Formed in London in the mid 1980s, Cutting Crew conquered the UK and America with monster hit '(I Just) Died in Your Arms'. Featuring singer Nick Van Eede, and guitarist Kevin MacMichael, the band scored a number of hits before splitting in the 1990s. Revived in the 2000s, following the sad passing of MacMichael, they're back and busier than ever, with new material planned for release shortly. We caught up with Nick ahead of the band's set at Rewind South, for a chat about success, song writing, and his work with Marillion. Broadcast; Eamon O'Neill.
Photo; Gerry Driver.
Hi Nick, how are you, and how are you enjoying Rewind 2025?
Really well, thank you. It's like coming home when you do this show; with all the bands, all the mates and everything,
You're a band that had plenty of big, big songs in the '80s, and when I say "big", I'm talking about the sound.
Yeah, I think that's probably why we did so well in America, you know, accidentally. I mean, I'm a guy from Sussex. I didn't do anything on purpose. I certainly don't remember thinking; "let's make a kind of 'big' sound", But it would get, with Kevin [MacMichael]'s guitar playing, and my voice suddenly sort of got into that range, it went big.
It's what they call these days a 'widescreen production'.
And that's why it's very charming. We do a trio Cutting Crew now, so you take those songs down to tiny, and they still rock, and there's still big solos. A good song works in any shape.
The best songs were famously written on a beat up acoustic.
That's how I wrote my song. We've had a lot of fun shrinking it as well.
What's it like to be an owner of a song like '(I Just) Died in Your Arms', which transcends generations to be something that everyone knows?
Well, that kind of jokey answer is that, we'll probably play here, third, fourth on the bill or something like that, and nearly always it is almost the biggest song on the show. So that's a weird one, and I'm proud of that. But mostly it's, you know, I go to a health club and I sit in the sauna, and some guy will go; "are you the guy that wrote...", and he's, like, 18 or something, and he's a cage fighter, and he loves that song, so there you are. Then there'll be my daughter - who's now 40, by the way - but she would learn all our songs, ours and ABC's and Go West, through films, so if you can get it on a film you immediately pay the rent, and also you get another generation.
Did you find then, when the '90s rolled around, that things got tougher for Cutting Crew and for yourself as an artist?
It was almost, not instant, but it was astonishing. We were like, there, and then music changed. Suddenly, people with mullets and big shoulder pads were like, rather ridiculous, and there was Neneh Cherry, Soul to Soul, and a lot of ethnic, urban that hadn't really crossed over into the pop charts. It was predominantly big melodies and '80s sounds.
But like you say, the songs live on, and what's it like for you to be performing those songs now, and the reaction to them?
With the trio, or like today with a six piece, seven piece, when we do the big full bands, I mean, we just played Lithuania, and I wear the Ukrainian flag around my neck one of our songs, and it's a tearful moment, just standing with their fist in the air. 'I've Been in Love Before' is the song, I sing it, and I always say; "this is a song I wrote about a girl, so now I want to write it for our world".
That must make it so much more powerful.
It does, and lyrics can change what they mean over the years. So yeah, that's something, and I'm very proud I'm still doing it. You know, I've made a pact with my God - I don't have one, but you know what I mean - the pact is, as long as I can keep doing it and not look like ridiculous, and keep the voice intact, I'll do it.
Before you go, I wanted to ask about how you came to work with Marillion on 'Map of the World' in 2001.
So, I was living in Barbados. We had a four year break. Kevin was, you know [Keven battled cancer and sadly passed away in 2002], anyway I needed to get away, and of all the places, I was in Barbados. Steve [Hogarth, Marillion front man] flew out - he's a friend of mine anyway - and we went down a couple of bottles of rum, I think, and I had this 'Map of the World' concept and a melody and a lyric, and we spent all night doing it. And only last month, I was in Berlin singing it with him. Cutting Crew supported them in the Tempodrom in Berlin, and Steve told that exact story and said; "my good friend Nick Van Eede!", and I came out and sang the second verse and all the choruses with them.
Is that the first time you've sang that?
With them, ever? Yeah, it's good when somebody asks about it. They've done their homework! But yeah, I'm proud of it, and it sounded good. It was really good. But to be on stage with Marillion, who I adore, was just incredible.
What's coming up for you?
