MD: The last time I interviewed you, you were heading off to Berlin to record new material. How did that go?

Mark: I think we really found our feet metaphysically speaking. It was intense, illuminating, challenging even frightening at times: the opportunity that we created has had a profound impact on how we work and relate together as a rock n roll outfit and with others in terms of audience, participants and friends.

MD: What kind of sound are you developing in your new material, and how does it differ from your previous stuff?

Mark: The sound is perhaps drawing from a wider palette than previously; we’ve been experimenting with line up, working with strangers in strange places, getting more experimental with sound combinations, mixing field recordings with live action, using some antiquated, broken or limited equipment and resources and allowing these processes and experiences to help shape the music.

MD: Will you be showcasing any new songs during your set?

Mark: There are some songs that have definitely been infected by the new approaches and we need to make these airborne to gauge how well they work

MD: Your forthcoming album is called The Butcher of Common Sense. In your very metaphysical and poetic blog entries you sometimes refer to yourselves as the butchers and sometimes the butcher is something you are fleeing from, or trying to find. What do you conceive the butcher to be at the moment?

Mark: Butcher at the moment is a dog, it has no legs so you have to walk with it melded to your shoulder, and all the time you walk it growls in your ear – “don’t do this, can’t do that, you’re rubbish, that’s not allowed…” and on and on and on… but walk the dog you must, ignore it if you can and maybe if we work hard at it, we will get it to heal, teach it a new trick or too, ‘til the bones it splits are not our own and the marrow it sups is what we want it to have.

MD: You’re not so much mods as modernists, and your music is very experimental and surrounded with pieces of discourse and philosophy. Does this make it difficult for you to gain an audience?

Mark: We have an audience, they were not that hard to find, we like them very much and everybody knows that size isn’t everything.

MD: You have various thematic preoccupations in your music, such as language and human communication. Is it important for you that music explores ideas?

Mark: I would draw you attention to the tao of knitting. It's kind of nice if the song, the music, the words, the concept are knitted from the same ball of wool - stitching it all together can be difficult though, even if we don’t manage to do this, it is still very nice wool.

MD: You’re one of the most established bands in Norwich, how do you feel the music scene has developed in the City since you formed?

Mark: Norwich has a phenomenally creative, diverse and cooperative music scene that is realising only a small fraction of its potential! And maybe Norwich and environs like it that way. But anytime it wants to it could turn to savour and devour the oyster shaped world and still get home in time for tea

MD: What does it mean to you to see a festival like hot City Sounds appear, and do you think it will help to bring Norwich’s music scene to national attention?

Mark: Hot City Sounds - If the will is there then there is no greater place on earth, no matter where "there" is.