How to Succeed by Really Trying

Although, since the Beatles, we British music fans have often affected insouciant confidence in the superiority of our taste over the rest of the world’s--and particularly America’s--regardless of crude measures such as sales and chart positions, we experienced a Damascene moment in the late ‘90s.

It was when the Billboard 200 album chart revealed that the only British entrant younger than 50 was classical-pop ingenue Charlotte Church. “Oh, crikey!” we said.

Well, of course, Radiohead boosted morale as “The Bends” and “OK Computer” showed that the poor Britsucker could still get an even break. And the younger crowd of managers, rivals on the home front, started to talk among themselves about the problems and possibilities of tackling that almost mythic task, “breaking America.”

One such alliance, between Ian McAndrew, co-manager of Craig David and Travis, and Phil Harvey, manager of Coldplay, sprang up early last summer at a cricket match, lovers of stereotypes will be pleased to hear. While Pakistan pulverized England on the greensward, the managers talked greenbacks. They’ve been in touch regularly ever since, McAndrew says.

Dido’s manager, Peter Leak, plugged into the conversation too. Then, just before Christmas, it was Starsailor’s people on the blower, seeking handy hints about how to launch the U.K.’s latest “sensitive rock” candidate in America (the album comes out Tuesday--see review, Page 66--and the band opens for the Charlatans UK on Friday at the Palace in Hollywood).

“Although it’s fun working in the States, you do get lonely, so it’s good to be able to share what we learn,” McAndrew says.

Their consensus is that a succession of British artists failed through unwillingness to invest time and money in touring the U.S.

Meanwhile, for their part, the American arms of multinational majors had little incentive to promote acts signed in other countries because, if they did make a profit, most of it had to be “repatriated” within the corporation--and kudos would leak away along with the cash.

But now the sharper U.K. managers and artists--realistic of attitude, all old colonial arrogance cauterized--have increased their chances by reviving the venerable tradition of hard work. And trying a new business strategy too.

The perspiration aspect is simply getting back on the road. David Gray showed the way when his “White Ladder” album, now a million-seller, broke through in 2000 after 11 American tours.

McAndrew’s Travis, now promoting its third album, “The Invisible Band,” completed its fifth and sixth U.S. jaunts last year. The band may return again in May before starting work on its next record.

Multimillion-sellers worldwide in recent years, the Scots pronounce themselves satisfied that although “The Invisible Band” has sold only 300,000 in America, their live following is such that they have packed theaters in Utah or Minnesota, as well as the Universal Amphitheatre in L.A. in October. “I think it’s close to happening for them now,” McAndrew says.

Last year, Coldplay, a fellow purveyor of melodious melancholy, took the same workmanlike approach, but moved faster--more than 500,000 sales for its debut, “Parachutes,” thanks to airplay hit “Yellow.”

If that radio breakthrough was luck of the draw, McAndrew and company took Craig David’s “Born to Do It” on the Dido route toward a debut platinum. They introduced the 20-year-old star of British R&B; via personal appearances on radio and then TV, where he played acoustic spots with his guitarist, Fraser T. Smith.

Having earned some acceptance as a musicianly singer-songwriter, he follows up with a 19-date full-band U.S. tour later this month (his West Hollywood House of Blues shows Feb. 18-19 sold out in an hour). A fanatical writer on his laptop in planes and hotel rooms, he aims to have another album out in the autumn.

But given that the most resolute toil can still be scuppered by a record company’s fiscal politics, more British managements are steering their charges to sign directly with an American company to ensure that its attention is not distracted by resentful thoughts of profits dispatched abroad.

Setting the pattern, Dido and David had indie-label contracts in the U.K., then, went with Arista and Atlantic, respectively, in the U.S. Touted British newcomers the Music is following that pattern. Discovered by the Verve’s label Hut in the U.K., it has just signed to Capitol for America.

The year-ago hopes that U.K. music in America might emerge from the years of milling confusion that followed Oasis-led Britpop were at least partly fulfilled.

New U.K. music is still developing pretty well.

Singer-songwriter qualities remain in the ascendant, whether flaunted by rock bands (nu-prog tendencies manifested by Muse, Elbow) or quieter, more hip-hop-inflected folkie types (Turin Brakes, Ed Harcourt).

If we’ve got any sense, we’ll never crow about a “British invasion” again. However, for the U.K. to continue the present substantial progress in 2002, some artists America has barely heard of yet are going to have to break through: This happens to be a year when the established names of the Radiohead generation and after are sequestered in studios.

Dido is again recording with her brother, Rollo Armstrong from Faithless (release maybe late this year or early 2003), and Gray is on a similar schedule.

Oasis is making its fifth studio album, almost pleading for another chance, at home and in America, after it lost its way so badly with “Standing on the Shoulder of Giants.”

Gorillaz, the band-cum-animation created by Blur’s Damon Albarn and friends, is recording again after selling a million in America, but the promised cartoon film to accompany the record may slow things down.

After a domestic year at home with wife and baby, former Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft is in the studio, although on the usual loose rein, so breath-holding is not recommended for those who enjoyed his 2000 solo debut, “Alone With Everybody.” For Radiohead, a hiatus seems likely following its throwback “hectic” release program of three albums in the last 18 months.

A year ago, my top tips included David, Gray and Coldplay. However, these five fit Brits for 2002 are presented with rather less confidence:

* Starsailor: from the Verve’s rugged, cold hometown of Wigan, Lancashire. Slivers of Radiohead and U2. Articulate, very intense, instrumentally subtle, but dependent on American reaction to the strangled, keening voice of James Walsh--a charismatic frontman on stage.

* Super Furry Animals: Their fifth album, “Rings Around the World,” has just been nominated album of the year in the U.K. by Mojo magazine. Domestically prestigious, but also appropriate for these fabulously imaginative explorers. Swim on gentle seas of surfer harmony. Get all shook up by jolts of electronic zap. How can these glorious, witty Welshmen and America have ignored each other so long?

* Mull Historical Society: actually solo multi-instrumentalist Colin McIntyre. He grew up on the Scottish island of Mull, developing cool ‘n’ naive lo-fi pop ways to charm (and alarm) rather in the manner of the White Stripes, Moldy Peaches or even Jonathan Richman. Just the man to bring the spirit of the Hebrides to New York, Detroit and even L.A.

* The Music: squally guitars, howly voices, a heavydelic yearning to play something wonderful, and a perfect 18-year-old’s mission statement: “Generally, life is....” Like Starsailor, from a small, northern, industrial town--Kippax, Yorkshire.

* So Solid Crew: the only Londoners here and on a different planet from the other four choices. A 30-strong rap and garage “collective” of pirate-radio renegades, the bad boys of 2001 in the U.K. were individually in trouble with the law, and their gigs were banned after a shooting outside a venue in November. But their album, “They Don’t Know,” is sparse, moody, inventive. If David can sell R&B; back to America, maybe So Solid Crew can do it with street rap.

Speculation concluded, I’m amazed to find myself uttering the words “Robbie Williams” so late in the piece. The U.K.’s biggest pop star is topping the album chart at home with his Frank Sinatra-Dean Martin homage, “Swing When You’re Winning,” and he seems content to enjoy the domestic laurels. That doesn’t chime with the sweat-and-blood ethos of British music’s new laborers.

“I think Robbie has thrown in the towel on America and it was rather early to do that,” reckons McAndrew.

“Look at U2’s attitude after 20 years playing there. I talked to Bono recently, and he said he still considers U2 to be in the process of breaking America.”

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Phil Sutcliffe is a London-based writer and a contributing editor to Q magazine.