The Human League Explain Why They've Been Able To Ride The Changes

Having sold 10s of millions of records and released some of the legendary synth-pop anthems which have defined '80s music, The Human League are back on the road again.

Now, the trio - made up of Phil Oakey, Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley - is set to headline the the 'Forever Young Festival', taking place in Naas this July. They'll be joined by some iconic names, including Holly Johnston, Kim Wilde, Jimmy Sommerville, Bonnie Tyler, and many more.

To celebrate their return to Ireland, Ed Power sat down with the band for an insightful chat about their career, early acclaim, and how they've managed to stick together throughout the decades.

Noted that the runaway success of Human League's third album, Dare, came for band members Catherall and Sulley when they were still in their teens, Sulley talks about the pressures of this period.

"None of us thought it would take off as quickly or as successfully as it did," she says. "As a 17 year old schoolgirl from Sheffield, that was quite hard to deal with at first. To this day I don't understand how people can enjoy being in the public eye."

She also talks about how how the band has managed to negotiate leading separate lives, as well as maintaining their passion for the music, for decades.

"One of the reasons we've managed to keep going is that we all have separate lives," says Sulley. "When you're in a group and are at work it's very intense. You're together constantly. They only time you are apart is when you've a day off and you're in a hotel room on your own. it's nice to get back to Sheffield and say good bye to everyone and go and do your own thing."

You can read the full interview in the latest issue of Hot Press, which is out now. You can also order it online below: