Today, the band described by Vic Reeves as "the greatest band there never was" release Question Everything, a diverse collection of material from the various stages of the band’s career. To learn more about this great undiscovered band and new record that Classic Pop called "sublime AND ridiculous" we spoke to singer Ben Addisson.
1987 was not a great year for British pop music by anyone’s standards. U2 were deep into their chest-beating period and the Beach Boys were collabbing with the Fat Boys. With hindsight, we were holding our breath for Madchester and Britpop. But imagine this gap being filled with a band who chose to ignore the prevailing consensus and combine perfect pop choruses with a high-fashion boot-boy image and barbed, laugh-out-loud lyrics: Queen meets the Sex Pistols. Had Boys Wonder appeared in 1995 on the cusp of Britpop, their career might have been different. Listen to them now and you’ll immediately be reminded of Blur, Supergrass and the arched eyebrow of Pulp. Now, finally, in 2024 on October 11th comes the release of Question Everything, a diverse collection of material from the various stages of the band’s career.
This is, for all intent and purposes, their first album.
TM: The year is 2024 and Boys Wonder - to many, the great undiscovered band - are out there selling out live shows and releasing a record. How does it feel to finally return to the Boys Wonder identity and be received with this level of enthusiasm?
Ben Addison: It feels good performing these songs after such a long time. The gig reception has also been good- we look different of course, but the approach and attitude to performing is exactly the same as ever. It shows me there’s a lot of people interested in seeing gigs that are confrontational, interactive and sincere in an increasingly frustrated yet naive and passive society.
TM: It’s been said: “Had Boys Wonder appeared in 1995 on the cusp of Britpop their career might have been different” with particular reference to the band’s stylistic forbearance to acts like Blur, Pulp and Supergrass. As you were riding high with the band Corduroy on the Acid Jazz wave at the time, how did it feel to see a parallel music scene coalesce around similar aesthetics and ideas you’d already explored in previous years?
BA: I was largely disappointed in the lack of flamboyance and imagination but I liked certain songs and performances. But by the time Tony Blair got hold of the word 'Britpop' I felt it was over hyped for what it was, just like the art world around the Sensation contemporary art exhibition in 1997.
TM: The Question Everything compilation record is, for all intent and purposes, your debut album, receiving 9/10 on Classic Rock with more rave reviews coming in. How close is this release to what would have been your first full length record and how is it different?
BA: Question Everything is indeed more a compilation than a straight LP. Some of the songs from the same period as the single releases are home recordings. In a similar vein, others are from later stages of the band, exploring different writing styles, which display the breadth of influences more than just the singles and B-sides do.
TM: Your recent show at the 100 Club was compered by Vic Reeves and Jonathan Ross - is having the ongoing support of these key figures of the world of entertainment validating? And do you still owe Jonathan Ross £2K!?
BA: Jim (Moir AKA. Vic Reeves) and Jonathan were fans quite early on. Both introduced us at shows in London and Jim came with us to a festival in Rennes, France, during which we shot some Rockumentary footage with him. We’ve not really been in contact much (I live in Germany) until a couple of years ago and it seemed logical to ask them once again. I wasn’t sure either would make it, but they both did, which, yes, is validating.
"And (yes), we still owe Jonathan 2 large for a contribution to a video!" - Ben Addisson
TM: Question Everything is out now on Neon Pink & Yellow Split Vinyl and CD editions on the Official Boys Wonder Store. You’ve seen formats come and go over the last several decades; after the dawn of downloads and streaming does finally having your albums released on physical formats surprise you?
BB: Not really. The original Boys Wonder single releases were on vinyl only, nearly all Corduroy releases have been on vinyl and CD as well as downloads. But for a lot of people, physical formats are still important as a source of information and a bigger insight to the act’s personality and intention, through sleeve design, pictures, liner notes and, as with Question Everything, free badge stickers!
Question Everything is available from the Official Boys Wonder Store on Neon Pink & Yellow Split Vinyl (Inc. Sticker Sheet) and CD.
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