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REPUBLICA ... Samantha Sprackling (Saffron) and the bandmembers. 
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Saturday, October 26, 1996 |
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Raising the flag for Republica
Toronto Sun Ready to go back to London, that is, and enjoy a little downtime -- contrary to the energetic vibe prescribed in her band's hit song, Ready To Go, from their buzzed-about debut album. "We did the gig in New York last night and I had to meet 10,000 people," says the 28-year-old singer, sounding mighty croaky on the phone prior to Republica's show Monday night at the Opera House with Gravity Kills. "My manager had to gag and drag me out of the dressing room." Such is the price of success. Everbody wants a piece of you and it's only just starting for Saffron and her four-man band, who've been on the road for seven weeks. "We're just a little bit tired now but we're just excited because the record is doing so well for us. The work's paid off." It certainly has. Their B-52s-meets-Garbage sound recently got a coveted write up in Rolling Stone and is in the Top 10 of Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks. Back home, meanwhile, Republica are outcasts in the worlds of both techno-dance and guitar-based Britpop. "We're not well known there at all," Saffron sighs. "They're going to release our album there next year. It's a difficult thing 'cause most English bands, they get sucessful and then they come over to Canada and America. But we sort of came over on a wing and a prayer, really. So hopefully now they'll be more interested back home." But Saffron -- who got her nickname from Gypsy children in her neighborhood (her real name is Samantha Sprackling) -- isn't holding her breath. She knows the British music press doesn't take kindly to homegrown acts that break through in North America first. Bush, anyone? "They not only hate you but they won't even write about you," says Saffron. "You know, cheers, thanks a lot. But Bush can't even get an article written about them. The British press really don't like them all." Another strike against Republica, whose group name was inspired by the 1994 New Order album Republic, is their sound. "We're not part of any scene. But we're quite proud of that, really, that we're a bit different." Saffron, who was born in Nigeria and moved to Southern England when she was five, sang in theatre productions and even played Magenta in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. After working with such groups as N-Joi and The Shamen, she formed Republica three years ago with keyboardists Tim Dorney and Andy Todd. Dorney had worked with the British group Flowered Up while Todd had produced songs for Bjork and Barbra Streisand. But their united motivation was their displeasure with the early '90s dance sound that was big on beat at the expense of lyrics and melody. "When I first got into it in 1988 I got into the clubs where they were playing, like, Cure records back-to-back with techno from Detroit," she says, citing The Jam, The Clash, and Human League as her favorite bands. "It sort of stagnated from there and we're just sort of pissed off with the music. It was so banal. We weren't feeling very happy at the time." Unlike now. "When someone said, `You're in Rolling Stone!' it was like `S--t. What? Does that mean we've made it now?' " says Saffron with a laugh. "I sent a copy to my mom." |
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