Entertainment

Steps star Claire Richards: We’re not cool enough to work with Calvin Harris

The vocalist said she would like to collaborate with the Scottish DJ.
The vocalist said she would like to collaborate with the Scottish DJ. The vocalist said she would like to collaborate with the Scottish DJ.

Steps singer Claire Richards has said she would like to work with Calvin Harris but that her group is not cool enough.

The pop star, who is preparing to release a new album with the recently reformed five-piece, said a dance music feature with the Scottish Brit-winner would shock their fans.

The 41-year-old, who plays British Summer Time festival in London’s Hyde Park solo on Friday, also namechecked Clean Bandit and Sigala as acts she would like to collaborate with.

But she ruled out adding more vocalists to the mix, suggesting bandmates Lee Latchford-Evans, Lisa Scott-Lee, Faye Tozer and Ian Watkins were enough.

She told the PA news agency during a press event at the Hyde Park site: “You know what, I think we’ve got enough of us to spread over each track, so we don’t need to.

“That’s unless some DJ wants to come and do an amazing thing for us. That’s fine. We are happy for them to come and do that.

“(The charts are) heavily led by the whole feature thing at the moment. There’s so many who are so good at it like Clean Bandit and Sigala and Calvin Harris.

Brit Awards 2019 – Press Room – London
Brit Awards 2019 – Press Room – London Calvin Harris at the Brit Awards (Ian West/PA)

“Those types of people are amazing but we’re just not cool enough. It would be great. That would shock everybody, wouldn’t it? Steps and Calvin Harris. It would be really good, I’m sure.”

Richards also said she was happy Steps were no longer “the butt of people’s jokes” following their successful reunion.

She said the music industry’s attitude had changed since they reformed in 2017 and released a number two album, Tears On The Dancefloor.

“Definitely with the last reunion the attitude to us has changed, especially within the industry,” she said.

Steps new album, single and tour
Steps new album, single and tour Lee Latchford-Evans, left to right, Faye Tozer, Claire Richards, Lisa Scott-Lee, and Ian ‘H’ Watkins of Steps (Ian West/PA)

“I think we were always the butt of people’s jokes, if you like. If people wrote a story about us there would always be a little dig at the end.

“But we didn’t get any of that last time. I don’t know if it’s because it’s been so long and the album was so great.

“People just appreciated it for what it was, a really good album.

“There is a reason why we are still around and we are still doing it. It’s because we work hard and we’re quite good at what we do.”

Richards warms up for Celine Dion on the Great Oak Stage at the festival in Hyde Park on July 5.