Photo:
Having been fore-warned by Mumm-Ra's cockily charismatic front man, a man who calls himself 'Noo', that they've just thoroughly embrassed themselves in a radio interview, Gigwise kicks back in the summer sunshine with the Thunderbirds fanatics, and sound out the most exciting newbie’s on the block since big haired Luke and his Kooky gang of Brighton misfits.
Noo excitedly introduces the band as "Mumm-Ra, sprung out of Bexhill-On-Sea" - a town which guitarist /singer Oli is clearly very proud of, declaring it to be the "bum hole of the south-east". Moving on quickly from the boys obvious love of their coastal roots, Noo informs us that they have been together for six years, and after some conferring about this fact, reasons that "it's definitely 6 years because we formed in high school, when were were definitely 15...and we are all definitely 21 now".
Impressed with their in-the-head mathematical ability, Gigwise then learns from Oli that they in fact "weren't really trying too hard" to get their deal, but, as Noo explains, "after college it was really a case of either getting a proper job, or try and take the band more seriously." And seriously they did take it, although to their own admission they remained "crap" for the following two years, and it was only, as Noo puts it, when they "weren't writing so schizophrenically...weren't just writing crazy music for the sake of it, we were actually taking the time to put a bit of thought into writing things that other people, besides ourselves, might like," that Mumm-Ra began taking the mighty form that it now impressively prepares to strut amongst the scene.
As guitarist Tate explains, "It was weird, because when we were just playing round Bexhill and Hastings, we did build up a fan base quite a bit, but I dunno, we got really paranoid of getting stuck in a local scene, around a load of other local bands that weren't really going anywhere. We had a bit of a following but we kind of just locked ourselves away for about a year to just write music, and then, as we say, we sprang out of a hole. Record labels suddenly became interested." And one record label in particular caught their eye, as Noo enthuses, "We didn't try for a major deal at all, but we did send one demo to Deltasonic, and they sent it on to Sony. Sony got in contact with us, and well, once we'd decided that we wanted to go with them, it was really quick moving to be honest. We didn't piss about with lots of labels trying to get a bidding war or anything. We just went 'Sony, you're a big label, yup, here you go'. "
Gigwise is slightly concerned at this point about the headlights-in-eyes syndrome, where so many young bands get all too carried away with the excitement and novelty of big label interest, that they jump head first into the most scrupulous of deals, but we are re-assured as it appears Mumm-Ra are not necessarily that blind. In fact they seem rather sharp, and even brought their own contract to Sony, instead of the other way round, plus, they have a stuffed duck mascot for luck. They refuse to describe their sound, with Oli instead just declaring that they just "feed off each other like a horribly synchronized unit, a disgusting machine". Noo appears rather irrate at our question of comparison/influence, and thus ensues a short rant about all things emo (!?), "I bet you (Gigwise) get all these shit post-libertines bands who go 'oh we sound like the Arctic Monkey's, innit' Or Emo kids who say they're indie and you're like 'err... no your not, your screaming down the microphone, your hairs all black and stuck to your forehead'...we do like some emo, the fringes like Panic!, Bright Eyes and At The Drive In, but they're the original guys". So we get it, Mumm-Ra are not emo. Thank god.
They are, however, obsessed with bowel movements, with OIi's eyes noticeably lighting up as he talks about their post-gig ritual, which, apparently involves them all "having a big poo as soon as we come off stage". Charming. Their recent television debut, on Channel 4's The Album Chart Show, saw them sharing a bill with Lily Allen and Razorlight. Of Razorlight, Oli admits he "really doesn't like" them, but this did not stop the cheeky southerner "stealing their symbols". When asked if they actually spoke to Johnny Borrell and co, Noo explains that they "don't just talk to famous people because they're famous" and, incase we didn't realise, famous people are "just normal people too really." Noo also tries to tell us that they were sharing the bill with Jim Morrisson, but Oli soon corrects him "nah, you mean James Morrisson". With a little self deprecating laugh and mischievous grin, we can see that Noo is quite embarrassed at his little faux pas, but it just endears us to them even more.
The highlight of the long six year road, it was all agreed, was their trip to the famous Abbey Road studios, where they were greeted with "a huge string arrangement of one of (their) songs" and in a questionably emo fashion, the lads admit that it did indeed "bring a tears" to their eyes. :'(
