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Before we discuss their 15th album, the Pet Shop Boys cover a variety of topics. It is mid-January and Neil Tennant arrives at Somerset House in London wearing a black corduroy blazer and black rollneck. He compares bandmate Chris Lowe’s tardiness to something from Gormenghast. Eventually, Chris shows up in a grey Adidas hoodie, without his signature sunglasses that add to his mysterious persona in the world of pop. The former architecture student talks about illogical changes to the layout of the Strand.
We reserve a meeting space and they coordinate with their public relations representative for a “half-time” arrangement of refreshments. At their headquarters in east London, Lowe, 64, mentions their fondness for a “large, thick chocolate bar – something-baloney?” In addition to their addiction to Tony’s Chocolonely, they also frequent a nearby deli, where Tennant, 69, admits to purchasing 100% rye bread. He then playfully suggests a conspiracy theory, stating that there is a much larger demand for 100% rye bread than the deli can supply, resulting in it always being sold out. He questions why they don’t produce more to meet the demand.
When they work in their studio in Berlin, they have access to plenty of rye bread, which was a source of inspiration for their 2020 album Hotspot. The band’s lead singer, Tennant, proudly announces that he has been using the language learning app Duolingo for the past two years.
Lowe says that he is almost fluent now.
Tennant admits that he is baffled by the unpredictable assignment of gender in the German language, saying, “I am not used to it.” He often studies on the train and is constantly exclaiming in frustration at the frequent changes in gender, much to the annoyance of those sitting next to him.
The conversation, ideas, and allusions present here are like a refreshing bath. As a previous editor, Tennant emphasizes his words with italics. The band, known as the Pets, has been the most culturally diverse group in the past 40 years since their hit song West End Girls. Their flawless electronic pop music captures feelings of cosmopolitanism, portraying themes of love and loss through various Italian subcultures, the Bolshevik Revolution, and novels by David Lodge. They propose that it is through culture that we can understand our lives, and offer more songs for you to do so.
The bond between Pets and our cultural subconscious appears stronger than ever. This is evident in their 2022 Glastonbury Other stage headline performance and their recent appearances in two films – a rendition of “Rent” in Saltburn, sung tragically by a young man who embodies the song’s themes of desire and dependence, and two spots in Andrew Haigh’s “All of Us Strangers,” which evoke memories of queer loss and hedonism. In pop culture, Tennant and Lowe are constantly energized by the present moment. They discuss the 1988 Frankie Knuckles remix of “I Want a Dog,” which is featured in Haigh’s film, with a sense of immediacy, as if they were still listening to it in the back of a limo on their way to the DJ’s studio in New Jersey. When the BBC approached them about creating a new documentary for their series Imagine, they suggested an idea from Lowe – to use their music as a soundtrack for the major events that have occurred during their lifetime as Pet Shop Boys. These events include New York in the 1980s, Tiananmen Square, and homelessness. (The final film, set to be released in the spring, follows a more traditional format.)
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The most recent section would naturally cover the events surrounding Covid-19. Hotspot made its appearance in January 2020, causing the band to cancel their highly anticipated tour a few months later. However, they remained optimistic and did not believe it was the end. Lowe recommended that Tennant learn how to program, so Tennant spent time in his home in the rural area of Kent and downloaded Garageband. He also purchased a keyboard and briefly watched a YouTube tutorial before diving into a period of prolific songwriting. Despite being physically apart, Lowe and Tennant continued to collaborate by sending tracks to each other. They had faith that touring would resume, as the theatre industry survived even during the plague, according to Lowe.
According to Tennant, it’s actually the opposite.
Their magnificent Dreamland tour eventually started in 2022 and concludes this summer. And they brought their lockdown fruits to a new producer, James Ford, having rated his knack for strings on albums by the Last Shadow Puppets and Arctic Monkeys. “Also being in Simian Mobile Disco, we knew he was really good at analogue synth programming,” says Lowe. “The combination of those two things is basically the sound of the Pet Shop Boys: electronics with strings.”
The result, new album Nonetheless, is gorgeous: buoyant with optimism, it basks in songwriterly lusciousness after a trilogy of harder albums with producer Stuart Price, Electric (2013), Super (2016) and Hotspot. Newcastle-born Tennant and Blackpool-born Lowe stress the northern emphasis on the “None”. It’s a reference to their post-lockdown persistence: “Nonetheless! We’ve carried on and done this,” says Tennant. “There’s nothing more profound than that.”
There is only one song that directly mentions lockdown, titled “Why Am I Dancing?”. This song talks about Tennant’s impromptu kitchen dancefloor. When asked about what he danced to, he cryptically responds with “dance records.”
“Kylie!” Lowe interrupts, opening the window. Tennant mentions that Lowe is able to do the Padam Padam dance, continuing his tradition of learning significant popular dances. Sadly, he declines to show it.
Otherwise, the album contains 10 songs that revolve around characters who are all striving for their goals, chasing after their idealized versions of happiness through love and art. When I bring this up to Tennant, he admits, “I hadn’t considered that.”
Lowe says, “We will accept that.”
