We saw CaveMouth a couple of years ago in Plymouth and heard that they are playing at the Sidmouth Fringe on July 30th, we thought it would be a fab idea to get in contact with them and have a chat, read on to learn all about the best way to cook roadkill, how to produce a music video on a shoe string budget and who they would have as Glastonbury headliners for 2017....

 

 

Just so people know a bit about the band, please describe your music to us and any interesting facts or nuggets of information that not many people know (party tricks etc)

CaveMouth were born when Rich and Lex from the band got snowed in at Christmas on Exmoor and couldn’t leave the house for 9 days. We just jammed all night and got so excited by what came out – it was like being 15 again and in your first band – that energy and excitement. Our music combines the heaviness of rock and the funk of funk. Rich’s hip hop beats provide the grooves and back bone for Lex’s guitar chops and soulful vocals.

 

   

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? 

I’d be able to control all the ants. The biggest ant colony apparently stretches from Portugal to Spain – one colony! Not sure what I’d do with them all but could be fun.

 

 

What was the very first song that you all played as a band? 

The first song fully formed was ‘Loving the Light’. It pretty much set the tone for where we wanted to go in terms of sound.

 

 

You all live on a strict diet of road-kill, what is the best way to cook a recently squished badger?

Pan sear with garlic (preferably wild), some pigeon hearts, a knob of I do believe it’s butter, and a splash of white wine

  

 

If you could form your own 'Supergroup' using ANY musicians, dead/alive or fictional, who would be in your lineup and why?

Prince on guitar, Kate Bush on keys, Busta Rhymes on vocals, Ginger Baker on drums, and Rimsky Korsakov conducting the string quartet, oh and Miles Davis on trumpet.

 

 

How do you approach the whole songwriting process, melody or lyrics first? 

Rich usually comes up with a beat, the rest is easy as my guitar just follows the groove. We’ll play it over and over while I rant some unintelligible lyrics, then listen back on my phone and form some words to try and fit the initial moment of expression.

 

 

I saw you perform in Plymouth back in 2014, apart from Mo being replaced by Nick on bass, have there been any other band lineup changes?

Losing Mo from the band was a big blow – she had such a strong voice, and more of a punky style bass playing. It’s taken a while to try and find a replacement! We’ve also got Duncan Hook on saxophone now who adds loads of jazzy flavours, which also helps give us our distinctive sound.   

 

 

The animation for your new track ‘Who’s Pulling the Strings’ must have taken a LONG time to pull together, who created this for you? 

I did it myself. With no budget, and no one to do it for us, that was the only option! I studied music and visual art at Brighton Uni (Natasha Kahn from Bat for Lashes was also in my class) where we learnt music production, animation, editing etc. so I dusted off some of these skills. There was a wealth of material from all the bast*ards in power - I thought it would be fun to make Boris Johnson rap.

 

 

Do you all have similar tastes in music? 

Rich doesn’t listen to much music – he just plays his drums and kicks his cat around the house. Duncan is into his jazz. I’ve got really varied taste – from classical to hip hop, reggae, funk and folk.

 

 

You describe your music as "the aural equivalent to a night on a stairmaster, drinking jack daniels through a pair of fishnet tights." Have any of you tried this to see if the end result matches the feeling you get when listening to you? 

Yeah that was a review someone did a few years ago. My gran used to have a stairmaster, but she never let me drink Jack Daniels on it.

  

 

Michael Eavis wants you to provide 3 headline acts for next year's Glasto Fest, who would you put up on the Pyramid stage and why?

CaveMouth lol! Maybe Redman, Kate Bush and Fatoumata Diawara.

 

 

I see you were supporting The Blockheads in Exeter back in May but the show was postponed, I guess you’ll be rubbing shoulders with these at Chagstock at the end of July?, any other acts there that you’re looking forward to seeing?

Yes hopefully! Blockheads gig is postponed until October I think. Would like to see the Stranglers, although more interested in seeing someone I’ve never heard of before and being blown away. Cakey Girl is also very good (Five Finger Discount doing her solo thing)

 

 

Which act or band made YOU want to get a band together in the first place?

Prince, Lenny Kravitz and The Doors were my biggest inspiration when I was a young and foolish teenager.

 

 

In your opinion, what would you say is the BEST album ever released?

Mr. Bungles’ ‘California’ is just incredible. It’s range, scope and ambition is awesome.

 

 

You’ve already played a few festivals this year including ‘How the Light gets In’ and are booked to play ‘Chagstock’ later in July, what is it about festivals that you enjoy? And what don’t you enjoy?

Festivals are great cause you usually get time to hang out as band, see other bands and get inspired. It’s a 70 mile round trip for me to get to band practice, so usually rehearsals are such a rush. Short change over times (i.e. no soundcheck) is the only down side to festi’s.

 

 

Staying on the subject of festivals, what are YOUR top three tips to surviving one?

Plan your trajectory for getting wasted carefully, you have to get the curve just right. Don’t share a tent with someone who snores. Know where the zip is (even in the dark)

 

 

You play the Sidmouth Fringe on Sat July 30th alongside Sculpture Music, Circumnavigate and Jonah Hitchens with his Superband, have you heard/played with any of these acts before? Any that you’re particularly interested in seeing?

We know Matt from Sculpture Music as he kindly hosted us on Balcony TV, plus he played Cahon with my old band ‘RiverMouth’ at a festival about 10 years ago. Saw Jonah’s band on Youtube – sounded great!

 

 

‘Who’s Pulling the Strings’ is lifted from your new EP, when is it going to be available, where was it recorded and who produced it? 

Again, due to lack of budget and a phobia of relying on other people we recorded it ourselves on an iMac bought off ebay for £350.  ‘Who’s Pulling the Strings?’ was mixed by me and Nick Hannan (our bass player). Got loads of new tunes nearly finished, plus a few friends working on some interesting remixes! Date tbc but watch this space!

 

 

 

Lastly, please tell us your favourite joke?

 Not so much a joke, but a few words of wisdom from Rich: A dog with three legs is still a dog’

 

 

The guys were far too sharp for our liking so we thought we'd turn the thumbscrews a little tighter and make them sweat, here comes the quick fire round....

 

 

Whiskey or Wine? Wine

 

Burger or Kebab? Badger Burger

 

Hedgehog or Fox? Fox burger

 

Laptop or Tablet? Laptop (old school I know)

 

Electric or Acoustic? Eloustic

 

Camping or Camper Van? Lex camping, Rich camper van

 

Summer or Winter? The duality of seasonality is good

 

Bath or Shower? Bath

 

Book or Kindle? Book

 

Fray Bentos or Mr Kipling? What?

 

Cluedo or Monopoly? Risk

 

De Niro or Pacino? De Niro

 

Leave or Remain? Remain

 

God or Google? Ecosia

 

 

We'd like to thank Lex and Rich from the band for taking the time to sit and ponder our questions, we're looking forward to seeing them at Chagstock and also the Sidmouth Fringe on July 30th, if you're about for either, why not head down and see if they really are "the aural equivalent to a night on a stairmaster, drinking Jack Daniels through a pair of fishnet tights."

 

In the meantime, here's some places you can read more about them;

Official Website

Facebook