Claire Richards thinks “escapism” might be the rationale behind Steps’ ongoing success.
The 46-year-old singer was initially a part of the pop group alongside Faye Tozer, Lee Latchford-Evans, Lisa Scott-Lee and Ian ‘H’ Watkins from 1997 till 2001 earlier than getting again along with them in 2012 for a reunion tour however since 2017 , the band have loved one other run of hit albums and despite the fact that she “actually does not know” what the endurance is, she thinks it might be to do with the notion that followers can “be themselves” at a live performance.
She solely advised BANG Showbiz: “I actually do not know. If I did know, I feel that is once you take that components and also you apply it to different folks. I do not know, I really feel like there’s one thing there’s a sense of escapism once you take heed to Steps. And once you come to a Steps live performance, I feel folks very a lot determine with a minimum of one in all us.
“I feel we’ve that type of pleasant, open, sincere type of secure area for folks to simply be themselves as a result of I feel they will see us being ourselves and you recognize, carrying what we wish to put on. And even when some folks assume we should not be it is, you recognize, it is, we’re making a, an area for folks to be themselves. And I feel we at all times do say that I feel that is actually vital that it is, you recognize, we’re not going to evaluate you. And hopefully, you are not going to evaluate us. And it is all going to be it is all only a secure, good place to be.
“And you may go away your luggage on the door once you’re there.”
Claire went on to confess that she and her bandmates – who had been typically seen in costumes corresponding to wedding ceremony outfits of their ‘Tragedy’ music video and as medical employees of their cowl of Diana Ross basic ‘Chain Response’ while co-ordinating in matching main colors for different singles – maybe wished to be “cool” within the early days however thinks that these days each the group and the viewers have embraced their camp personas on a much bigger scale.
She added: “You’ll be able to overlook about every part for a few hours till it’s important to go house and take care of stuff once more, all people wants that from time to time, and I feel that is what it’s. I do not know.
“Particularly this time round as effectively. I feel possibly within the early days, we wished to be cool. Nevertheless it was fairly clear, fairly early on, that we weren’t! And most of the people aren’t to be sincere, are they? Most individuals will not be cool. So I feel we enchantment to extra.”
Away from the group, Claire – who launched her first report ‘My Wildest Goals’ in 2019 – is again with new report ‘Euphoria’ and admitted it was “fairly troublesome” to slim down the checklist of feminine artists she wished to pay tribute to with the covers assortment.
She stated: “It was fairly troublesome. We did provide you with a really lengthy checklist. After which a whole lot of it’s all the way down to what ended up being my favourites and our favourites out of that huge lengthy checklist. And likewise, I did not wish to go for the obvious songs. Issues like ‘No Extra Tears’, ‘Gloria’, ‘I Give up’, I By no means Knew Love Like This Earlier than’. For that, I completely knew I wished to go on the album and that I used to be doing these in some way. They had been songs that I wished to report for a very long time. After which yeah, every part else was just a bit little bit of a type of an exploring journey.
“We made an inventory of artists that had an impression on me. After which it was then discovering the songs that match throughout the temporary of the album as effectively as a result of I wished every part to be bangers.”
Claire Richards’ new album ‘Euphoria’ is out now.
