Erasure are back in October with a brand, spanking new single ‘Freedom’ and the ‘Loveboat’ album. We caught up with Andy Bell at Mute Records for a bit of a chinwag.

Armed with a copy of the album and a boiling hot mug of tea, I was ushered into a small office where the lovely Andy was having a crafty fag. He seemed instantly charming, if a little nervous, and after studying his safari shorts, I plumped into the sofa and we began prattling…all girls together.

So tell me about ‘Loveboat’.
We finished the album in April. It got mixed upstairs here at Mute and at Windmill Lane in Dublin. We’ve worked with Flood again who worked on the first two albums. I recorded the vocals in my flat in Hampstead and in Spain and Vince did his bit at home in Chertsey.

Do you always work separately then?
Yep…it just kind of works out that way. We actually wrote most of the songs about three years ago.

So why the gap?
I don’t know really. I’ve been learning how to record the vocals myself and I’m not the most technical of people. They had to fly someone over to Spain to give me a hand. We ended up with a total of 16 songs and we chose the best from that.

Three years is quite a break. What have you been doing with yourself?
I’ve just been chilling out really. Erasure started 14 years ago now and we never really had any time off. When I look at the younger acts today and it’s time for our stuff to come out, I end up thinking that I haven’t got the energy and I just can’t compete. You don’t realise how quickly time goes by.

Will you be touring with this album?
No, we’re not touring this time. We’ll be doing all the usual foreign TV stuff and it can get exhausting when you constantly meet this wall of people. Promotions in South America are always the worst - Argentina is mad. They chase you down the street, though the men are gorgeous. I recommend you go.

Vince doesn’t really like touring. We were going to tour with me live on stage and Vince via the internet, but they weren’t all that interested. Vince is in a kind of semi-retirement and looking for a farm in Yorkshire. He wants to grow a beard, like the one that left Fleetwood Mac and went mad.

Why do you think that Erasure have survived so long when Depeche Mode and Yazoo were much shorter projects for Vince?
I don’t know really. Depeche Mode are working on new stuff and everyone loves Alison.

I’m a bit of a mad Alison Moyet fan myself…she mentioned on her website that you two got drunk in Chicago once.
Yeah…that was fun…We had to bundle her back on the tour bus. She’s great. People love her and I bet they can’t wait for her next album (out in January). I think with Erasure, people just thought, ‘Oh no…not another Erasure album’. This has been the longest break and it’s been good.

Are you nervous about the reaction to ‘Loveboat’?
A little bit, yes. The last two albums didn’t do too well so I have to prepare myself. You don’t want to be disappointed so I don’t build my hopes up too high…

You’re famed for your lavish stage costumes, you must enjoy it. And how easy is it to get Vince into drag?
It’s a lot of fun, yes, though Vince is far more comfortable with drag than I am. I think because he’s straight and he has nothing to prove, he’s better at it. He’s so petite and looks really good. He tends to pride himself that it’s something that he can do better than me.

Would you ever like to do more acting?
I love acting. I’ve done a few things. I did this film that Vince did the music for, but it was crap.

How do you feel when you see someone taking you off on ‘Stars In Their Eyes’?
It was quite embarrassing. I kept thinking that I didn’t want to be remembered for feather boas and being like Liberace. I’m just not like that. I did get to meet the guy who did me and he was really sweet. I thought that the kd lang duet they did on the show was the best ever. They don’t tend to do duets but that one was class.

Did you enjoy singing with kd lang at the Brits?
I really enjoyed it, although I was really nervy as she was this big name and I think she had no idea who I was. I think it worked out though.

Who do you listen to?
Not a lot of people actually. I crave Kate Bush. I do like Aqua and the Mirwais album is cool. Madonna’s stuff is great too. I’ve just finished doing my house up and have got my records out again. I’m really enjoying playing all my old stuff.

Do you ever sit and listed to yourself?
I do yeah…I love remixes, especially when you’re with someone who may not of heard you. It’s like, ’this is what I do…’

Do you tend to get a different reaction to your music in the UK?
Yeah..we’re quite credible in America. Lots of college students are into us and being gay is like a feather in your cap. You tend to get a more trendy audience and there’s always a gay bar to go to when you’re doing the rounds.

Do you ever get any negative reaction?
I only ever got a few in the early days when I was camp on purpose and shoving my arse in people’s faces. That was good though as it taught me how to deal with those people.

Well, you must be really excited about the next few months….how are preparations going?
The Mute committee are hard at work next door deciding on a second single. I think they like ‘Perchance To Dream’. Mine and Vince’s favourite is ‘Alien’ but we never stomp over anyone else’s opinion

I’m really excited about this one and I’m going to trust my instincts. I can feel more of an interest in the air but I really don’t want to get hurt.

We sound like a new band…like we’re 16.