z z u b THE FIXX ONE THING STILL LEADS TO ANOTHER PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARTIST by Katherine Yeske Taylor four decades ago. “We really do love tended to address subjects that were my dad used to always say, ‘Never rewarding to hear someone say, ‘Your Cy Curnin, lead singer for the beloved it. I think we’re enjoying it more now quite a bit more serious and intellectual underestimate human intelligence music has gotten me through some of and long-running new wave/rock band than we ever did, because of the than the usual song topics. This was when you’re writing.’” the harder parts of life,’ and that’s exactly The Fixx, calls from his home “in sunny gratitude, and because we play better especially true when, thanks to the Even though Curnin wrote all the what it’s done for us, too. So it’s a California,” though he’ll soon depart for than we used to,” Curnin says. “When introduction of the video age, many lyrics, he says his bandmates were on reciprocal thing, which is great.” a more wintery climate when he and we were younger, we had bigger other bands opted to put style over board with the things he was writing. It is this communal sense of empathy his bandmates head out on their audiences, but we weren’t at our best. substance. Curnin credits the way that “We were all like-minded guys. We’d that Curnin hopes will be particularly “FIXXmas Tour” this December, with Musicians do improve and your sense he and his bandmates were raised for be discussing events—the suffering in evidence for this upcoming FIXXmas dates across the Eastern and of what life is about and the depth that inspiring their more cerebral approach. [and] the political background or the tour because, he says, “When you look Midwestern United States (including a you can go to increases, because you’ve “You could say it’s the backgrounds world crises of the day. That’s what we at the world that we’re in, it desperately stop at Sony Hall in New York on been alive longer. I think the decided would be in our music, needs a quick shot in the arm of December 14). Besides showcasing fans have had more time to grow and it was born from that. The hopefulness and gratitude. We’re all their string of hits, Curnin promises that with the music, where it’s early eighties, people look back feeling a little down for various reasons. FIXXmas shows will, as the title become the soundtrack to their “IT’S REALLY REWARDING TO HEAR on with nostalgia, but it was I don’t want to get into the political side suggests, include holiday tunes: “We lives. And we can witness how actually coming out of a deep of things, but the world makes its own have a few little festive songs that we the songs that we wrote 35, 40 SOMEONE SAY, ‘YOUR MUSIC HAS recession, and then all the future; we proactively design where play. There’s one particular cover that’s years ago still are relevant today, sudden the first thing that we’re going to go. And right now, we’re very dear to our hearts, it’s a big so that’s quite trippy.” GOTTEN ME THROUGH SOME OF people gravitated [toward] was in a very dark place—so we need a little Christmas song,” though he declines The Fixx certainly have had deregulating credit. So it was light in our hearts, to get out of it to name which one it is exactly: “I’ll keep many songs that will be well THE HARDER PARTS OF LIFE,’ AND easy credit, everybody had somehow.” it a surprise!” familiar to anyone who credit cards, and that led to, Looking ahead, Curnin says The Fixx Curnin says the band’s reasoning remembers the eighties. In fact, THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT IT’S DONE really, more pain—quick will do another tour in 2020, and he behind doing the FIXXmas tour was the band has had more than a pleasure for long-term pain. also predicts that the band will likely simple: “It’s the holiday season, so dozen songs in the Top 40 charts FOR US, TOO. SO IT’S A RECIPROCAL We were able to feel that, I release another album (it will be their people are in a festive mood. We figured in the U.S. and around the world. think. We had discussions 11th studio album). He says he’s totally we’d join in the fun,” he says. “We want Many of their biggest hits—such THING, WHICH IS GREAT.” about that back then, and that fine with the fact that the band’s Top 40 to really get into the true meaning of as “Saved By Zero,” “One Thing became part of our songwriting. days are seemingly behind them. “In what the holidays are and bring out the Leads to Another,” “Red Skies,” “Stand that we had—our parents were definitely So these songs are like snapshots of terms of fame, I’m glad we somehow, gratitude, because as a band, we’re Or Fall,” “Are We Ourselves?”, and not just filling us with fluff. My father the time.” by dumb luck or stupid decisions, didn’t very grateful to still be around and to “Secret Separation,” among others— was very big on proverbs and he spoke Curnin says he’s fine with the fact really go as far up as we could have [in have fans that come out and see us. were in heavy rotation on MTV during very cryptically and enigmatically about that their more challenging material the eighties]—which means we didn’t What better time to express gratitude that network’s early days. (In addition, things. He would always be asking might have cost the band some fans. go down as far as you can. We kept than the holiday season?” Curnin and Fixx guitarist Jamie West- questions that led to bigger questions “We set off not really wanting to please enough fuel for a longer journey, and It’s probably not just the upcoming Oram also performed on Tina Turner’s and reading us things like Winnie the all the people all the time. We just we’re very much loving it. I’m very holiday festivities that have put Curnin 1984 smash album, Private Dancer .) Pooh when we were kids. Getting those wanted to express how we felt. Then grateful that we didn’t burn out. I’m in his upbeat mood, though. The Fixx But The Fixx were always just a little thought patterns as a child led you to we started to pick up people who maybe really happy with smaller, more intense members, it seems, simply like touring different from the other bands who muse, and to be whimsical about things. felt the same way, or [it] resonated with audiences, [which] is exactly what in general, so they have done it regularly emerged around the same time, perhaps There was that phrase, ‘Never them in a certain way, and I think that’s we want at this stage in our lives. We’re since the band first formed in London because Curnin, as the band’s lyricist, overestimate human intelligence,’ but what our fan base is now. It’s really very lucky.” THE FIXX WILL PLAY THEIR “FIXXMAS” SHOW AT SONY HALL IN NEW YORK CITY ON DECEMBER 14. 6 ARTS WEEKLY DECEMBER 11, 2019 www.theaquarian.com.