Psych-rockers Mystic Peach talk James Blunt and mental health as they prepare to headline Portsmouth's Neu Waves night

Somewhere, buried down deep in the mix, you just might hear the wailing of psychedelic guitars and the punk howl of Hampshire’s Mystic Peach.

The trio found themselves recording next door to the You’re Beautiful hit-maker while making their own EP at Eastcote Studios in London.

‘We did cross paths with him,’ recalls frontman Curtis Gale. ‘We seem to have this awful habit of getting very drunk when we record. So we were outside having a little break, having a cigarette, and we knew James Blunt was there, so because of that we started singing his songs.

‘Out of nowhere, he walks down the stairs with Julie who owns Eastcote, and she's like: “Hi boys, this is James Blunt”.

‘We shook hands with him and had a little chat and he was saying: “I can hear you from downstairs – I'm pretty sure your record's on one of mine...”’

And despite themselves, they liked James: ‘You just can't hate him. I'm not a great fan of his music, I'm not even sure he's particularly a fan of his music... but you can't deny what a lovely human being he is.’

So could an official, if somewhat unlikely collaboration be on the cards?

‘We've been trying!’ laughs Curtis. ‘We've been tagging him in things, but he hasn't replied yet – we'll get there one day.’

The band’s debut EP, M? was released late last year to much acclaim and widespread radio play.

But the band, completed by bassist Joe Ingram and Jimi Allen on drums, are already moving on.

‘I don't think we really notice if it's done well or not,’ claims Curtis. ‘Once it's out it's out, and we're moving on to different things.

‘We've already started demoing for new stuff, ready to do another EP. But from what I have seen and heard, is that people are understanding the message of the EP which is greatly appreciated.

‘Even if it's not their style of music, I've had nice responses from people who wouldn't generally like that sort of music, but really appreciated the message behind it and the story of the EP.

‘For me that was the most important thing – that people understood what the EP was for.’

Over the course of its four tracks, the EP charts declining mental health.

For Curtis, talking about mental health and the issues around it was important.

‘For a lot of bands, they like talking about it, but they don't really show the emotions behind it, in my opinion. I don't think it's just about being said or writing a sad song.

‘It's aggression, it's psychotic – your brain's going at 100mph at all times. It's not as simple as being sad about something, it goes a lot deeper than that, and that's what I really wanted to put across with the songs and the EP.

‘It is a decline in someone's mental, and hopefully we've done that in a way where someone can understand it musically, rather than in just what I'm saying.

‘I wanted the music to come across like we were having a mental breakdown, almost.’

Was this written from personal experience?

‘It's a bit of everything,’ replies Curtis. ‘I've gone through bad experiences, and come out and seen the light again, but also other experiences I've heard from other people.

‘It's not as straight forward as you're depressed, or you've got anxiety, and everyone's under the same umbrella.

‘Everyone's got their own personal demons, and depression and anxiety are just words to explain a very broad thing.

‘It's a bit of me, a bit of friends, a bit of family – what I picked up from just talking to people and how they feel.’

Although the band are based in Southampton, they’ve regularly played at this end of the M27. And Curtis has little truck with local rivalries.

‘I don't have that massive sense of rivalry with Portsmouth because for one, I'm a Chelsea fan, plus my girlfriend's from Portsmouth and my brother lives in Portsmouth, so for me there's no rivalry.

‘There's obviously still a bit of banter, but we've got great respect and great love for Portsmouth.

‘We've played down there plenty of times – we sold out Acapulco (now Back To Belgrave), we played the Wedgewood Rooms supporting the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets and we also played Psych Fest there.

‘I think it’s almost equal between Portsmouth and Southampton with how many times we've played there.

Mystic Peach play the Neu Waves night at The Loft, Southsea on Thursday, March 3. For tickets go to tinyurl.com/2p8383mj.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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