Het Vrije Volk
Unknown date, February 1985
Note: the original Dutch is below this English translation.
Strawberry Switchblade man enough
Jill (left) and Rosie don’t think they come across as too man-friendly.
Photo: Rob Verhorst
Appearances can be deceiving of Strawberry Switchblade. The very colourfully dressed duo from Glasgow, who now have their first international hit with “Since Yesterday“, look at first glance like a producer’s invention. In other words, like a Scottish variation on Cyndi Lauper or Culture Club‘s Boy George, born from the brain of a smart record executive.
Nothing could be further from the truth, because the two friendly “witches” have been busy since 1981 to rise above the large, grey middle bracket. “That’s why we would like to be taken more seriously than has been the case so far,” says Rose McDowall, coincidentally the spokeswoman for the close-knit pair, who recently moved to our country for television recordings. “We are completely pinned down by “Since Yesterday”. Perhaps that is also our best single, but that does not alter the fact that Jill (Bryson) and I have come a long way. We started with the punk of The Clash back then and The Buzzcocks in mind and have gradually become more and more melodic.
Two years ago we thought we were already there when we got our first record deal. However, the single we recorded, ‘Trees and Flowers,’ didn’t do anything.”
That setback could not discourage the Strawberries, as the ladies are usually referred to for short. A year after the unexpected failure, Rosie and Jill were recruited by record giant WEA, after which work was quietly started on the debut LP, of which “Since Yesterday” is the widely acclaimed precursor.
Rose McDowall says she does not know to what extent the remarkable equipment has served them so far. “Of course, we were noticed more quickly. It is certainly not true that we are imitating someone. We have been looking like this for years. And I doubt whether this clothing contributes to our popularity and good. In our experience, a lot of men don’t like us in advance. They think we’re too poor. You should know what’s thrown at us when we walk down the street in Glasgow.”
For the time being, Rosie and Jill, who have known each other all their lives, are still enjoying their suddenly very busy stardom to the fullest. “It’s all much easier than we suspected. Everything is arranged for you. All you have to do is get in and look at the camera at the right time. We can certainly keep this life going for a while.”