“Could this be related to the lockdown?” Tennant ponders. “Reaching out? I’m not sure – it’s just what comes to mind.”
There are several personal moments depicted in the character studies. One of these is New London Boy, a retelling of Bowie’s The London Boys as Tennant’s origin story. It follows his move to London in the early 70s, where he worked in the manuscripts department of the British Museum. “I found an apartment with friends, we all dressed up, and I questioned my sexuality,” recalls Tennant. He likens this period to the gap between the second and third verses of their 1990 song Being Boring, which reflects on losing friends to AIDS. However, New London Boy is all about the present, with Tennant feeling defiant and dreaming, inspired by glam and looking ahead to the New York dance scene that would eventually bring him and Lowe together. “It’s like an early 80s Grandmaster Flash rap,” he explains. “That’s the rap style that comes naturally to me.”
Lowe asks, “Are you planning on featuring Cardi B?” (even though Cardi B is known to be a fan). “It will take a lot of words,” he adds.
The LP contains many of these envisioned utopias. The initial track Loneliness extends a firm helping hand out of a melancholy state of isolation. The love song A New Bohemia is brimming with longing for creative havens of the past. Dancing Star is a joyous tribute to Rudolf Nureyev, a Russian ballet dancer and defector from the KGB, whom Tennant learned about through a documentary. He echoes a phrase referring to the vibrant culture of the 1960s that Nureyev was a part of: “When London’s streets sang with icons of pop / But the reality is that they always do.”
Are they still celebrating these scenes? Nonetheless, it comes across as a heartfelt tribute to them. “It’s not quite the same as it used to be,” Tennant acknowledges.
Lowe recalls seeing the Britpop group frequently in the 1990s and in the 1980s they could be found at the Camden Palace.
Tennant recalls that in the 1990s, they were acquainted with everyone. They would often gather at the Groucho Club, making it a lively time. This social scene also extended to art galleries and ballet, but Tennant feels that this sense of community is missing in their lives now. He believes that a new era has emerged, one that is more focused on material wealth and lacks the same genuine connection.
However, according to Tennant, “as you become more experienced, you start to consider your desires. As you age, I am not fond of the concept of surrendering.”
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Since the onset of the pandemic, the Pets have been actively engaged in various projects: a highly successful world tour, a journey across the United States with New Order, re-releases of Chris Heath’s exceptional books chronicling their early tours, a Radio 2 documentary, a BBC retrospective, Smash, their fourth compilation of singles, and the upcoming Imagine documentary. This is noteworthy for a band that typically shies away from nostalgia, although Tennant clarifies that it’s simply “working on our back catalogue” and not a deliberate reflection on the past. (Lowe’s lack of interest in looking back is exemplified by an anecdote shared by Tennant about how he made his father cry on his first day of primary school by walking into class without acknowledging him.) At most, Tennant says, it prompts them to question why certain songs were not released as singles and to marvel at the fact that a song as “eccentric, somber, and openly gay” as So Hard from 1990 became so popular.
The duo also renewed their contract with Parlophone, the label they departed from in 2013 due to prolonged contract negotiations. They briefly worked with label services company Kobalt during this time. According to Tennant, Parlophone “wanted us back” and it was a satisfying experience. Additionally, they collaborated with a renowned perfume designer for two years to create a new fragrance that would appeal to all genders and have an electric scent. However, they were unsure of what happened to the fragrance in the end. Tennant also imagines a future where all of their albums would have a matching perfume.
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Tennant gained recognition for his work at Smash Hits before the release of Pets. This prompts a question in the style of the magazine: what scent does their latest album have? Tennant responds, “That’s a great question for Smash Hits. It’s not fruity or sugary. I would say it has a slightly more earthy aroma.”
However, there has been significant progress since their previous record on Parlophone in 2012, which was the stunning yet somber Elysium. This album was a reflection of their feelings of invisibility as they aged and continued to make music, also influenced by the passing of Tennant’s parents. In 2022, the Pet Shop Boys were featured in a Palace fashion advertisement alongside the 90-year-old Joan Collins, while a Loewe advert featuring 89-year-old Maggie Smith recently gained widespread attention. Madonna, who is now 65, is no longer criticized for growing older, but celebrated for her successful tour of her retrospective album Celebration. It begs the question – have society’s views towards older individuals shifted in the past decade?
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“Surprisingly, music has become less discriminatory based on age,” states Tennant, as various slices of chocolate cake are brought to the table and the pair leaves behind a remarkable amount of crumbs. “Younger generations are now listening to their parents’ music. It’s all available for anyone to enjoy.” Tennant attributes this to YouTube. “In the past, you may have had a fond memory of watching the music video for Strawberry Fields Forever on Top of the Pops in 1967, but then you never had the chance to see it again. Now, I can easily access it. It’s like everything exists in the same moment.” The duo encountered this phenomenon last year when Drake used an unlicensed sample of their song, West End Girls. Tennant learned about it from his young nephew, who was impressed by it. After a Twitter exchange, the issue was resolved. “They were very cooperative and apologetic,” Tennant recalls. “And yes, we were compensated for it.”
