to sue me for? A few quid?”
It all got to be a pain so Hutchcraft and Anderson walked away from The Bureau and went on an extended holiday in Rome. There, they fell in love with a local variety of house music called Italo. Hi-tempo but shot through with melancholy, it spoke to them in a way none of the sounds they were hearing in Britain had. For their next project, they decided, they would look to the Continent for inspiration.
“We feel very European,” says Hutchcraft. “I think people in Britain can sometimes be slightly dismissive of music from the Continent. The thing that draws us to it is that it’s very sincere. Even when it’s ridiculous, you can tell they totally mean it. That intensity... we were immensely attracted to that.”
Strangely neither actually had a formal background in music — which may explain their decision to become a pop act. “We weren’t particular proficient with guitars or anything like that. So we decided to take a different course and write pop music. That’s quite a distinctive thing from learning how to play a screaming guitar solo.”
As Hurts, Hutchcraft and Anderson have found a second bite of the cherry to be very sweet indeed. Snapped up by Sony Music, they placed prominently on the influential BBC ‘Sound Of’ poll in January and have essentially enjoyed non-stop success ever since. On their debut album, Happiness, Hutchcraft duets with Kylie Minogue (a fan, naturally). Leona Lewis wants to work with them. A forthcoming Christmas themed single is regarded as having a strong shot at Christmas Number One in Britain.
“We’ve actually been quite lucky the way things have panned out,” says Theo. “The BBC poll came out at the start of the year. Fortunately, our album wasn’t due out for a while, so the hype didn’t overwhelm it. We were able to take things at our own pace.”
Propelled by rave reviews, Happiness is doing very well but it is appropriate that it should be embraced with particular gusto on the Continent, where Hurts are on the way to becoming superstars.
“It’s astonishing to think that songs you wrote while you were scraping by in Manchester would find an audience in so many places,” says Theo.
“To go and play to those countries, and to see the music connect... it’s such a strange and exhilarating feeling.”
Though proud of their North of England backgrounds, Hurts admit to feeling little affinity with many of the city’s rock aristocrats. They care not at all for Oasis, barely noticed the ‘Madchester’ scene and, despite their electronica sound, appear quite indifferent towards Manchester’s lineage as one of the spiritual homes of British rave.
“I can understand why a band like Oasis had the impact they did,” says Theo. “They spoke to a Manchester that existed back then. I don’t think it exists now. In the last 10 years the North of England has changed dramatically. It’s a completely different place.”
Following in the rich tradition of frowning synth duos, it is no surprise that Hurts are frequently likened to some of their forbears. In particular. there’s been lots of chatter about their being a North of England Pet Shop Boys. Hutchcraft says they’re huge fans but they see themselves swimming in quite different waters.
“Well, we don’t do the ‘irony’ thing so much. I think that’s a part of the Pet Shop Boys’ identity. Our hearts are on our sleeves. There is a soulful side to our music. Ultimately, I think we sound like nobody but ourselves.”
* Happiness is out now.
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