Strawberry Switchblade

Strawberry Switchblade were a Scottish pop duo formed in Glasgow in 1981 by Jill Bryson and Rose McDowall, best known for their song "Since Yesterday" from 1985, and their flamboyant clothing with bows and polka-dots.

The sessions were heard by Bill Drummond (a Scottish musician who went on to form The KLF) and David Balfe, manager and keyboard player with the recently defunct The Teardrop Explodes.

[7] The band's first single, "Trees and Flowers", was released in July 1983 through 92 Happy Customers, an independent record label run by Will Sergeant from Echo & The Bunnymen,[7] and sold over 10,000 copies.

Critically acclaimed, Smash Hits reviewer Peter Martin praised the "deliciously sad and reflective vocals over some luxuriantly delicate music" and deemed it an "immediate classic".

However, at the record company's behest, they reverted to the duo of Bryson and McDowall and for production duties they hired David Motion, who would soon go on to produce hits for Red Box.

Having been given a large marketing push over the festive period, it became a UK top ten hit in early 1985, peaking at number 5, and also met with success in Europe and Japan.

[11] In 1985, they also provided vocals for an "alien funeral preocession" in Rigel 9, a "space opera" project by David Bedford (music) and Ursula K. Le Guin (lyrics).

In July 2013, after a break of almost 30 years from music, Jill Bryson returned to songwriting in a new band called The Shapists (named after the fictitious art movement in the film The Rebel), that includes her daughter Jessie Frost.

Jill Bryson in 2012