Catching up with Sharleen Spiteri over Zoom from the chilly landscapes of Scotland, one can't help but be struck by her cool and calm demeanour.
It’s inspiring how effortlessly she discusses Texas’s remarkable 35-year career, especially considering the band’s recent release of their Very Best Of compilation and the accompanying anniversary tour.
Reflecting on the compilation process, Spiteri’s approach is refreshingly straightforward, much like her attitude towards their extensive discography.
Texas 2024 Australian tour
- Wed 31 Jan 2024 – Forum Melbourne, VIC
- Thu 1 Feb 2024 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney, NSW
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“Well, you’re just going to put on all the big hits. It’s literally like writing the best set list on the planet. You also get to put in things like the version of Say What You Want with the Wu-Tang Clan, that some people might not even be aware existed. Also, Start A Family with Alan Rickman, you get to put stuff like that in… that might be something that people never knew existed or hadn’t been aware of if they hadn’t bought a single.
“We don’t really question it,” Spiteri says of the band’s creative process. “I think maybe that’s a good way to kind-of be… we don’t try and dissect it and rip it apart. But what we do try and do is change it up. Whether that’s working with other people and bringing younger writers in to write with us and work with us…recording in different ways, in different places.”
Texas’ incredible list of prior collaborators extends far beyond Wu-Tang and Rickman, all the way to Blue Nile to Rammstein.
“We try it,” Spiteri explains. “We see how it is. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. But there’s something exciting about it and there’s something maybe a bit dangerous about it…whether it’s the Wu-Tang Clan, whether it’s working with Alan Rickman, whether it’s Paul Buchanan from Blue Nile, Rammstein…there’s nothing that connects any of that. What does connect it is the excitement of creating something new.”
As the music industry has undergone transformative changes, Texas remains unfazed, guided by a simple philosophy: “We very much do what works for us.” Spiteri’s defiance of industry norms and her candid dismissal of outdated rules contribute to the band’s enduring success. In an era of shifting paradigms, Texas thrives on their terms.
“I mean, to be really honest and brutal – as I think that’s why we’ve still got a career after all this time – like, you know, fuck rules.”
Texas are no stranger to Australia, having performed here numerous times throughout their long-lived career. With a smile on her face, Spiteri speaks so fondly of her times in Australia and her immense excitement to come and perform here again.
“Well, one, we’re unbelievably excited. We can’t believe the tickets sold. Melbourne and Sydney are gone. We did want to play more, but due to the schedule and us having other things that were put in, we’re not going to get to do more shows.
“But hopefully, we’ll get to come back and do a lot more shows. You know, we love coming to Australia.”
Her favourite Australian venue? It’s not a grand stage but a friend’s house – Adrian’s house, to be precise. She shares an anecdote about their last visit to Australia, where the band found themselves catching up with old friends on an impromptu boat adventure in Sydney Harbour. The escapade may have raised eyebrows the next morning on breakfast TV, but it’s symbolic of Texas’s down-to-earth charm.
After a good laugh and a chat about the exciting prospect of warm Australian weather, Sharleen shares Texas’ plans for the rest of the year. With arena tours of the same set list ahead in Europa, the anticipation for the Australian tour looms large. Sharleen Spiteri’s laid-back charm and candid approach to their music encapsulate the essence of Texas, making the upcoming tour a must-see for fans eager to witness the culmination of 35 years of musical magic.
“We’re coming to Australia and New Zealand to these shows…we’re also doing a couple of festivals, and then we come back to the UK and we have a piano record that is being released, that we did with the wonderful Spooner Oldham in Alabama.
“We’ve done these sessions with him, which is something really special and really beautiful, it’s a whole re-imagination of classic Texas songs and there’s a couple of new tracks in there as well. Then we do an arena tour in September of this year, which will be the Very Best Of!”
Find tickets for Texas’ Australian tour here.
