Jim Reid's New Band

ByABC News
November 2, 2000, 7:06 PM

November 1 -- Although the Reid brothers of England's Jesus & Mary Chain became known as rock 'em-sock 'em siblings along the lines of the Kinks' Ray and Dave Davies and Oasis' Liam and Noel Gallagher singer-guitarist Jim Reid says his schism with his older brother William was not as dramatic as all that.

"The Jesus & Mary Chain kind of exploded or imploded, whatever way you want to put it," says Reid, 38, who's gone on to form a new band called Freeheat. "My brother and I got along for many years, then suddenly decided we couldn't get along anymore, so we decided to go our separate ways. That's what happened."

The younger Reid had no intention of sitting around and brooding, however. "I was not in the band I'd been in since I was 22 years old," he says. "All I know how to do is write songs, sort of, and sing songs. So that's what I decided to do."

For Freeheat, Reid grabbed Ben Lurie, a latter day guitarist in the Jesus & Mary Chain, along with the former Gun Club rhythm section of bassist Romi Mori and drummer Nick Sanderson. So far, the quartet has recorded a four-song EP and has another eight or so to play in concert. But while the group is after a record deal, Reid says that's not the kind of overriding concern it was earlier in his career.

"The way we do everything these days is fun," he says. "We do gigs because we enjoy playing live. If anything else comes out of that, fantastic. It's back to the basics; I like being in a band. I like playing my songs for people, and I like it when people seem to like my songs. That's fantastic. The rest of it is, as they say in your neck of the woods, gravy."