Hi and welcome to the Awayday Radio interview were each week we will be interviewing new and up and coming bands and artists from the UK.
This week we have Wintergreen – their bass player Muggsy (known to his mother as Peter!)
Hiya Muggsy, firstly thanks for letting Awayday Radio interview you
The pleasure is all mine!
Please introduce us to the band.
Mike is our frontman – sings, plays guitar; Grant is our drummer, then there’s me – I play bass and do additional vocals
What first got you into music?
My Dad had a massive collection of records and this amazing Sanyo stereo system that was basically a piece of furniture. There was always music playing – Johnny Cash, Elvis, vocalists like Neil Sedaka and Andy Williams. The James Last Orchestra….. He loved this Greek M-o-R singer called Nana Mouskouri (Google her). Some of his stuff was a bit shit but I basically grew up with music being a big part of family life. Then I got into all the 2-Tone stuff, especially Madness – they were my first favourite band when I was about 8 or 9!
Who inspired you to make music?
No one person or band in particular. When I was a bit older I got into New Order. Not only did I like the music, but I also liked their “take the piss” attitude. Based on the music you’d think they were really serious “artistes” but they were really only in a band to have a laugh & take the piss. I liked that attitude, so when I decided I wanted to make my own music, I decided I’d do my best and work hard to make it good…. But I’d also have fun.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
God knows! We tag ourselves as indie or alternative when we upload stuff, but what we’ve always aimed for in our songs is different styles that ultimately sound like us.
Have you signed with a record label?
No. None has approached us. We’re just merrily doing our own thing at the moment.
Where have you performed?
Well, we haven’t gigged for two years because of Lockdowns and so on, but before that we gigged all over Manchester at the usual haunts – Gullivers, Night & Day, BotW, The Castle, Salford Arms. We did a couple of festivals in the summer of 2018, we played The Hope & Anchor in London. We also somehow we got a gig supporting this funky soul band at a jazz club, playing to loads of pensioners sat down eating chicken-in-a-basket. That was….. interesting!
What are your favourite and least favourite venues?
We haven’t played our favourite venue yet ‘cos it will be the Hollywood Bowl! My personal worse venue has to be when I was in a previous band – a covers band that played weddings. We played in a massive TeePee one night, and the floor was just tarpaulins laid on the ground, which was really uneven. I was trying to bop around playing the bass, and I kept stumbling in these ruts! Not cool!
Do you have any upcoming shows?
Nothing confirmed yet but we’re talking to a few people about gigs this summer, once everywhere is opened up – hopefully something with you guys??
What is your favourite song to perform?
I personally like doing “Torched Song” because I sing that one! It’s my karaoke moment!
What other songs or albums have you done?
“Framed” which has just been released, is our 4th album. We released “Gliders” in 2015, “Accidents and Designs” in 2017, and “The Future is a Way of Life” in 2019. An album every two years – pretty good huh?! Have a listen to them – they’re all on Spotify etc.
Which famous musicians do you admire and why?
As I said earlier, I love New Order. I also like Kraftwerk and Primal Scream; Mike’s into The Beatles, The Hollies, XTC, Squeeze…. great British songwriting bands; Grant is a more of a rocker – Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zep etc.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Spread the word about us to your family and friends…... Keep listening, and come and see us at our gigs.
I got to ask this but what football teams do you support?
Well, that is a very good question because I believe we have one of the most interesting football dynamics of any band – Man United (me), Man City (Mike), and Liverpool (Grant). The football banter is A-1 as you can imagine!
What casual gear do you all wear?
I get all my clothes from Slaters in Manchester; Mike is a Pretty Green / mod clothes fan; Grant has about 127 pairs of adidas trainers!
What’s next for you?
Rehearsals start in May as soon as the rules allow three people in the same room together, then we’re gigging, gigging, and more gigging! Can’t wait! We’re also looking at going to Mexico: Mike’s day job is film producer, and he’s just been in Mexico for two months making a movie. While he was there he was spreading the Wintergreen word. One of the actors in the film is a guy called Horacio Villalobos, and he featured us on his Podcast…..BOOM! loads of Mexicans have been following us, sending us messages and asking us to come over for gigs – we’re bang up for it!
Well here at Awayday Radio we are big fans of yours so we will follow you on your journey to the top and we hope that you will come back and do another interview with us after you finish your world tour?
Cheers! We will finish our World Tour in your studio – do a live acoustic session!
