YOU HAVEN’T RELEASED A SOLO SINGLE SINCE ‘ONE HEART’ IN 1995, SO WHAT WERE THE CIRCUMSTANCES BEHIND YOU WANTING TO DO ‘JUST DREAM’ UNDER YOUR OWN NAME THIS TIME AROUND?

I have always wanted to use Carol Decker as I feel that T’Pau was the 6 of us back then but that’s over. Since then I was persuaded – against my better judgement – to continue to use the name as it was a known brand…

EVEN THOUGH THE POPULAR PERCEPTION IS PROBABLY THAT YOU ALONE WERE T’PAU, DOES IT FEEL DIFFERENT TO BE FRONTING THIS PROJECT ENTIRELY ON YOUR OWN, WITHOUT A BAND AROUND YOU?

I have continued to work a lot over the years, since the band split in 1991, and I have become used to musicians, management and people coming and going in my career. So I would have to say no, it doesn’t really feel any different as I have felt like it was just me ever since the original line-up split.

IS IT A RELIEF TO BE ABLE TO DROP THE T’PAU NAME? I IMAGINE PEOPLE THINK OF T’PAU WITH A CERTAIN SET OF PRECONCEPTIONS WHICH IT MIGHT BE A RELIEF TO SET TO ONE SIDE SOMETIMES?

Yes it is. It means a lot to me to not appear to be trying to hang on to something that was from a long time ago.

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THAT THE SINGLE IS A COMMERCIAL SUCCESS? DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR EXPECTATIONS OR AMBITIONS FOR THE PROJECT?

I would love it to be a commercial success but I doubt it will be… that not to say I don’t think the track is good, I think it’s great, but I don’t have the financial muscle of a big company behind me any more so it is really difficult to actually let people know that the music is out there. I certainly want to try though!

IF EVERYTHING GOES WELL WILL WE GET MORE SOLO MATERIAL? MORE SINGLES OR AN ALBUM MAYBE?

Absolutely. In fact I have a new idea for something as we speak!

ANY CHANCE OF ANY TOUR ACTIVITY IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

Yes, but it would be after I have a reasonable amount of new tracks to add to the set, to make it more interesting for all of us!

I KNOW YOU’VE BEEN BUSY PROMOTING THE SINGLE THROUGH THE USUAL TV AND RADIO CHANNELS, BUT PERHAPS MORE INTERESTINGLY THROUGH MYSPACE AND THINGS LIKE THAT… HAS IT BEEN EMPOWERING TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT DIRECTLY WITH YOUR AUDIENCE IN THAT WAY?

Yes, and very tiring! It is a direct line to the public and as such you get really honest feedback and suggestions from people… you also get some freakin’ nutters bombarding you with crap!

THERE SEEMS TO BE A WHOLE NEW WAVE OF ARTISTS COMING THROUGH AT THE MOMENT WHO ARE USING DOWNLOADS TO BREAK FREE FROM THE TRADITIONAL SINGLE AND ALBUM FORMATS, ARTISTS WHO ARE JUST RELEASING MUSIC WHENEVER IT’S READY AND WHENEVER IT SUITS THEM… DOES THAT APPEAL TO YOU AS A WAY OF WORKING?

It suits me as it is my best option; I can do precisely what I want, but it needs to be heard and it needs to be sold, just so I can survive.

WHEN I FIRST HEARD ‘JUST DREAM’ IT STARTED OFF BY SOUNDING TOTALLY DIFFERENT TO WHAT I WAS EXPECTING, BUT BY THE END I WAS GOING ‘OF COURSE… IT COULDN’T BE ANYONE BUT CAROL DECKER’, WHICH IS A GOOD TRICK I THINK! WAS THAT INTENTIONAL AT ALL?

No… I just sound like me, whatever I do but we did have this great contemporary feel to the backing…

THAT’S TRUE! THERE’S A REAL DANCEY-CLUB SHEEN TO THE SONG, PARTICULARLY AT THE BEGINNING… IT SOUNDS LIKE THE TRACK COULD BE GIVEN A THE FULL DANCE REMIX TREATMENT, ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO GO DOWN THAT ROUTE AT ALL?

It would be nice if someone from that genre approached me with an idea… to be completely honest I wouldn’t have a clue!

YOU’VE DONE LOADS OF DIFFERENT THINGS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS; ACTING ON STAGE, ACTING IN A FILM, PRESENTING ON THE RADIO AND DOING ALL SORTS OF TV THINGS… WHERE DO YOU FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE THESE DAYS? IS IT NICE TO BE AWAY FROM MUSIC WHEN YOU’RE DOING SOMETHING ELSE OR VICE VERSA?

I am curious about other things, but essentially they are all still performing… when I get an opportunity I take it! A friend once said to me that you have to have really good reasons to say no to things so I do try to say yes… it doesn’t always mean I do the right thing though!

SO WHAT’S COMING UP FOR YOU NEXT?

Hopefully more recording and more gigs. I don’t really have a big plan! I have two kids aged nine and five so they take up a lot of my time and a lot of my headspace. I’m raising a family, so sometimes music doesn’t even cross my mind! I just roll with the punches these days!

SEPTEMBER 2007

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