Meeting with Pete, Neil and Jason from Mugstar in a city centre pub, I found myself in the privileged position of being the firstperson to ever interview the band. How did the Peel session go?

Jason: It sounds really good. A lot different from what we expected. A lot better than we thought we could sound.

Pete: They just really knew what they were doing. Probably the easiest recording I’ve ever had to do. Very relaxed. I’m quite surprised you didn’t find it nerve racking. Pete: At first it was a bit hard especially with the thought thatthere is a time limit.

Neil: But the engineer was very laid back, which helped usrelax into it.

Pete: It was interesting and exciting in the BBC. Looking at thestickers of all the bands who’d been there.

Neil: Like Dick Dale and The Scissor Sisters. Apparently DickDale didn’t play his guitar, he fell in love with this Steinway Piano that was there and used that. Surf piano!  Do you think a vinyl single rather than CD helped you? Pete: A lot of bands go through the route of a demo on CD, maybe for sending to record labels. I think we prefer doing it ourselves, getting our own little label and releasing vinyl. Jason: It’s more money, about £800, but I think it’s worth it. We reckon it’s the reason a lot has happened for us like the Peel session and being played in France, Belgium, Germany and Italy.

Pete: I think vinyl just looks better anyway. What sort of feedback have you been getting from peoplearound the country?

Neil: Bristol was fantastic. They were mad for it.Jason: The night before we played to an uninterested audience in London. When we came on most of the audience left and came back to watch the band after us. They didn’t even give us a chance, but the next night in Bristol was a complete turn around. The whole thing in London seemed very fashion orientated.

Pete: London does seem very effected by music industry fads. When you speak to people after you’ve played do perceptions of your music coincide with what you want to express? Neil: I don’t want to get anything in particular across. How people interpret the music is completely up to them.  

Pete: Yeah, I agree, we are not really a band with a message.

Neil: Our songs are our children. We send them out into the world and then they are their own responsibility.Pete: I suppose our music is just from us. They really are experiments coming out of our love for music. We want to play gigs and rock basically. But, there is real coherence, structure and purpose in what you do.Neil: We all listen to different music so there are lots of different things coming into our music, but it doesn’t actually feel like a compromise, I prefer the term synthesis.  Any bands you have played with recently who have pleased your ears?

Neil: We played with Melt Banana that was really good and one in Manchester with an American band called Oneida.Pete: Oneida were really inspiring they had amazing energy. Jason: That gig was a big influence because the gigs we’ve done since have been a lot more energy driven.

Pete: They were full on and distorted, but their energy was so positive. We aspire to that. 

Jason: We met a like-minded band in Southampton called Hunting Lodge. Hopefully a tour and split single will be done with them.  Our songs are our children. We send them out into the world and then they are their own responsibility - MUGSTAR