Hepzibah Sessa began her musical career in 1993 after becoming involved with one-time Mute act, Miranda Sex Garden.
They toured extensively, supporting label mates Einsturzende Neubauten and eventually Depeche Mode, before releasing their third album, ‘Fairytales Of Slavery’ (produced by Neubauten’s Alex Hacke) in 1994.
She stopped working with MSG later that year and subsequently assisted Alan Wilder with various aspects of Recoil’s work after his own departure from Depeche Mode in 1995 up until ‘subHuman’ in 2007.
This included contributing additional vocals and some instrumental parts as well as helping to co-ordinate marketing, press and promotion.
Q. Tell us all about your background, both personal and musical.
A. I was born in Saffron Walden, Essex, to an American father and English mother but spent much of my childhood in Yorkshire and then Oxford. I left home in 1988 and moved to L.A. before returning to London in 1990 to study for a music degree. During my last year at university, I began playing keyboards and violin with Miranda Sex Garden and consequently didn’t complete my degree – but that’s another story. My childhood was very musically orientated and as a result, I play the violin, piano and viola.
Q. How did you come to meet Alan Wilder?
A. I first met Alan when Miranda Sex Garden supported the Mode during part of the European leg of the ‘Devotional’ tour in 1993. We took over from Spiritualized who left the tour because they couldn’t handle 30,000 frenzied fans screaming “De-peche Mode” thoroughout their entire set.
Q. How did you actually work together on the Recoil project?
A. I spent a lot of time in the studio with Alan and acted as his PA (read that as general dogsbody!) when he needed me. This could include anything from making cups of tea to helping ‘comp’ vocals and being his voice if we’re away recording or on promo. trips etc.
Q. What’s the most bizarre thing you’ve ever read about Alan in the press?
A. When he left Depeche Mode, one very well known music paper reported that ‘Andy Wilder’ had left the band and then printed a photo of Anton Corbijn. I’d also be interested to learn what the NME were talking about when they described Alan as having ‘cowboy machismo’!?