In 2015, when Lush reformed, there was huge excitement. Their returning gig at The Roundhouse in Camden, their first in 20 years, sold out in just a few hours. A second date at the 1500-capacity venue was swiftly announced to meet demand.
But singer-guitarist Miki Berenyi had taken some convincing about the whole thing. The idea of a reunion had been mooted several years before, on a number of occasions, and she’d always said ‘no’.
“I took six months to decide. Partly because I had Moose saying ‘Do NOT do this. It will be a disaster.’ Primarily because of me and Emma. And it was, in the end. But despite that, you know, I really enjoyed it.”
The reunion was relatively brief, but through it, Miki rediscovered her love for band life. It served as an introduction back into the world of music, which was a move she’d never previously envisaged. Her subsequent exploits with Piroshka and now with the Miki Berenyi Trio have found her enjoying the swings and roundabouts of the music business a whole lot more second time round.
She’s been busy writing new material too. And lots of it. The MB3 set at The Grayston Unity, while dotted with a couple of old Lush favourites, was by and large the new album, which is all recorded, mixed and ready to go out on Bella Union in 2025.
The new songs carry plenty of Miki’s aptitude for trademark shoegaze melody but are funnelled through a more ethereal, cinematic layer of swirling, hazy effects. The arrangements show a tendency towards slightly more unusual structures. There are gentle off-kilter, minor-chord moments, keeping you alert to all potential direction changes. These songs are, essentially, less ‘pop’ and more free-roaming, more dream-like.
Miki’s renaissance period has also seen her write an autobiography. Published in 2022, following some persistent nagging and given the void of lockdown, Fingers Crossed has been met with widespread acclaim for its sharp, succinct style and revealing content. Much of it is unrelated to the music industry – or at least the music is a backdrop. Instead, the focus is frequently on Miki’s nomadic and at times very challenging family upbringing.
Through the book – and its various accompanying launch events and online Q&As – we have also discovered that Anthony Kiedis is “a bit of a wanker”, that Lush manager Howard was consistently inept, that Lush themselves were perhaps the real idiots for keeping him on for so many years, that Alex James of Blur thought it fine to bite Miki’s arse in public, that Graham Coxon… Well, you’ll have to read the book. Or first, tuck into the highlights reel from our Q&A with Miki at Town Festival for a taster…
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