So, where are you right now?

Sacha: I'm in the car with Gavin, and Gavin's keeping Winston from eating me while I'm on the phone.

How long have you known Gavin?

Sacha: I've known Gavin ever since I can remember, really [laughs]! Ever since I could leave my mum without her going crazy [laughs]. I guess I was about nineteen, eighteen.

How did you meet?

Sacha: We met because, I guess I started to go out in London for the first time and Gavin was quite visible. I didn't really like him to start off with, I wasn't too sure. But all of my best friends start off like that.

Why didn't you like him?

Sacha: I guess because you feel threatened by people who are quite similar to you. He was threatening because I liked something about him. All of my firm friends, I initially didn't like them. It's always really strange like that… I'm really friendly; I talk to anyone. So anyone that's a bit abrasive [laughs] makes me stop and say, "Oh, great. OK."

Was Midnight your first project together?

Sacha: That was Midnight, yes. Well, I think we were just playing together as much as possible, so I think we went through a couple of name changes, but basically it was Midnight.

Tell us a bit about Midnight.

Sacha: [It] was good! I came across some tapes the other day; I was cleaning out my house and found some tapes. And they're surprisingly good. [The music] was softer at the time, but Gav's lyrics were still similar. Kinda painful. We took a long time to get a deal. We were playing together for 2-3 years before finally someone picked it up. But we just used to play. We never used to think about record deals. We used to think about making a recording and making another recording… trying to get better and better. And we did. We did a lot of recording that never saw the light of day. You learn a lot in the studio.

What were your favorite Midnight tunes?

Sacha: There was a song called "Burning Up" which I think is still good, I still really like it. They tend to be the slower songs. I think Gav had a hold on the slower songs straight away. What we didn't have, we never had any bite. Which is why, when Nigel comes along, and Robin, it gives [the music] some bite.

You collaborated with the band on TSOT, correct? How so?

Sacha: The album was basically finished when I came along, and Gav sweetly asked me to play a couple of strings, a couple of piano pieces. But what's good is to feel those types of songs and to feel Gav's style of arrangement which is very much his own, and where he pitches. It's something that you have to come to very, very lightly. I worry sometimes about ruining the Bush sound. There is a definite Bush sound and I worry about coming in with too much rubbish… it's a lot about the lyrics. A lot about the energy. It doesn't really matter if there's a beautiful minor chord in the background that much. I'm trying to make it matter so they keep me in with them [laughs]!

Tell us a bit about your contributions.

Sacha: I played on "40 Miles," some really ethereal strings; on "Cables," some piano, and I did a little bit of arranging on the strings as well. They used an amalgamation of something that Tom had found and something that I did, which I thought was really nice. I really like "Cables." It's a good, good song. "English Fire" which I loved doing… that was the first one Gav got me down to hear, and I was blown away in the studio. [The song] was coming back on those big speakers… I was just floored! Oh my God! That's more energy than I've had all year!

What kind of equipment are you using?

Sacha: So much stuff. It's completely ridiculous. Gav thinks it's ridiculous [laughs]! We're still searching. Basically it's samplers and old Roland synths. As much old stuff as we can get our hands on. [We use] a Nord, which I think is shared by everyone from Dr. Dre to house music. It's the most fabulous Swedish keyboard. There were certain songs that definitely needed the sound effects. Something like "40 Miles" is just a mixture of strings and sound effects but within all of those twirling is another beauty. Nigel is playing some lovely atmospheric guitar, but in a way you run out of hands [laughs]. I run out of hands sometimes! I've got my tech, and he plays with me all the time! You just run out of hands! The productions now are so much more intricate; we just want to throw all those things in live.

Was your first gig Woodstock?

Sacha: It was one of my first gigs. I tell you… that was an introduction and a half! The weirdest thing though, is that it's definitely harder to play to twenty of your friends.

Were you nervous?

Sacha: No. Not really, you can't be behind those guys. I just wanted it to be as tough as it possibly could be.

Has this been a bit crazy for you?

Sacha: No, I think Gav's always spoiled me a little bit, so the fact that he's spoiling me again is not really a surprise [laughs]. But I hope I deserve it!

What were you doing before joining Bush?

Sacha: I was teaching the Blair kids piano. You know our Prime Minister, Tony Blair? I was teaching his kids how to play piano. It's really good fun watching people learn.

Were they any good?

Sacha: They're kids… and what's interesting is that they didn't really want to practice. The hardest thing to do is to practice. So what we'd do is we'd play Bush tunes, we'd play Oasis tunes, and we'd play all sorts of tunes. Yah, I was teaching them classical piano as well but while everyone was out of the building we'd suddenly play a chorus of something-or-other just to liven it up a bit. Then, of course, as soon as someone would come back in the room we'd get the Bach out and fiddle around with a few notes [laughs]. But just as long as they play…

So, as a consummate pianist and teacher, what's the one thing that you find yourself continually telling your students?

Sacha: Absolutely love what you're playing! If you can sing it then you can play it. That's the way it is. If someone sticks a piece of music in front of you and tries to make you work it out without you knowing how to whistle it, then you're never ever going to be able to play it. Not properly.