“Who the hell are Mower?” I can here you all saying. Well, Mower are the latest signing to Transcopic, the label co-owned by Blur’s Graham Coxon.

The band originally kicked the South London punkrock scene pioneering the nu-crap sound but have now taken their rickety & retarded lunacy to the studio after their rather fine performance at the Transcopic Records night in January 2001.

Mower’s original approach to time keeping prompted many studio celebrations – one episode resulting in Graham Coxon skulling bass player/psychologist Adam, leaving band and producer fighting on the floor (all caught on tape).

We spoke to them in March 2001

Hi, how are you?

Safe.

Just how long have you lot been playing together?

For three years as Mower and for half a year before that we were in a band called Pixiefunk.

How does it feel to be on the verge of releasing your first single?

At the moment it’s like milking a cow but not tasting the milk. It’s been hard waiting for our release but soon our lips will be white.

I just had a look around your website to pick up a bit of extra info for this interview but all I could really get is that your music is “rickety” and “retarded.” Are you just trying to lower peoples’ expectations so that you look better?

No we really are rickety, come and see us play and you’ll see what we mean.

In these days of Pro-Tools and smooth production are you, in fact, the saviours of real music?

If you want us to be then, yes.

During the recording of the single, what were the circumstances that lead to you and Graham having a fight?

Graham sold the advertising rights for one of our songs, ‘Drinking for Britain’ to Carlsberg Lager, which meant we had to change the words in the chorus of the song to, ‘All I want to do is drink for Denmark’ !!! We were so pissed of that we decided to attack him - scars are still there today.

Are there any plans to release the recording of said fight?

It’s at the end of the first song on our second single, ‘Drinking for Britain’.

As a band, do you have any rituals you do before going on stage - eg. Prayer, group hugs, human sacrifice?

A circle jerk.

Do you find it humbling to have become part of the elite force that is Transcopic?

Not humbling. It’s cool.

Is there an album on the way?

We haven’t quite got enough songs yet but hopefully after the second single has come out, we will have written enough good songs.

Which would you prefer; a pet monkey or a year’s supply of Milky Bars? You can only have one mind!

A shotgun.

And finally, without using the words “retarded” or “rickety,” sum up Mower in one quick and easy sentence.

Bold, blind, smelly and full of natural goodness.

Find out more about Mower at:
www.mower.org.uk
www.transcopic.com