Preneur World chats to Melanie C about Sweat, her euphoric, dancefloor-driven album shaped by rave culture, DJ life, and creative freedom.
Let’s talk about Sweat, your new album released on May 1st. It feels like your most liberated record. What changed for you creatively this time around making this record?
So many things have changed. Every album I’ve ever made, it’s really been a reflection of that moment in my life. And over the last eight years I’ve been DJing. I’ve been lucky enough to play in so many great festivals all over the world, as well as playing in Ibiza. For the last five years I’ve been playing at Pacha. And it just really reignited a passion that I have for dance music.
And it’s funny because I discovered raving when I was about 17 and I was going out – I was in Spain with a group of friends on holiday and we were like, what is this music? Everybody’s so free when they’re dancing and we were just completely hooked from the get-go. So when we got back to London we were like, right, we need to find our people, we’ve got to find out where these raves are happening.
And I really got into that scene. It was such an incredible time. I grew up through the 80s where nightclubs in the UK were cheesy discos, and it was all a little bit ‘step touch, step touch’ when you were dancing. So to find this incredible kind of movement that was happening with this music that was just so euphoric at times, and for people to be dancing all night long, and so many different social backgrounds and communities coming together and socialising together, for the first time probably in history. So this kind of felt like our movement as a young person. My parents grew up through the Sixties and they had the Summer of Love. This was almost like our version of that.
So that was all happening, and then when I turned 20 I auditioned for the band that became the Spice Girls and that took over my life. All of my priorities changed. We were so focused, so determined to succeed. And then once music was released, our schedule was crazy, so there wasn’t much time for going out, socialising and I’d almost left that part of me behind.
I’d always loved dance music. It’s come into the mainstream and it’s influenced so many styles of music now. Pop music is so influenced by electronic sounds. So I’ve always listened to lots of different genres of dance and house, but I’ve never really done that much as a solo artist.
I did the Hex Hector remix on my first album Northern Star, which was a big dance hit all over the world. So I’ve kind of toyed in that area, but for this album I just revisited those really early days.
Also I’ve been able to reclaim who I was before I was a Spice Girl. I’ve had so many influences through my life. I’ve been so lucky and worked with so many amazing people. This felt like the time to really put all of those pieces together.
I really wanted to bring my work as a solo artist closer to what I play as a DJ. I play multi-genre house when I’m out. So it was just nice to play with all of those different things and find my own voice within that.
You mention that you discovered teenage versions of yourself and that discovery of rave music and dance music. There’s a real sense of that movement and physicality on this record so did you approach producing this album more like a DJ set rather than a traditional pop album?
I definitely approached things differently. The perspective of a DJ is very different to the perspective of an artist. The way I wanted the music to sound and to make you feel. I was also really conscious that as a live performer, I’m very energetic with loads of confidence and quite a lot of attitude. When I’m in the studio, I’m a very different beast. But I thought I really have to create the music that I want to bring to life live on stage. So it was really important for me to find that person when I was in the studio.
I wanted to also have some fun. DJing has brought so much joy into my life in the last few years. I’ve been out there playing live shows, festivals, alongside DJing, and I’ve just been having the best time. And I really wanted that to translate onto this album.
I’m so proud to be a Spice Girl and to be Sporty Spice and I completely embrace that. It’s such a huge part of who I am. And it’s funny, in interviews often people will ask, “How do you feel that you were called Sporty Spice and you had to live up to this sporty persona?” And it’s like, I don’t have to live up to anything – I can’t – I’ve tried to not be her and it’s impossible. I am very energetic, I’m very sporty, and it was just really fun to look at the album in that way as well and think about it lyrically. And obviously a song like Sweat to me felt like the perfect introduction to the album. It has that energy, it’s a little bit tongue in cheek, and it’s like a fitness banger. That was a big part of what I wanted to create in the thread of this album.
So when you’re making a track, are you imagining how it will land on the dancefloor to all these new listeners?
Yeah, 100%. This album, I think more than anything, I wasn’t thinking so much about people sitting at home having a listen – it was about them being on the dancefloor. It was about wanting to motivate and inspire people either on the dancefloor or in the gym.
I think it’s a good album probably to listen to with your mates while you’re getting ready for going out. But, yeah for me, something like Undefeated Champion – I can’t not smile when I hear this song. It’s kind of one of my anthems of self-empowerment. Picking yourself up when things have gone to shit. It’s something we can all identify with, right? We all need a little bit of motivation.
So, I really thought about that. And as I’ve got older, the more performing that I’ve been able to do in my career, my love of that has changed so much. I have so much appreciation for that transaction between you and the audience.
Here in New York, and in LA as well, I did some little album previews with fans – just like a small group of 30 fans – and then had a little Q&A chat with them. I think you forget as a young person how powerful the effect of your music is on people.
What I’ve also learned is how powerfully affected your fanbase is on you, because it’s such a two-way street. Sometimes if I’m feeling really low, really tired, I will see fans and they talk about how much they love the record. It literally gives me that boost and makes me really determined to get out there and get as many people to hear this album as possible.
So you’ve been travelling a lot but you’ll be back to the UK starting off your in-store signing tour in Liverpool. How’s that going to feel?
We’re in Liverpool on release day. Honestly, I don’t know why I’ve never done it before. It’s such a great thing to do – to go home. It’s a very proud city and the people really embrace you and look after you and celebrate you.
So I’m really excited to be there to do that. It feels very appropriate that I should go home and thank my city for how supportive they’ve been over the years of me as a Spice Girl and a solo artist.
So yeah, that’s going to be pretty special. And there’s so many cities and towns that we’re visiting – some places I don’t think I’ve ever been professionally before. So I’m looking forward to seeing some new faces.
