With hits like ”Offshore”, “Saltwater”, “Don’t Give Up” and his latest “Love On The Run”, Chicane has set the pace for modern dance music. Chicane aka. Nick Bracegirdle is ready to release his new album “Easy To Assemble” in mid September and at the Roskilde Festival 2003 he gave the audience a taste of what to come. I talked to a very high spirited (sorry to say a bit drunk) and not so focused Nick about his new album before he went on stage. This is the bits and pieces from the interview I can present too you with a good conscience and without to much censorship.

Obsessed with the Sun
- Yeah – It’s probably something deepening and disturbing upsetting in my upbringing (laughs) that revolves around the sun (laughs) – Nah - No gratefully meaning to it. “Behind The Sun” (Title on second album) sounded good really. A lot of tracks are about the sun. I’m addicted to the sun (laughs). No matter how hard I try to be Randy Crawford (laughs) - Chicane has a sound and an emotion of warmth and summer.

New album - Easy To Assemble
- It’s more song'y, it’s still Chicane. You can still hear what I’m doing and where I’m coming from. On the new album I have worked with D:ream’s Peter Cunnah and Bryan Adams. On the track “Spirit” I worked with an American country & western singer called Jill and we flew to New York and recorded the vocals in an hour and flew back again, I was totally whacked after that (laughs).

In Praise Of The Sun – an old track in a new version
- Yeah – it’s an old track I wrote for Espiritu together with Brian Higgins in 2001. I have done a complete new mix; it’s a really cool tune. It got ripped of by the Chemical Brothers…..(laughs). It deserves more credit than it got. It’s a lovely track and it’s completely Chicane it has massive sound of summer about it. The singer is Espiritu, she is half French half Brazilian and she has a fantastic voice.

Trying to do a track by track of the new album – but fails
- “Love On The Run” is Peter Cunnah, “East Side Story” is Bryan Adams, “In Praise Of The Sun” is Espiritu, “Locking Down” is with Hindi vocals - that is going to be the next single. “Spirit” is Lionel Ritchie from the Bad Young Salamanders (laughs). See what happens - I can’t do a serious interview (laughs).


Words by: Christian Almind