Not one of life’s great planners, I caught up with New Order and Electronic frontman, Bernard Sumner on the eve of the release of the latter group’s third and final 1999 album, Twisted Tenderness.
He never wanted to be a singer, only write and play guitar, but then tragedy struck, and everything changed. Bernard goes back to the untimely passing of Joy Division’s lead singer, Ian Curtis, and just how the remaining three members survived and unexpectedly thrived, reinvented, as New Order, Electronic and Monaco.
As a reluctant frontman, Bernard pointed out, “You’ve got to do something in life.
There was no alternative, I had to keep going, if only because I’m not any good at anything else.” Years passed, fame and fortune followed and post-Republic’s 1993 release, the band split and the famed Factory Records declared bankrupt.
Five years would pass before New Order reunited. Theirs was a very personal relationship, a bond that’s kept them united to this day, bar Hookie.
“We never thought we’d get back together again, Bernard declared. “Thankfully, the time apart cleared the air.” Evolution for New Order was important, so breaking away and finding new influences and learning new things refreshed Bernard’s musical database.” As Electronic, Bernard Sumner was one of only two players only, each participating differently.
“New Order is democratic and we all compromise, with Electronic I could do whatever I liked, and visa versa for Johnny,” he recalled at the time. This interview tells that story and a whole more about a group of Manchester-born musicians blessed more than cursed and loved the world over.
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