It’s so important to get out there to the fans and the people who support you. I think artists often expect a lot of their fans. Some fans travel across the world to see shows. So it’s really nice to be able to get to the people locally in their own neighbourhoods and really share that experience with them.
Are there any towns in particular you’re excited to see outside Liverpool?
I’m excited to go everywhere. It’s funny because somewhere like Nantwich – I grew up not far from there in Cheshire – so it’s going to be interesting to go to places like that where I’ve never been before.
Bury even. I don’t think I’ve ever been to Bury in my life, which is up in the northwest again, not far from where I live.
Great to get back up to Scotland. In Glasgow, there’s always such a warm reception there. It’s a great place to gig, great people, really friendly.
I think often that us northerners; the further north you get, the more friendly people become. So I’m going to really cherish those moments being back up north in the north of England and up in Scotland.
I’m over in Leeds as well – we’ve got a lot of history there with Mel B being from Leeds. My dad’s up there. So there are many, many places.
Bristol will be wonderful to get back to. I’ve had some great gigs in Bristol. It’s such an incredible city, so creative. So many of the bands that have inspired me come from there – Massive Attack and that whole trip-hop era has always been such a big influence on me.
So yeah. It’s going to be wonderful. And then of course places like London. London’s my home – it has been for a long, long time – so I’m always excited to play there. I’m playing at Union Chapel, a venue where I’ve guested with other people, but I’ve never had my own show, so I’m very excited about that particular show.
And then all the record shop signings that we’re going to. Being a girl who saved up her pocket money to go down to record shops – it was probably Woolworths for me. Just as we’ve seen the record shops all struggle to survive and then have an element of the ones that have hung on in there and begin to thrive again. People are moving back towards physical copies. I get the Vinyl thing but, surprisingly to me, now people are back into CDs which is wonderful. I think the younger generation who have grown up with this incredible technology that we have to have access to everything always, you know they miss out and they have missed out. So it’s great to see that little swing going back to the physical copy of a record we can appreciate. The artwork that you’ve got, the lyrics in your hands. That was such a big part and influence of mine as I was growing up as a young music lover.
With these signings that you’re doing, a lot of signings are more stripped back sets and are more calm. Are you thinking that’s the kind of thing you’re going to do, a bit more intimate, or will they still carry that high energy?
We’re actually going to keep mixing it up. I think obviously the environment that you’re in really dictates what you want to do, so we’re planning some acoustic sets which will be very stripped back, and then we’re looking at maybe doing more electronic sets depending on the venue.
In Liverpool, I have an extra afterparty where I’m gonna DJ. So we’re just going to keep mixing it up, keep playing new songs, some of the oldies, and just really celebrate the release of this album, which is already being received so well. I’m really, really excited for people to hear it in its entirety.
You’ll be taking this on your October headline tour, including a date at O2 Academy Brixton which is such an iconic massive venue. What does it mean for you to play there at this stage in your career?
I feel quite emotional about it. I’ve been to see some of my favourite artists at Brixton Academy. I actually saw Madonna there way back in the Noughties, which was an insane venue to see her. I’ve been on that stage when I guested with Blossoms a few years ago but I have never played there as a solo artist. And this will be my biggest UK headline show since I played Wembley Arena, way back on my very first Northern Star tour back in the very early Noughties.
So it means so much to me that at this point in my career. It’s 30 years since I started with the Spice Girls and it is over 25 years since I became a solo artist. I’m in my fifties – I’m 52 years old – and I’m playing this brilliant iconic venue for the very first time. So that show is going to be extra special.
You have fans from all walks of life. Fans who knew you as a Spice Girl but also as a solo artist. How are you going to balance between giving fans the biggest hits and introducing them to the new Sweat era?
This is a good question. My mind is buzzing right now with tour creative because, like the album, I want to approach this tour differently.
I have this whole new perspective and I am going to cram in as many hits as I can. I know as a gig goer I wanna hear the hits, right! I’m not going to leave anybody disappointed. I know the fans want to hear the deep cuts. But I’ve got plans. I want to keep everybody satisfied.
The live shows are a place where I can really bring this album to life – to celebrate my career up to this point. It’s going to be full of everything. It’s going to be really energetic, a journey, and when they leave I want them to be exhausted, but elated, and really sweaty!
You’ve had one of the most varied careers in British Pop history and you’re still changing it now with the dance and rave of your new album, Sweat. What keeps you creatively hungry after all these years?
I just love what I do. I love performing. I love that feeling of being on stage, releasing music, and having that connection with people.
I have learned over the years that as different as we all are, we share so much and we have so much in common. It’s really beautiful to be able to express yourself and to connect with other people – that really truly is what keeps me going. And also being influenced by other people’s music – to hear other artists and bands and how music changes and evolves. So yeah, I can’t imagine ever not being inspired to carry on and make new music.
Talking about inspiration, you are now influencing younger and emerging artists which is a really lovely full circle moment. How does it feel to get cited as an influence by the new era of musicians?
It blows my mind. I think for all of us Spice Girls, we’re so proud. Obviously, we have left this beautiful legacy behind and we see constantly people who have been affected by it. There are so many artists who would mention the Spice Girls, and you know great artists. It’s very full circle because there are artists that talk about being inspired by the Spice Girls that inspire me. So that’s really beautiful. It’s lovely to meet them as well. I meet so many artists and they’re very excited to meet a Spice Girl.
But I think the most surprising to me are the ones that weren’t even born when the Spice Girls first came out. And I’m like, how do you know? But of course, this is music and a movement that is passed down through generations – whether it was your older sister or your mum. And that’s what we see whenever the Spice Girls get back together. We see this whole generational effect that our music has on people.
The new album Sweat is out on 1st May from all good record shops and melaniec.net
