Music Q&A:
The Moods

What informs your music and song writing?
Everyday problems, things people can relate to. We don’t want to make beautiful music and then spoil it with lyrics that have been said a million times before. We want to spark emotion and provoke thoughts. We feel as musicians it’s our responsibility to be the voice of the people, and similarly the listener should expect nothing less than to hear us talk about real, pressing issues in today’s world.

How have you evolved as a band over the years?
Massively – when the band first started you could probably count on one hand how many members we had but now you will need to take your shoes and socks off as well. The ethos has always been the same but the addition of a brass section, as well as a couple of rappers and a few singers who have come and gone, has helped the evolution of the band and got us to where we are today.

What are you up to at the moment artistically?
We are currently working on our second single, which will be the second track taken from our forthcoming new album out on A1M records. We never stop, and were already generating ideas and tunes for a follow-up album too but that is a long way from finished. Currently we’re on tour through till September. This is to promote our first single, Joy, which was released 23 June. The album Missing Peace comes out in September. Then we are finalising a second, more ambitious, 15-date UK tour to promote Missing Peace, which should take us right through till the end of October.

What’s on your rider?
Crème Eggs, tequila and vegan brownies.

Tell us you’re most embarrassing or surreal experience.
Personally the most surreal times for me are after we have just done a show. All the people that come up to us and want to shake our hands or have pictures with us, they’re the craziest times. We make time for every single person who wants to talk to us and we’re not the type of band who hides in the green room all the time. We are the type of guys to sit, drink and have a laugh with the people who have paid to see us.

What song do you wish you’d written?
I love When Doves Cry by Prince. I could never have written it though because the lyrics are personal to his experiences. Still it’s a beautifully emotional insight into one of the greatest of all time.

What’s your worst lyric?
Well, it’s a whole song actually, and whilst I think this band did some great things when I broke the lyrics down to Wonderwall I was less than impressed. That being said though I think they did have some good material. When I was younger my mum was mad into Oasis and played this song around the house all day long. I listened to a lot of hip-hop then and the guys I listened to were so descriptive and informative.