Renowned for their lush soundscapes and melodic acid house anthems, Saint Etienne are one of Britain’s pioneering music groups that opened the door to the indie-dance movement and the muchloved Britpop genre. Set to finally celebrate their latest studio album and dreamy dancehall anthems in front of an adoring live crowd, Matthew Thomas caught up with frontwoman Sarah Cracknell to chat about their highly-anticipated show at The Fire Station on 10 June.

It’s an incredible feeling. We can’t wait to see people again and it’ll be nice to see people enjoying themselves. We wrote and recorded the last album during the pandemic and so it’s been a long time since we saw people’s reactions firsthand. I think I’ll feel overwhelmed with emotion. I’m that way inclined anyway, I always end up shedding a few tears over very little. It’ll be beautiful to see everyone and we’ve heard great things about The Fire Station, so our excitement for the show is building each day…

We actually began creating a totally different record in a new studio and things came to a grinding halt due to the pandemic. Bob then started playing around with a few ideas and new styles. During lockdown, he had begun experimenting with new software that meant he could trial new time signatures, effects and so on. From there, we developed a concept for the album itself. Pete would send over ideas and I would write lyrics, invent noises and create melodies for his work before sending it back to him for further development. I’m a big fan of the Cocteau Twins and I always loved the fact that Elizabeth Fraser would make up her own noises and lush sounds that make up the Cocteau Twins’ signature sound. I suppose there are elements of their influence in this record.

It was definitely a cathartic experience for me. If it hadn’t been for my younger son who has a studio setup with fancy software and expensive equipment in his bedroom, we wouldn’t have been able to complete the album. I recorded all the vocals in the countryside in Oxfordshire and having that ability to escape through music really helped and provided me with a creative outlet in which I could feel connected to Bob and Pete.

Well, thank you. We’re performing slightly fewer songs from I’ve Been Trying To Tell You and an eclectic mix of familiar tunes, b-sides and more. We’re playing with a previous drummer who is flying all the way from America just to join the tour, and we’ll have loads of visuals by the wonderful Alasdair McLellan who created our nostalgic film.

We just bat ideas between each other until something sticks. I’ll let you in on a trade secret; we write all the songs we’ve rehearsed on a sheet of A4, tear them into strips so the song titles are visible and lay them all on the floor before placing them in a specific order. Once we’ve narrowed down the tracks into something resembling a setlist, we’ll play it in order and one of us will pipe up with further changes. We’ve been doing this process since 1993 and it has seemed to work out pretty well…

Definitely. Bob worked alongside Esther Jonhson and we’ve worked with some great Northern initiatives such as Sage and the guys at Field Music. There’s a really nice collaborative cohort of like-minded people developing in the region.

We were scheduled to play at The Fire Station on the last tour and we’re so excited to finally perform there. I personally love playing at new venues, it’s great to see new spaces created for the arts and I’ve heard that it’s a lovely venue, really well thought out with a great PA and most importantly, lovely dressing rooms. There’s an appreciation from northern crowds that always makes for a great gig. Every time we’ve played in the North East, we’ve had a fantastic time, some memorable crowd interactions and everyone is just so friendly. 10 June can’t come quickly enough for us!

From colourful exhibitions to playful performances and fresh family shows, Sunderland Culture has a huge variety of exciting events to explore this summer....

A Way Home by Christina Castling

9 June

A county-wide fight lasting over 25 years becomes a 12-month journey at Bet’s kitchen table as her family grapple with identity, loss and belonging in this tender drama. 1951. A third of County Durham’s villages are classed as ‘D’, no longer worthy of investment, expected to die quietly they refuse to go without a fight. With humour, tenderness and not a small amount of grit, the play speaks of fighting to be heard when no one’s listening and of finding a place to belong.

16 August

An interactive story for under 6s and their grownups with live music, puppetry and a tale you thought you knew. We travel around with our suitcase of stories, spinning yarns and telling tales. What will come out of the suitcase today? It’s the Tortoise and the Hare! Get ready to hop like a hare and travel like a tortoise. Who will win, slow and steady or fast and furious? Join us for an unexpected dash to the finish line. On your marks, get set…GO!

Hedge 25 June

Meet a hedgehog waking up from hibernation…and everything is not as it once was. Playful, fresh and engaging, Hedge is a brand-new show for children aged 4+ and their families. Combining the magic of dance with beautiful costumes, innovative props and puppetry to create an imaginative and atmospheric performance space for audiences to explore and enjoy.

18 June - 29 August

Each year, the University of Sunderland’s School of Art and Design holds degree shows for the graduating BA(Hons) students. The degree show is a culmination of the hard work and dedication of their students into the final year of their course, where they build their professional practice, skills and experience. It is also a celebration of their creativity and the beginning of their exciting new journey as creative professionals. The work of design degree students will be shown at Sunderland Museum through the summer.

Until 27 August

Discover a new display of wonderful art glass that Joblings Wear Glass Works made in the 1930s! Originally an experiment by the firm, the limited-edition range was only made for a few years and is now extremely popular with collectors. This unique display is part of a series of Pyrex100 events at Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens.

Until 11 September

Bringing together ground-breaking contemporary artists, with some of the most highly skilled glass makers in the country. ‘Glass Exchange’ presents four ambitious new works across the North East, in sites ranging from Durham Cathedral to a disused shop in Sunderland Centre. Over the past 24 months, the four critically acclaimed artists have been working with glass specialists at National Glass Centre to realise their creative ideas. This fascinating process of artistic and technical exchange is documented in a brand-new exhibition at National Glass Centre. Artworks include: • Colonial Ghost by Pascale Marthine Tayou at National Glass Centre • The Life of St. Bede by Monster Chetwynd at Durham Cathedral • Ghost Shop by Ryan Gander at 61 High Street West, Sunderland • The Moment and Requiem by Katie Paterson at Durham Cathedral

26 June

Shakespeare’s Globe is coming to Sunderland! Presenting a startlingly relevant new production of epic tragedy Julius Caesar, a brutal tale of ambition, incursion and revolution to life. Conspiracy to kill, cunning rhetoric, a divisive fight for Greatness: Ancient Rome has never felt closer to home. When Cassius and Brutus decide Rome’s leader Caesar poses a political threat to their beloved country, there’s only one solution…

Photography: Ian Macdonald, South Gare Teesmouth, 1980, © the artist, courtesy Arts Council Collection.

Until 11 September

This exhibition brings together a broad selection of artists to explore the notion of ‘Island’ life in Britain since 1945. ‘Island’ explores current coastal issues including environmental change and rising sea levels, unemployment, poverty, inadequate housing and resources, and our difficult relationship between land and sea. These concerns are presented side-by-side with romantic seascapes and documentary photography celebrating the heydays of the British seaside holiday.