He proposes a hypothesis. “I believe that pop stars have achieved what we once believed only old blues musicians could – becoming a kind of ‘authentic’, timeless figure… I think the audience embraces this. It could be seen as nostalgia, but I think it’s a longing to experience a recreated authentic movement. Age no longer appears to be a factor because the music itself has not aged.”
In April, it will have been 40 years since the release of West End Girls – the original version produced by Bobby O, not the well-known hit produced by Stephen Hague in 1985. However, the two members of the group, known as the “Pets,” had actually met three years earlier in a hi-fi shop in Chelsea. This chance encounter seems even more remarkable in today’s world where meeting strangers often involves using an app. Neil Lowe was admiring equipment that he couldn’t afford, while Chris Tennant had purchased a synthesiser without realizing it didn’t have a built-in speaker and needed a connector. Tennant recalls, “What surprises me is that the man used a jack plug and welded it to the prongs so that it could fit into my 1970s stereo port. I remember there being a distinct smell of welding.”
The perfumer was searching for the smell of electricity, which Tennant was surprised by and hadn’t considered.
They prefer not to examine the reasons behind their lasting relationship. According to Tennant, “To analyze something could potentially ruin it.” He believes in accepting the natural course of their relationship. They met by chance and began writing songs together. It’s quite remarkable, so it’s better not to overthink it.
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Although filled with dreamers, reality constantly reminds them of the harsh truth. The Schlager Hit Parade is a comical song with lots of bells that reflects the German postwar pop phenomenon, where people believed they could create happiness and prosperity. “Cheers to a healthy Europe! / Let’s hope it lasts…” Tennant sings. In Bullet for Narcissus, the viewpoint of Trump’s bodyguard is explored, as he comes to terms with the fact that he may have to sacrifice his life for a man he despises. When discussing the possibility of a second term for Trump, Tennant states: “It’s a topic we avoid discussing.”
The reason for the idyllic portrayal of Nonetheless is simply to escape reality. The speaker acknowledges that everything currently seems negative, except for advancements in technology. The speaker expresses optimism towards the continued fight for gay rights, believing that the backlash is a result of progress made in the gay agenda and that those who oppose it are simply stuck in the past.
According to him, it is time for a British election. Looking back, the period of Tory administration from 2010 to 2024 will be remembered as one of the worst in history. The events that have transpired, such as Brexit and the Covid pandemic, along with the widening gap between the rich and poor, have led to this conclusion. He believes that Labour faces the issue of constant internal conflicts and the need to appeal to voters. In his opinion, Jeremy Corbyn’s success ultimately contributed to Boris Johnson’s election. As someone from an older generation, the attempt to revert back to 1970s politics seems bizarre, whereas the focus should be on moving forward with a progressive socialist agenda for a brighter future.
The author ponders whether society has abandoned the idea of working together as a group. He notes that the only topic that garners collective support is the National Health Service, and emphasizes the importance of collective effort. This is evident in Jon Savage’s latest book, which explores how LGBTQ resistance has influenced culture. Even the act of clubbing, which is becoming less common in British society, is ultimately a communal activity.
According to Tennant, politics can be detrimental due to the presence of corruption and self-pity. This is reflected in their new song, Loneliness, which addresses the growing issue of isolation among the elderly. As Tennant approaches his 70th birthday, he emphasizes the importance of staying curious and connected to one’s community in order to maintain vitality. He advises against becoming a victim of one’s own negative thoughts and behaviors, as it can be extremely unhealthy. Tennant also commends Troye Sivan’s latest album for its bold and unapologetically queer nature, without any self-victimizing elements.
Possibly, the album’s longing is fueled by an inherent optimism. “I have always carried a sense of unfulfilled yearning within me. Although it has been satisfied many times, it remains my default state – constantly longing for something different or better.”
When asked if he can envision himself doing this at the age of 80, he responds by saying that there probably won’t be a specific moment of retirement. Instead, he will simply realize one day that he hasn’t seen certain people in a while.
This year, there is a lot of work to be done. Along with the ongoing tour, there will also be another performance at the Royal Opera House, following one in 2016. Tennant admits, “We are the only ones crazy enough to do it.” Although they have written enough new songs for two albums, there will not be a second part of Nonetheless. Instead, they have created a stage show called Naked, inspired by The Emperor’s New Clothes. Tennant describes it as “full of catchy tunes!” (The song “Why Am I Dancing?” is a reimagined ballad from the show.)
According to Lowe, it’s unlikely that this will happen anytime soon. The thought of a world without pets is too devastating to consider. However, their vision of purity and potential has had a positive impact on this world.
We need to have a meeting to discuss the new album. Before anyone leaves, Lowe looks through the forgotten bag of cakes, which Pets are still craving. However, someone has already eaten them all. “Neil got to them first!”
“Nonetheless” will be available on Parlophone starting April 26th, while “Pet Shop Boys Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live at the Royal Arena Copenhagen” will be shown in cinemas on February 4th. PSB will also perform at the Royal Opera House in London in July.
Source: theguardian.com
