Wow! What a difference a few months can make. When I interviewed The Verve members, vocalist RICHARD ASHCROFT and bassist SIMON JONES on May 15, 1995, in the Vernon Yard/Virgin Records' offices, there were absolutely no bad vibes, or clues that would've made one think, "This band won't be around much longer." However, during the first week of September, rumors circulated that The Verve had broken up. And then, there it was in the NME, September 9: Ashcroft had quit, saying only that he just didn't want to continue with the band, and had promptly gone camping in the U.K.'s West Country. Reportedly, the other three members were "extremely unhappy about the band's demise."
Starting out as a tight-knit unit, The Verve started drifting apart as the business of being in a band became a business. And they apparently had problems during the recording of their sophomore LP, A Northern Soul, one of which was Ashcroft disappearing for five days with no notice!
In hindsight, perhaps it's not so surprising that this vocalist would leave a band on the verge of possible international success, and more importantly, one of the better British bands (especially live) to emerge in recent years--after all, he was dubbed "Mad Richard" by U.K. journalists a while back. This interview suggests that Richard very easily succumbs to grand statements of intent and opinion, delivering them with a totally committed tone of voice, with no self-doubt whatsoever. It's quite possible that he simply didn't believe in the band anymore, and thus put a stop to it. We can only hope that he will rise again. As The Verve's manager, JOHN BEST, said, "I wish it hadn't happened this way, but he's only 23, and he'll do something amazing again." Go figure...
For this interview, which has to be among the last the band ever granted before their stunning bust-up, we naturally delve into the band as a functioning entity, and discuss the then-still-awaiting-release A Northern Soul.
