Mark Andrews

Writer

Mark Andrews is from Warwickshire and lived and worked in the UK, Egypt and Belgium. His first book, Paint My Name In Black And Gold: The Rise Of The Sisters Of Mercy, is the definitive account of the early years of one of alt.rock's most original and influential bands. Mark has previously written for Louder about the Sisters of Mercy, as well as The Scientists, Gang Of Four (one of the last interviews with Andy Gill), The Mission, the Cramps, the Bad Seeds and more. He has also written for the Middle East Times, Bangkok Metro, Flanders Today and The Quietus.

Articles by: Mark Andrews

The Sisters of Mercy with Gary Marx, far left, at the Body and Soul video shoot, 1984

"It's Dante meets David Cassidy!" The Sisters of Mercy, Ghost Dance & the journey from goth to glam rock: Gary Marx’s career in 12 Songs

By Mark Andrews published

Gary Marx was a founding member of the Sisters of Mercy and 'goth supergroup' Ghost Dance. As he releases a tribute to glam, he looks back over the songs that have defined his career

The Sisters of Mercy, 2024

“When I’m onstage my job is to be God. And I’m pretty good at it.” An epic, exclusive, revealing and sporadically very amusing interview with The Sisters of Mercy's iconic frontman Andrew Eldritch

By Mark Andrews published

New line-up, new songs, new positivity: lords of darkness The Sisters Of Mercy aren't all doom and gloom you know

UK band All About Eve photographed in the late 1980's

“We took a 20-year sabbatical from each other…” Julianne Regan and Tim Bricheno look back on All About Eve, the Sisters, The Mission and their greatest songs

By Mark Andrews published

Nearly four decades since All About Eve’s breakthrough, Julianne Regan and Tim Bricheno are back together. Here they pick the songs that define their decades in music…

Duncan Kilburn, former Psychedelic Furs member, plays sax onstage for the Sisters of Mercy

He played for the Psychedelic Furs, hung out with an overdosing Phil Lynott, fingered Andy Warhol’s bullet wounds and once tipped a pint of beer over singer Richard Butler. Duncan Kilburn remembers his years of living dangerously

By Mark Andrews published

At the end of last year, a guest saxophonist appeared with the Sisters of Mercy. He was Duncan Kilburn, formerly of the Psychedelic Furs, and a man with an interesting story to tell…

Collage of Leeds musicians incuding the Sisters of Mercy, the Mission and the Gang of four

Forget Manchester: Leeds was the REAL home of 80s alternative music

By Mark Andrews published

Often derided as ‘Goth City’, Leeds defined the independent music scene of the 80s from post-punk to weird-pop and dark electronica. No Leeds, no Trent Reznor

BERLIN, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 12: Singer Andrew Eldritch of the British band The Sisters of Mercy performs live on stage during a concert at the Columbiahalle on September 12, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Frank Hoensch/Redferns)

The Sisters of Mercy’s Andrew Eldritch thinks ‘Fear of the Dark’ by Iron Maiden is like a Sisters cover version

By Mark Andrews published

As The Sisters Of Mercy embark on their first US tour since 2008, we chat with frontman Andrew Eldritch about Maiden, 'Primark for goths' and how he once offered the makers of Grand Theft Auto a new Sisters album for free

Tropical Fuck Storm

Today’s weather? You should expect a Tropical F*ck Storm

By Mark Andrews published

A big chunky interview with Gareth Liddiard of Tropical F*ck Storm. Includes gale force psych and talk of mushies, bikies and why he enjoys going to hospital

JJ Wilde

Like Dua Lipa backed up by the Black Keys: The rise of JJ Wilde

By Mark Andrews last updated

She’s friends with The Glorious Sons, supported the Scorpions and she made Canada's Rock Album Of The Year 2021. Meet JJ Wilde, where classic rock meets Gen Z

Jon Spencer

The pandemic, the rise of the right, the war against truth: Jon Spencer has a lot on his mind. So how come his new album is so much fun?

By Mark Andrews published

An interview with the fabulous and most groovy Jon Spencer

A photo of Sisters Of Mercy's Ben Christo playing guitar on stage

The Sisters Of Mercy's Ben Christo: My life in 12 songs

By Mark Andrews last updated

The Sisters Of Mercy guitarist talks us through the songs that shaped his love of – and life in – the goth rock icons

A photograph of Sister Of Mercy frontman Andrew Eldritch

An interview with Andrew Eldritch: 'I don’t regret anything, but I’m sure other people regret stuff where I was present'

By Mark Andrews last updated

The Sisters Of Mercy frontman Andrew Eldritch joins us for an in-depth chat about a lifetime in his band, new music and how to get a spot on Strictly

Mick Harvey in 2006

Mick Harvey: Birthday Parties, Bad Seeds and a life in 12 songs

By Mark Andrews published

From The Birthday Party to the Bad Seeds and PJ Harvey Mick, Harvey has spent more than 40 years shaping alternative music's template. Here, he picks 12 records which define his career

The GUN CLUB with Kid Congo POWERS and Jeffrey Lee PIERCE; B&W Posed with Kid Congo Powers (Photo by Peter Noble/Redferns)

The Cramps, the Gun Club and the Bad Seeds: Kid Congo Powers on his greatest moments

By Mark Andrews published

Kid Congo Powers played guitar for The Gun Club, the Cramps and the Bad Seeds. He picks the 12 records that define his 40 years making music

Wayne Hussey

Sisters, wizards and boozing with Lemmy: An Interview with The Mission's Wayne Hussey

By Mark Andrews published

He might have inspired Harry Potter – but that's nothing compared to the rest of his story. The Mission's Wayne Hussey talks us through his revealing new autobiography...

Sisters Of Mercy

The 25 Best Sisters Of Mercy Songs

By Mark Andrews published

Andrew Eldritch is 60 years old this week. To mark the occasion, Louder picks the best tracks from The Sisters of Mercy, Leeds’ own industrial groove machine

“I’m a Bit of an Awkward Bastard”: an interview with Gang Of Four's Andy Gill

By Mark Andrews published

Content includes: fighting nazis, his love of Free, why the Chili Peppers gave him a shit in a pizza box and even some stuff about music...

Trump, ageing and the power of rock'n'roll: An interview with Jon Spencer

By Mark Andrews published

Ladies and gentlemen: the fabulous Jon Spencer on his new solo album, his most groovy past and the 'orange piece of shit' and 'stupid men that run the United States of America'

The Scientists

You Only Live Twice: An Interview With The Scientists

By Mark Andrews published

They toured with the Sisters of Mercy and Siouxsie and occasionally featured members of PiL and Motorhead. Now Aussie swamp rockers The Scientists are back and asking themselves, "How the fuck did we not make it?"