Pictures: Charlie Sperring
Skye Edwards is the voice, the face and the gees of Morcheeba, the British trip-hop-funk band who’ve been on the scene for more than 20 years, and are finally touring South Africa. They appeared on Friday night, 6 April at Kirstenbosch in Cape Town, and put on a slick yet warm-hearted performance which included older hits like The Sea as well as numbers off their yet-to-be released new album Blaze Away. Also, an unexpectedly delightful cover of Bowie’s Let’s Dance! WeekendSpecial spoke to Skye Edwards about the tour, and performing with her family:
WeekendSpecial: So … this is the South Africa leg of your massive world tour. You’ve commented that you are “still finding fans in places you’ve never played before”. How exciting is this – does it almost feel like the start of your amazing career?
Skye Edwards: At the start, when I was young, I really didn’t take it all in. Touring now, I feel that I appreciate it more. Depending on the schedule, I take time to walk around the city and explore a little.
WS: You’ve got one helluva schedule, ranging from Russia to Austria to Italy to China! How do you keep fit and fresh?
SE: I recently bought some noise cancelling headphones and I have an eye mask to block out the light, so that I can sleep anytime whilst travelling on planes or on the bus. In two weeks we had shows in South America, Australia and South Africa. It’s been the most incredible two weeks of my life. Yes, it’s tiring flying/ travelling 28 hour days, but I really can’t complain.
WS: How does it feel to be described as having “one of the most recognisable voices on the planet?” That’s quite a thing!
SE: It’s a huge compliment, of course. But I don’t let it go to my head. I don’t think I’m an amazing singer. I watched a documentary about Whitney Houston recently. Wow, what I voice she had! I’m also a huge fan of Shirley Bassey and Frank Sinatra.
WS: Your family is also very musical, I believe – your son Jaega plays drums and your husband Steve Gordon plays bass. So – will we get to hear them both on this tour?
SE: Yes! It’s quite special being on tour with my husband and son. But on the down side, I leave my two daughters and younger son at home. That can’t be with us because of school and work commitments. I have a lot of guilt about that.
WS: What was the last live show you saw, and how did you find it?
SE: The last concert I went to was Kelela, in London. I went with my 20 year old daughter. It is so cool discovering new music through my daughter and going to see bands together. We’ve seen The XX, Sampha, and Daughter, three acts I’ve discovered thanks to my daughter.
WS: When you’re not making music, recording, and touring, what do you like to do to relax?
SE: I love to sew. I make all of my clothes that I wear on stage. I’ve made a new collection for the Blaze Away tour. I’m also collaborating with the zip company YKK, designing outfits incorporating their zips. We’re having an album launch party in their London show room the night before the album release where I’ll display my outfits.
WS
