Profiles

If events had worked out differently singer Corinne Drewery could have been a big name in the world of fashion.

She helped start a design label after graduating from St Martin's School of Art in London.

The clothes were fine, her accounting skills not so good, so Corinne turned to her first love - music.

By 1985 she was a member of Swing Out Sister and two years later she was celebrating a number one album (It's Better To Travel) and hit singles Breakout, Surrender and Twilight World.

Corinne Drewery in 2008

From top to bottom

"We started at the top and we've worked our way down ever since," says Corinne jokingly.

"We did have a number one album at the very beginning and that's hard to top. They were heady days but it was quite a nomadic life we led for five years."

The Nottingham connection

Corinne lived in Nottinghamshire for the first seven years of her life - first in Beeston then Long Eaton. Then her parents moved to Lincolnshire.

That was a bit of a culture shock and she missed the hustle and bustle of the big city. But she made sure she didn't stay away for too long.

"(My grandma) was a great one for going into town on the bus and going to the market and scrabbling for bargains. I've got loads of great memories of Nottingham like swimming in the lidos.

"I think of Nottingham as fun with lots of recreation."

Album sleeve for Swing Out Sister's Beautiful Mess

Life in 2008

Just because the chart hits dried up doesn't mean Swing Out Sister have been inactive. Indeed they've just released their ninth studio album, Beautiful Mess.

Although probably bigger in Asia than the UK they still play live in this country although it's been several years since they gigged in Nottingham.

Corinne's taken with the possibility of playing in the city's caves.

"We do things in our own time now," she says.

"The emphasis has changed since we started out. Everything was done for you by the record company but the labels have shrunk now so artists have a lot more control. But consequently things are more fragmented."

Nostalgia

Being a band form the 80s begs the question, will Swing Out Sister soon be seen playing arena dates with the likes of Bananarama, Rick Astley and Human League?

According to Corinne, nostalgia is a dirty word.

"I don't think we'd want to be part of a revival. We've been making records since we started in the 80s. We'd rather move on than be pure nostalgia.

"I don't think we were a typical part of the 80s. We're not the first people who spring to mind. We weren't particularly trendy then and we're not trendy now. We just like to make timeless music."