Cherie Currie burst onto the music scene in 1976 as the teenage vocalist of The Runaways.
The band quickly catapulted from the small stage to sold out shows, headlining acts such as The Ramones, Van Halen and Blondie. These days Cherie is busy as a professional chainsaw carver, and while 2016 has her gearing up for her first Australian tour, Cherie says she’s not optimistic about the current music industry. “I think between the '70s and 2016, everything has changed.
“It’s very different, and I’m not going to say it’s for the better. I don't think it’s for the better. I think with programmes like ‘American Idol’ and ‘Australian Idol’ or ‘The Voice’ and things like that, I think it's a lot tougher for young kids who were born to be musicians or singers.
“I think it has been telling people what’s good and what’s not good, and that’s not true. I don't think Mick Jagger or even Bob Dylan would have made it through the audition portions of the shows, and we would have lost out on amazing artists because Simon Cowell would have kicked them off the stage. But I hope the young people, if they feel this is what their calling is, that they stay with it, because they’ll still succeed if they just don’t ask other people’s opinions.
“Back then, there was no social media, there was no [mobile] phones: I think we had seven channels on the television. You know, if you weren’t at home, nobody could reach you. It was just a really different time. And we had to go and buy albums or go to concerts. There was no YouTube, there was nothing like that. But of course I was 15 when I joined The Runaways. I was in tenth grade when I left school to go on tour. But I don’t regret a second of it.”
Cherie is touring to promote her new solo album, ‘Reverie’, which she released in 2015. The album features appearances from ex-Runways band mate Lita Ford, and production work from former manager Kim Fowley.
While it doesn’t seem like she is slowing down any time soon, Cherie says she’s been keeping herself out of the limelight. “I don't know if I’ve been staying on top of the industry. I mean, I’ve been a professional chainsaw carver for the last 15 years, so I think that kind of helped me a little bit as far as staying young, I imagine. I think ‘The Runaways’ movie definitely brought a new audience to The Runaways, so that was just a blessing for us. It brought a new generation to appreciate what the band did.
“I’ve got my new album, which is very exciting. Suzi Quatro, she guests stars on it and I've got my ‘Black Heart’ record coming out in September, which I actually recorded in 2010 with Matt Storm as producer. I’ve got Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins – we do a duet on it – as well as The Veronicas, even Juliette Lewis, and of course Slash. It’s a really great record. Otherwise, just coming to see [Australia] is exciting for me now. I'm gonna do this tour and wait for the other album to come out and see what happens.”
Cherie Currie Tour Dates
Thu 26 May - The Triffid (Brisbane)Fri 27 May - Manning Bar (Sydney)
Sat 28 May - The Corner Hotel (Melbourne)
Tue 31 May - The Gov (Adelaide)
Wed 1 Jun - Rosemount Hotel (Perth)
