Best known for providing the theme tune to The Sopranos, with their cowboy swagger and deep-south drawl, you鈥檇 be forgiven for thinking Alabama 3 are a straightforward American blues band: 鈥榝raid not. Firstly, there are more than three of them 鈥 seven at last count 鈥 and secondly, they鈥檙e from Brixton.
Hold on one cotton-picking minute: Brixton? 鈥淲e started at the height of Britpop 鈥 Noel Gallagher playing a Union Jack guitar and shaking hands with Tony Blair. It felt like it had been hijacked by the government,鈥 says singer Rob Spragg (AKA Larry Love), 鈥淎s a Welshman, I thought: 鈥楲et鈥檚 pretend we鈥檙e American and see how far we can go,鈥 it was a two-finger salute to all of that.鈥
This two-fingered salute has just released its seventh album 鈥 M.O.R. 鈥 on One Little Indian. The album however, occupies a place quite far west of the middle of the road, grooving and bluesing its merry way through acid house, country and good ole鈥 rock and roll.
This mish-mash of genres, along with the fake accents and outlandish pseudonyms, has earned the band accusations of being a novelty act 鈥 but Spragg doesn鈥檛 care. 鈥淭o a certain extent I expect it, but if you look a bit deeper you realise that we鈥檙e really serious about what we do; we鈥檙e intelligent at acting stupid.鈥
Although the band鈥檚 music is largely inspired by 鈥渓ate nights and Nurofen,鈥 their name is a nod to the Guildford 4 and Birmingham 6. The band is also involved with the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation, pledging all proceeds from M.O.R.鈥檚 first single 鈥 Lockdown 鈥 to the charity.
But they don鈥檛 let their political beliefs get in the way of a good time. Spragg claims their live shows are quite an experience, 鈥淚f you鈥檙e a pervert you鈥檒l be converted,鈥 he says, 鈥渁nd if you鈥檙e a convert you鈥檒l be perverted.鈥
Make of that what you will. The band are already working on album number eight and on setting up their own record label. 鈥淭he whole downloading issue has got the industry all freaked out,鈥 says Spragg, 鈥淎nd the onus is now on the bands rather than the record company to do things 鈥 it鈥檚 an exciting time to be a musician.鈥
Poppy O鈥橬eill
