Miki Berenyi, the angel-voiced lead singer of U.K. dream-poppers Lush, wrapped up a fall North America tour promoting Miki Berenyi Trio’s new otherworldly album, Tripla, with her life and musical partner KJ “Moose” McKillop (of Moose) and bassist Oliver Cherer. Along the way, she put out various statements on her socials that this would be their last trip stateside.
Somewhere on a bus in the Pacific Northwest while sick with a nasty cold, Berenyi answered questions via email, and all we had to do was change a few British “u”s and “zeds” from her pristine copy.
In 2022, Berenyi also published a humdinger of memoir, Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me from Success, an extremely fun and lively read that’s part rising rock band tale along with what is perhaps the most colorful and at times upsetting growing-up section of all rock bios.
Music Connection: You have stated that this will likely be your last stateside tour due to the high costs and expanse of the U.S. How do you—or do you—stay positive knowing you may never return?
Miki Berenyi: One of the hurdles we have with touring is that Moose HATES to fly—for both phobic and environmental reasons. So the fact that he even agreed to this tour is a miracle. I get plenty of folk on socials suggesting QE2 Atlantic travel as an alternative, but this doesn’t account for the fact that we make no personal income from the band and need our day jobs to pay the bills. Taking on a three-week tour of the U.S. and Canada has maxed out our workdays off, and there is no time—or money!—for a leisurely sea crossing.
One of the crowbars I used to convince Moose to tour here is that the venues and audiences are exceptional. At every show we have played, the local crew is welcoming and professional, and any logistical anxieties we are dealing with dissolve when we are onstage—we’ve been blown away by the enthusiastic reception and warmth of the audiences.
And touring can be immense fun! Traveling across a continent, sampling the food, drink and culture, meeting people, connecting with fans, bonding with each other through the highs and the lows and—most of all—playing our music to appreciative crowds. All of this is life-changing adventure and hugely rewarding.
I feel sad that this will be the last time we tour the U.S., but it doesn’t really cross my mind when we are playing the shows. What I love about gigs is being immersed in the moment, and in the music—whether I am performing or in the audience (it’s also why I am out front at every show watching any other bands on the bill). That energy pushes everything else out of my mind, and I am transported. I’m not one for cosmic babble, but there is a magic to performing and communing with an audience, losing yourself in the music and enjoying the camaraderie of a shared experience.
Yesterday in Seattle, the mood of the touring party was pretty low. The previous week of the tour had been insanely stressful and I was completely depleted. But rather than sit backstage feeling sorry for myself, I had a brilliant getting-to-know-you chat with the woman doing lights for the gig (hello, Monica!) and helped set up the merch stall with a lovely woman called Jen. We then got news that Gina Birch’s band member (another Jen!) was on her way from the airport – she literally got to the gig with two minutes to spare and was onstage for the set. Amazing! And watching them vibe off each other and on-the-hoof pull off an amazing performance – it completely lifted me. I was worried that I was still not feeling 100% for the gig to be able to sing well, but the audience were so enthusiastic and so INTO IT that we came offstage absolutely buzzing, and we then had an hour at the merch stall, signing stuff and chatting with fans. I mean, it’s a joy!
MC: From reports I’ve read, seems this tour is not all jolly holiday, not just visa and financial issues, but I heard you have a cold. What have been some enjoyable moments?
Berenyi: BEING here—touring here—is not the problem. It’s the hurdles to making it all possible that make it so stressful and demoralizing. I’m sorry to be blunt but the U.S. visa system is an absolute shit show. It is punishingly expensive and there is zero transparency, so you are hurling your money into a void, with no guarantees or reassurances that any of it will work to plan.
We applied for Moose’s visa in February, which cost us $4,000. You’d think that eight months would be plenty of time, but no—by August there was no news, so we were advised to pay another $2,800 to expedite and hope that this would speed things up. It then costs another $300 to sort the interview at the U.S. embassy in the U.K., plus extra for various documents and delivery systems (small change at this stage). By now, the dates are all booked, as are the flights, hotels, bus, tour manger etc.—all of which require deposits and payment. Everything hangs in the balance of getting that visa returned in time.
And so we spent three weeks, logging into the embassy website on an hourly basis, watching the status change from “Pending” to “Awaiting Approval” to “Approved,” then back to “Awaiting approval,” hoping for it to finally show as “ISSUED.” You can call the embassy helpline, but the information and assistance you get depends entirely on who answers the phone. No lawyer, no visa service (another expense you pay for in desperation), no ANYONE has any advice other than “you’ll just have to wait.”
And even when you whoop with joy that the visa has finally been issued, you have to wait for the courier service to deliver your stamped passport to a counter, which can take anywhere from one to three days.
I will add here that yes, we have tour insurance to compensate for cancellations. But guess what, visa delays are not covered. Not in any policy, however pricey.
Moose’s visa turned up about an hour after his flight left for Washington, D.C. And because airlines no longer offer any guarantees for rebooking or cancellation, especially if you need to change your plans at the very last minute – unless you pay vast sums of extras at the booking stage—it is costly to reschedule and the flights available with that specific airline never match what you need. So this meant another $3,000 to add to our costs.
I realize all this detail is insanely dull, but it’s what kills the whole idea of ever touring again in the U.S. for us. This level of impenetrable bureaucracy means only bands with buckets of spare money can take the financial hit of the inevitable delays. For someone like me, who has had to cull money from my mortgage to fund the advance payments required to set up a tour, the stress is debilitating.
And it wasn’t just Moose—Gina’s [Birch, of the post-punk U.K. band the raincoats] visa also turned up a day after her flight, and her bandmates’ didn’t come for another two weeks. We’re all trying to spread and share the costs, so no individual is left crippled with debt. But it’s exhausting.
