Daily Express

15 February 1985

Express Woman

THE NEW STARS…

Season of wild strawberries

By Anne Nightingale

Meet the first new pop stars of 1985 – Strawberry Switchblade, a giggly Glaswegian couple who wear a kilo of make-up each, haywire-haystack hairstyles and enough ribbons to open a haberdashery store.

But after the male excesses of last years gender-bender stars, Boy George and Marilyn, the surprise is that Strawberry Switchblade are a twosome of real-live girls.

Their second-ever record Since Yesterday put them instantly in the top five last week.

Strawberry Rose McDowell [sic], 24, is an ex-heavy punk drummer. Switchblade Jill Bryson, BA, aged 23, is an art college graduate whom three years ago had never touched a musical instrument.

‘But we were convinced from the start that we could be successful,’ said red-haired Jill. ‘And to be honest, it has not been a struggle. In fact, success has come embarrassingly easily. We certainly haven’t “paid our dues,” although we have worked very hard.

‘But we didn’t have to do the rounds of record companies pleading to be signed up. They came to us. What spurred us on initially was the taunts of our boyfriends. Though I had never played anything before, I taught myself the guitar.’

Both girls grew up listening to their parents’ records from the sixties and their first hit song has a distinctive sixties ring about it.

Said Rose: ‘We used to practise in my bedroom. Our boyfriends would come in to listen, have a good chuckle and walk out in disgust. We would say “just you wait till we’re on Top of the Pops!’ And to be fair, once they realised we were serious they became very supportive and encouraging.’

Rose is now married to her boyfriend, Drew McDowell [sic], and Jill lives with photographer Peter McArthur.

The two girls first became pals ‘when we’d go out together as a foursome. The boys would stride on ahead of us and we’d be left trailing behind them, too shy to speak to one another.’

But in the eighties era of image-pop, the Strawberry Switchblade look of polka dots and ribbons has paid off. Already, gangs of girls dress up like them. But Rose pointed out: ‘There are a lot of manufactured groups around, and we are not one of them.

‘Our look has evolved over years of experimenting. We’d hate anyone to think that some company has come along with a lot of money and invented us.’

Said Rose: ‘We may not be ruthlessly ambitious, but we’ve pushed ourselves and worked hard to become musicians. It’s achievement we’re after.’

We’re grateful to the generous people at Zounds Abound for finding us this article. They do such a brilliant job of trawling vintage newspapers for music articles that people want to read today. They’re raising funds and awareness for Teenage Cancer Trust in memory of their son Noah. You can read about Noah, the care the Trust enabled him to have, and make a donation here.