Biography: About Working With Bic

Peter Green, Bic's Fan Club Manager & Music Industry icon:

Peter runs an online diary around his life in the music industry, "Famous for Sixteen Minutes". From his diary entry of 25 June, 2001:

"There is a message on the answering machine from the lovely Bic Runga. She's jumping on a flight tonight and heading to Melbourne for a quick shop, buy a sixties guitar and to hang out with us for a day or so. Am over the moon, have missed her. I'm sure some of you have met Bic- she's just so cool...and little and just a natural.... her and a guitar...just works."

For more on Peter, go here.

Greg Johnson, Musician:

"This tune ( "Lazy Susan" from Greg's Sea Breeze Motel album) was inspired by Bic and her chinese table and in no way suggests that she doesn't work hard, cos she does".

Follow this link for more!

Andrew Thorne, guitarist:

This from Andrew Thorne, guitarist in Bic's band, in an interview on the Marital Music web site:

And how was the overall experience of touring with Bic Runga through Europe, Andrew?

"Flying business class everywhere and playing to audiences of 300 teenage girls for Spanish TV was great! We also had guitar roadies and when I arrived at Heathrow, there was this guy holding my name on a placard, and a limousine.

We were well paid for everything we did, gig, tour, radio slot, whatever. It was no less than I deserve - ha ha. "

"I felt artistically satisfied playing with Bic, certainly. It's purely her thing and she absorbs energy from other people - Bic's very good at getting creative energy happening and was very open to input. She was amazing, being 21 and having the confidence to work with all those people. She really, really did produce that album."

Andrew's style can definitely be heard throughout Drive, but for Stereo Happiness (Splitter), it is quite removed from that.

"Drive featured a more subtle way of playing" says Andrew, "but for Splitter I got in touch with the Rock Pig within. Matt's drumming drove a lot of the songs, and there's a definite Zeppelin / Who lineage going on there. His drumming was always, I thought, a combination of John Bonham and Keith Moon. He had that heaviness but the flailing as well. We could do The Kids Are Alright and get away with it."

Wayne Bell, Drummer

Wayne Bell was drummer on Bic's "Drive" album, and has performed live with her at various gig's, including the Finn-Runga-Dobbyn tour.

"How much preparation did you have for that album?
Absolutely none! I got a call late on a Tuesday night from her manager Campbell, and I said 'Yeah that'd be great, when? Can you send me a tape of the songs?'. And he said 'Yeah well, I can't send you a tape actually, and it's tomorrow morning'. I replied 'Oh okay yeah, tomorrow morning's fine. I'll come out to the studio. Just a couple of tracks?' 'Yeah um, about 11 or 12!'
I ended up just going out there and we did all the drums tracks in two days. When you work with Bic you realise that actually she's a real talented drummer herself, she knows exactly what she wants."

For the full interview, check out the NZ Musician article, "Kit Off".