On test drive - Dire Straits bassist JOHN ILLSLEY presents a new album after serious illness

23. October 2014

John Illsley Dire Straits

On test drive - Dire Straits bassist JOHN ILLSLEY presents a new album after serious illness

For fifteen years, John Illsley kept his leukemia secret. After successful bone marrow donation by his sister and positive prognosis, the co-founder of the famous British band Dire Straits has returned with the solo album "Testing The Water" (Review: eclipsed 10/2014). We talked to the bass player about his illness, the new album and the levels of meaning of his songs.

eclipsed: At the end of June, you turned sixty-five. Does it feel different for you to celebrate your birthday after you've defeated the disease?

John Illsley: Oh, my goodness, thank you for reminding me. (laughs) You know, the last few years have been pretty interesting, and I've come out stronger from all this history. I'm feeling very positive vibrations right now.

eclipsed: How was it writing songs at the hospital?

Illsley: Well, that has speeded up the songwriting a lot. If you feel so dirty and risk getting worse and even dying, it puts your thoughts in a really sharper perspective. And of course many songs on the album reflect this emotional and psychological effect. I had been working on new material before I was admitted. When I found myself in this isolation, I didn't just want to sit there and complain from morning till night. So I took my guitar, my easel and my sketchbook with me.

eclipsed: When did you start painting?

Illsley: I've had this love affair with painting all my life. That ran parallel to the music. I didn't have enough time for this at the time of the Dire Straits. After the "On Every Street" tour, when Mark and I decided to take it easy, I started painting seriously.

Lesen Sie mehr im eclipsed Nr. 165 (November 2014).