Gavin Rossdale admits he thought Bush would “go down in flames” at the “height of Britpop”.
The post-grunge rockers – who formed in 1992 – have always been more popular elsewhere than their native UK, and the frontman admits he doubted they would stand a chance against the likes of Britpop scene leaders Oasis and Blur in ’90s.
Speaking exclusively to ContactMusic.com, he said: “I mean, for so many years I didn’t know what I’d do. I drifted for so long before I sold records, before I was in Bush, drifting for so long that it didn’t seem like much was possible. I mean, it definitely was a mystery.
I mean, I love the f****** arrogance of youth, the brilliance of innocence, because I didn’t know what I was gonna do and it did not seem like music was really working out for me.
And when I did Bush, my sincerest feeling was that that was the height of Britpop. My sincerest feeling was, I love the way you’re going down in flames with this music thing.
I thought, if I was lucky, I would have signed to [indie label] Rough Trade and I’d f****** play the [now-defunct London music venue] Mean Fiddler regularly. And, be one of those bands I read about in the fifth page of NME.”
Britpop reached its peak between 1994 and 1996, with Bush releasing their debut studio effort, Sixteen Stone, in 1994.
It failed to set the charts alight on home soil, but made it to the Top 5 in US.
With a wry smile on his face, Gavin admits it’s “funny” how Bush never quite hit it off at home.
He said: “I mean, I have quite a history there, but there you go. I think it’s funny to just have such a weird career. It’s funny.”
Bush’s early records were a commercial success in the US, but they did achieve UK chart success with their second studio album, 1996’s Razorblade Suitcase, which reached peaked at No.4.
The band would part ways in 2002, before reuniting in 2010, to make the new album The Sea of Memories, released the following year.
Bush continue to make records to this day, and have just released their 10th studio album, I Beat Loneliness.