Elizabeth Fraser and John Grant Talk Blue Bell Knoll
- By Patrick Clarke
- The Quietus
- 26-Jul 2017
The Cocteau Twins singer discussed the band’s 1988 classic Blue Bell Knoll live in conversation at the Royal Albert Hall
Elizabeth Fraser, the inimitable lead singer of the much-adored Cocteau Twins, made a rare public appearance last Sunday (July 23), interviewed in front of an intimate crowd by singer-songwriter John Grant to discuss the band’s 1988 classic Blue Bell Knoll. Hosted to mark the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act 1967, which saw the decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales, with all proceeds going to LGBT+ charity Stonewall, the Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Room sold out just seven minutes after the event was announced.
Grant’s adoration of the Cocteau Twins was evident throughout his hour-long interview with Fraser. “When I’m asked what my favourite albums are I put every Cocteau Twins album in a category by itself,” he said at the beginning of their conversation, while Fraser is keen to return the favour, speaking with admiration of Grant’s ‘zen’ response when interviewed himself. Their conversation was casual and relaxed, and though not heavy on revelation felt perfectly suited to its comfortable, low-key surroundings, their audience sitting perfectly still at their candlelit tables and chairs.
“I listened to [Blue Bell Knoll] for the first time in years and I cried, I just thought it was so lovely,” says Fraser, remembering the creative process as an opportunity for the band to escape the pressures of their private lives. “It was quite a difficult time, and I think we just decided to throw ourselves into the creativity. Getting immersed in that process and not worrying about how it would be perceived or the outcome, just going with the flow without expectations, no endgame, just enjoy it, and if it’s not working try something else.”
Fraser went in-depth about her famously unconventional approach to songwriting, for which she used a self-constructed language to provide lyrics. “I gained so much from [inventing language],” she told Grant. “I didn’t expect it to be such a fulfilling experience, at first it was an avoidance tactic, more than that, but I must have given myself permission along the way that I was really gonna go for it and not worry about people’s opinions.”
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