The music world had just about given up on England's Elastica. Five years is a long time to wait for a second album, and the challenge to finally deliver something meaningful so long after a successful debut can be immense.
Singer Justine Frischmann isn't concerned - she's just happy to be back with the band's sophomore effort, The Menace. "There's a certain part of me that needed to wait until there was no pressure left and everyone thought it was over, so I could do it again - some kind of weird side of me that needs to make things virtually impossible. I thought, OK, this is our last chance: you've got ten grand left and it's now or never.' When a band starts, you've got nothing to lose and you just go for it. I think feeling that we had nothing to lose this time made it fun again."
Their fast fame at a young age definitely played a big role in the Elastica saga. "We signed after two seven-inches - it didn't even occur to me that we were going to make an album," Frischmann reveals. "All of a sudden I found myself competing with the big boys. I actually felt I was representing my sex. You can't take on shit like that, you just can't. It's enough to drive anyone mad."
Having recorded The Menace in six short weeks, one immediately wonders where all that time went. "We were on tour for two of those years. I guess we had a year off - it felt like about a year ? where I thought Elastica's over, I've got to do something else,' so I carried on writing. I just completely cracked up after touring. We all did really." These days, Justine is much more optimistic. "I'm really aware that you don't often get a second chance in life. It's interesting to do this five years later and to see it through older eyes. It's not much fun not knowing what the fuck you're doing with your life. It's always more fun working."
Singer Justine Frischmann isn't concerned - she's just happy to be back with the band's sophomore effort, The Menace. "There's a certain part of me that needed to wait until there was no pressure left and everyone thought it was over, so I could do it again - some kind of weird side of me that needs to make things virtually impossible. I thought, OK, this is our last chance: you've got ten grand left and it's now or never.' When a band starts, you've got nothing to lose and you just go for it. I think feeling that we had nothing to lose this time made it fun again."
Their fast fame at a young age definitely played a big role in the Elastica saga. "We signed after two seven-inches - it didn't even occur to me that we were going to make an album," Frischmann reveals. "All of a sudden I found myself competing with the big boys. I actually felt I was representing my sex. You can't take on shit like that, you just can't. It's enough to drive anyone mad."
Having recorded The Menace in six short weeks, one immediately wonders where all that time went. "We were on tour for two of those years. I guess we had a year off - it felt like about a year ? where I thought Elastica's over, I've got to do something else,' so I carried on writing. I just completely cracked up after touring. We all did really." These days, Justine is much more optimistic. "I'm really aware that you don't often get a second chance in life. It's interesting to do this five years later and to see it through older eyes. It's not much fun not knowing what the fuck you're doing with your life. It's always more fun working."