Yeah, having a cold was a real downer. I can get through pretty much anything but if the performance is buggered, then what’s the point? I croaked my way through two sets in Denver and St. Paul—it was an interesting challenge to pitch the vocals lower and ad-lib around the high parts. Again, the audiences were lovely, really willing me on. But we had to cancel Salt Lake City, which I was gutted about. It was a judicial decision, hoping that an extra days’ rest would speed recovery. And it seems to have paid off.
MC: On the topic of prohibitive touring costs, do you agree with Shirley Manson’s statement that “You’re gonna lose generations of esoteric, risk-taking, creative weirdos, rebels, agitators, and provocateurs. You’re gonna get fucking white bread. That’s it.”?
Berenyi: I guess if A.I. takes off and people are happy with going to see holograms play live, then I concede that the visa problems will no longer be a hurdle. Although I’m sure that the powers that be will find a way to monetize a new form of visa requirement for virtual entities!
But of course, Shirley is right. Think of the gigs that people who love music talk about. That thrill of seeing a band at a nascent stage, still raw and unformed, powered by the momentum of their exploding energy. Yes, that will certainly be gone. Only well-established bands with millions in their coffers already will be able to tour. We’re already there, really. Sterile stadium gigs backed by corporate funding, where 90 percent of the audience are watching the performance on a screen. It’s heartbreaking.
MC: “Doldrum Days”—your enchanting voice with Moose’s guitar is just magic, and as an opener really draws you in for a long and glorious ride. I feel sort a push-and-pull with technology impulses and an organic through-line. The idea of standing in a river. It’s a pretty dramatic way to start your live set. When putting a live set together, how carefully do you try to curate an emotional ride or do you just throw it all out there?
Berenyi: My obsession with curating setlists are legion! I will write a list of the songs, cut the paper into strips and spend days shifting them around, rehearsing the set in its various arrangements until I feel it is absolutely right. And there are many factors – tempo, key, tuning (“Manu” and “8th Deadly Sin” are together in our set because Moose uses a particular tuning for those two songs), not having the old or new songs all bunched together… so many considerations! But, ultimately, I pace everything the way I feel I would most enjoy it if I was in the audience.
MC: Are there fave American foods you can’t miss? Do you want me to bring chicken soup to Mississippi Studios?
Berenyi: Ollie is the main foodie in the band—we’re in Vancouver today and he’s wanting to track down some poutine. I had some very odd popcorn the other day—it was salty but somehow herby as well. Everyone else thought it was revolting so I wolfed down the whole bag.
Chicken soup may be a challenge to deliver to a gig, but we are very appreciative of all foodie gifts.
MC: After you get home, what will you do immediately?
Berenyi: Back to work! And I’m looking forward to seeing my family, friends and neighbors. We live in a very social community with close friends nearby, so I can’t wait to have everyone over for a catch-up.
We also have some shows to play over November and December. Our album Tripla came out in April, but Ollie got a cancer diagnosis and had to have radiotherapy, so the dates got pushed back. It was a scary time, but he is an irrepressible optimist, and got through the whole ordeal still bouncing with energy and enthusiasm for touring and making music. His resilience is remarkable.
I’ve also got a few guest appearances lined up. I’ll be singing a track with a punk band called “Hard Skin” at their farewell show, and Gina is planning a choir performance in November that I’ve signed up to.
MC: And what about long-term plans?
Berenyi: We’re already working on the next album. Preparations for this tour have taken up every spare moment, and with the decks clear we can concentrate on writing new songs. I’m hoping we can play some shows in Europe next year – I’d love to play in Spain and Portugal, and maybe Germany and Poland. And it would be nice to get some festivals next summer.
But it’s hard to plan beyond the next few months. We have work and family commitments, so the trio fits into the gaps in between. To be honest, I’m too old to think very far ahead – decrepitude and death await!
MC: I so loved your book Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me from Success. You as a little girl—who in my mind was always a bit grubby—really stuck with me. Any plans for another book? Has anyone approached you about a movie version?
Berenyi: Ha! Yes, I was quite grubby. Still am!
I’m very touched when people praise my book and say they loved the writing. I guess that gives me hope that it’s that, as much as the subject matter, that they liked. So maybe I can have a crack at something else and it would still be good. Worth a try, I reckon. I just need to find the time!
MC: How did you get Gina Birch to join the tour? What a treat!
Berenyi: Our label, Bella Union, is run by Simon Raymonde, and his wife Abbey manages Gina, and also helps to manage our U.S. tours. In fact, she helps in all kinds of ways generally with the trio—she’s always been there for us. So it was her idea for us to tour together.
Gina is an absolute gem—we love her so much. I’ve seen her perform both solo and with her band, and I’m blown away by the panache and confidence with which she switches between the two versions, making each type of show distinct. Her songs have intense energy—rage and anger, but also wit, playfulness and even vulnerability. It’s compelling and moving and funny and eloquent and warm and energizing… and her stage presence is mesmerizing.
And throughout all the difficulties we’ve faced with the visa bollocks and money stresses, we’ve all pulled together, covering for each other, being moral support. When Gina’s band were still waiting for their visas, Ollie and Moose started playing in Gina’s live set, with me and even our tour manager John Herguth joining in on a song or two to keep her company on that big, lonely stage!
I’ve been in stressful situations where everyone is looking for someone to blame, lashing out at each other and exacerbating the disasters. It’s horrible, and not something I ever want to go through again. So there’s no finger pointing, just problem solving. It’s been quite the bonding experience!
We’ve promised to have an annual celebration for the rest of our lives to relive the highs and the lows!
MC: Where do your strength and determination come from?
Berenyi: I like fixing things, and making things happen. Probably out of a need to be liked. It’s less grandiose than you make it sound.
