Interview with “Wayne Hussey”, The Mission UK Band
We have the great pleasure of interviewing the Lead and founder of the legendary rock band The Mission UK “Wayne Hussey” talking about his childhood, the beginnings of the band, tour, and more…
SUNRAY: As a child you were Mormon, what was the transition like from a religious past to creating a rock band?
Wayne: Like every other teenager in the world I had a rebellious phase. Yes, I was raised as a Mormon and when I was 13, 14, 15 years old I started to question what I was being taught at church. Normal behaviour. All my friends we’re starting to go to youth clubs, drinking sweet cider, and smoking ciggies and I started to feel I was missing out on things. It was only really when I left my family home and moved to Liverpool that I felt I had been let off the leash and my transition from good Mormon boy to rock n’ roll monster began. You have to go from one extreme to the other to find your own middle ground. It took me a lot of years to find my middle ground. Still searching for it I think.
SUNRAY: In 1984, together with Craig Adams (who came from the band the Sisters of Mercy), decided to form The Mission. We would like you to tell us more about how it all started.
Wayne: It was late 1985, actually, but this ain’t a history lesson so I’m not gonna correct you. Well, you kind of answered the question within the question. Yes, Craig and me left TSOM at the same time and decided we wanted to form our own band. We wanted a real drummer and not a drum machine, We wanted to tour all the time and only make records so that we could tour some more. We found Mick Brown to play drums, he was a good friend of ours from Leeds, where we all lived at the time. And then Simon Hinkler was introduced to us by a mutual friend. Within a few weeks of forming the new band we were out on tour in Europe supporting our friends, The Cult. We released some records that sold very very well and we were off and running. There was no stopping us at that time.
SUNRAY: The band has split and re-formed several times over the years. Why keep returning to it?
Wayne: Good question. Each time we’ve split up I had absolutely no intention of doing it again. But after a while I miss it. I like making that big noise with my friends and I think we’ve became rather good at it. I have tried to do other things with music – other projects, music for films and stage plays, and various other collaborations, and while I enjoy it all and really love just making all kinds of different music it is with The Mission that I feel is my spiritual home and can make enough money so as to not need to get a ‘proper’ job. The simple answer is because I love playing shows all around the world with this band, The Mission.
SUNRAY: Throughout the band’s career, you have released several albums, which one is your favorite?
Wayne: I’m a musician and as such my favourite work is always gonna be my most recent. I really love what I’m doing with the Archèometre project – a kind of ambient thing I do with my wife, Cinthya – currently which is a million mies away from The Mission. Being creative and making new music is my lifeblood. It just doesn’t have to always be The Mission. If you’re asking what my favourite Mission albums are then I’d have to say the first, God’s Own Medicine, and the last, Another Fall From Grace.
SUNRAY: The last album “Another Fall From Grace” was released 8 years ago in 2016, do you plan to release a new album soon?
Wayne: It’s funny you should ask that as I was gonna mention it in the answer to the previous question. Because of what we’re doing with the Archèometre project I am starting to feel the urge to go completely in the opposite direction and make a guitar – rock album and already have 4 or 5 new songs almost ready to perform with the band. Our aim is to release a new album in 2026, our 40th anniversary!!!!!
SUNRAY: What is the song that can never be missing from a show?
Wayne: Well, we change the set every night but there are 4 or 5 songs that we feel compelled to play each night. It’ll be easy to guess which ones they are if you are at all familiar with our back catalogue. For myself I aways enjoy ‘Tower Of Strength’.
SUNRAY: Next October, they will be touring Latin America, in Argentina we have our editor, who will cover the concert on October 17, So, I won’t spoil too much, but, What can you tell us about the next concerts?
Wayne: As I explained above, we change the set every night and have a pool of 50+ songs to choose from that we play so it all depends how we feel on the day. We will hopefully have at least 2 or 3 new songs we’ll be playing by then as well, and while I realise that most of the audience really only wanna hear the old ‘classics’ I do believe that we have to give the audience at least a little of what they want, a little of what WE want, and a little of what we all need. I’ll have a couple of new flashy shirts so that’ll be different. No two Mission shows are ever the same. It’ll be fun.
The Mission will be performing in Argentina Next October 17th at the Groove (Av, Santa Fe 4389, C.A.B.A)
Get your tickets here
https://www.tuentrada.com/eventos/detalle/icarus/991030716700
Interview by Maria Fernanda Capici
Photos by Kevin Estrada
Special thanks The Mission UK Management