Gigs, gigs! This is our 75th gig this year. Astonishing. We go to Leipzig, Dresden, Estonia, and, most importantly, we're recording a five-track EP in November; brand new songs, all written by me, all written on different guitars, tuned weird. That's all I'm saying.
So, Jimmy Page vibes!
Even my guitarist is going; "what the?!"
Thanks to our good friends at Photogroupie for the photo. For all things Cutting Crew visit the band's official site.
Really well, thank you. It's like coming home when you do this show; with all the bands, all the mates and everything,
You're a band that had plenty of big, big songs in the '80s, and when I say "big", I'm talking about the sound.
Yeah, I think that's probably why we did so well in America, you know, accidentally. I mean, I'm a guy from Sussex. I didn't do anything on purpose. I certainly don't remember thinking; "let's make a kind of 'big' sound", But it would get, with Kevin [MacMichael]'s guitar playing, and my voice suddenly sort of got into that range, it went big.
It's what they call these days a 'widescreen production'.
And that's why it's very charming. We do a trio Cutting Crew now, so you take those songs down to tiny, and they still rock, and there's still big solos. A good song works in any shape.
The best songs were famously written on a beat up acoustic.
That's how I wrote my song. We've had a lot of fun shrinking it as well.
What's it like to be an owner of a song like '(I Just) Died in Your Arms', which transcends generations to be something that everyone knows?
Well, that kind of jokey answer is that, we'll probably play here, third, fourth on the bill or something like that, and nearly always it is almost the biggest song on the show. So that's a weird one, and I'm proud of that. But mostly it's, you know, I go to a health club and I sit in the sauna, and some guy will go; "are you the guy that wrote...", and he's, like, 18 or something, and he's a cage fighter, and he loves that song, so there you are. Then there'll be my daughter - who's now 40, by the way - but she would learn all our songs, ours and ABC's and Go West, through films, so if you can get it on a film you immediately pay the rent, and also you get another generation.
Did you find then, when the '90s rolled around, that things got tougher for Cutting Crew and for yourself as an artist?
It was almost, not instant, but it was astonishing. We were like, there, and then music changed. Suddenly, people with mullets and big shoulder pads were like, rather ridiculous, and there was Neneh Cherry, Soul to Soul, and a lot of ethnic, urban that hadn't really crossed over into the pop charts. It was predominantly big melodies and '80s sounds.
But like you say, the songs live on, and what's it like for you to be performing those songs now, and the reaction to them?
With the trio, or like today with a six piece, seven piece, when we do the big full bands, I mean, we just played Lithuania, and I wear the Ukrainian flag around my neck one of our songs, and it's a tearful moment, just standing with their fist in the air. 'I've Been in Love Before' is the song, I sing it, and I always say; "this is a song I wrote about a girl, so now I want to write it for our world".
That must make it so much more powerful.
It does, and lyrics can change what they mean over the years. So yeah, that's something, and I'm very proud I'm still doing it. You know, I've made a pact with my God - I don't have one, but you know what I mean - the pact is, as long as I can keep doing it and not look like ridiculous, and keep the voice intact, I'll do it.
Before you go, I wanted to ask about how you came to work with Marillion on 'Map of the World' in 2001.
So, I was living in Barbados. We had a four year break. Kevin was, you know [Keven battled cancer and sadly passed away in 2002], anyway I needed to get away, and of all the places, I was in Barbados. Steve [Hogarth, Marillion front man] flew out - he's a friend of mine anyway - and we went down a couple of bottles of rum, I think, and I had this 'Map of the World' concept and a melody and a lyric, and we spent all night doing it. And only last month, I was in Berlin singing it with him. Cutting Crew supported them in the Tempodrom in Berlin, and Steve told that exact story and said; "my good friend Nick Van Eede!", and I came out and sang the second verse and all the choruses with them.
Is that the first time you've sang that?
With them, ever? Yeah, it's good when somebody asks about it. They've done their homework! But yeah, I'm proud of it, and it sounded good. It was really good. But to be on stage with Marillion, who I adore, was just incredible.
What's coming up for you?
Gigs, gigs! This is our 75th gig this year. Astonishing. We go to Leipzig, Dresden, Estonia, and, most importantly, we're recording a five-track EP in November; brand new songs, all written by me, all written on different guitars, tuned weird. That's all I'm saying.
So, Jimmy Page vibes!
Even my guitarist is going; "what the?!"
Thanks to our good friends at Photogroupie for the photo. For all things Cutting Crew visit the band's official site.
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