EAP Episode.105 - Corinne Drewery & Andy Connell (Swing Out Sister) : "Breakout was a hit but we had no album ready, it was seat of the pants stuff, but fresh in the fear and adrenalin "

About this episode

Corinne Drewery and Andy Connell from Swing Out Sister discuss their rise to fame and the challenges of creating their debut album after the success of their hit 'Breakout'.

*This episode contains excerpts of 3rd party music content* Welcome Corinne & Andy from Grammy nominated Jazz pop darlings Swing Out Sister. From her beginnings in fashion design at St. Martins, London where Sade was also in attendance, Corinne made her live debut auditioning for Working Week (standing in for Tracey Thorn) at The Hacienda in Manchester with Andy in the audience (then still in A Certain Ratio). The pair tell us all about Swing Out Sister's somewhat reluctant rise to pop stardom after signing just a 2 single deal as an A&R learning project. Upon 'Breakout' becoming a massive hit, they were thrust into creating an album by the "seat of their pants" with a studio battle of retaining their indie chic vs. the "snazzy pop sheen" of record company demands. Their 8 CD retrospective, a real treat for the fans, 'Certain Shades Of Limelight' is available now on Cherry Red. DA

People in this episode

Guests: Corinne Drewery, Andy Connell

Topics covered

• Swing Out Sister
• pop music
• music industry
• album production

Keywords

• Grammy nominated
• Jazz pop
• indie chic
• record company

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Certain Shades Of Limelight

Books & works: EAP Episode.105, Swing Out Sister, Breakout, Grammy, A Certain Ratio, Certain Shades Of Limelight

Places: London, Manchester

More episodes of Eighties Archive Podcast

• EAP Episode.114 - Martin Macaloon (Prefab Sprout) : "I love all the songs, I'm just waiting for the next one. I've been waiting 25 years!" · April 19, 2026 · 53 min
• EAP Episode.113 - Tim May (Roaring Boys) : "If we had been launched in America earlier, it might have been a very different story" · April 5, 2026 · 42 min
• EAP Episode.112 - Iain McNay (Cherry Red records Chairman) : "As well as managing to give people what they want, We also give them things they didn't know they wanted" · March 22, 2026 · 49 min
• EAP Episode.111 - Ross Middleton (Leisure Process/ Positive Noise) : "After hearing Bowie's 'Low', I knew if I were to make music, it was going to include synths" · March 8, 2026 · 36 min
• EAP Episode.110 - Bobby Hodgens (The Bluebells) : "It was hearing Orange Juice's 'Blue Boy' that made me want to be in a band" · February 22, 2026 · 37 min
• EAP Episode.109 - Paul Fishman (Re Flex) : "I'm still making music because i have to...I'm still excited by it" · February 8, 2026 · 1h 4m