(1995 - 2011) Mouthwash personify the phrase ‘Urban ska’, although it almost undoubtedly applies to them alone. They walk tall with a swagger and they talk in thick south London drawls. Their songs are defined by an honest delve in to the underbelly of London life, with references to rejecting day jobs, bundling on to night buses and getting guns pulled on them in Brixton for trying to stop a domestic debacle. All of their music is engrained with a gritty realism that tenderly touches on the romantic before heading back to street corners or signing on, the offy or the bookies. The band formed in south London in the late 90’s and played with many of the world’s prominent punk, ska and hardcore bands when they were still in their punk-addled teens, pressed EPs independently and released their debut album ‘1000 Dreams’ on Tim Armstrong’s (Rancid) own ‘Hellcat Records’ in 2001 to critical acclaim. They have toured Europe and America extensively, and have some of the craziest tour stories, from hitchhiking across America and living in a shack in the woods, to touring in a van with a mental patient and sleeping in a graveyard! Having only just about survived the extensive touring of their debut record, the band subsequently split up, but in 2005 they reformed with two new members and a more urban undercurrent. They’re quintessentially English, so much so that they double up as pigeon trainers, as singer Nip explains: “My dad is a pigeon racer, so when we go on tour we have to take baskets of pigeons with us and let them out in different cities, to keep them on their toes”. But they are never more at home than on the sofa watching football with a cup of tea or a beer. Mouthwash features husky lead vocals offset by commanding ska guitar, a rhythm section to rival any digital technology and backing vocals that could belong to Boyz to Men!! They love dancehall and 90s swing as much as they do dubstep and their alma mater, punk. Despite having been together for over a decade, Mouthwash know it’s still early days for them. They’re moving from the ground upwards, touring all the time and sparking interest from fans, new and old. They released their second album ‘True Stories’ in the UK through indie label ‘Rebel Alliance’ in 2009 and they have been receiving great press aswell as receiving national radio airplay on BBC Radio One as well as London based XFM. But their ultimate goal? To headline the legendary Brixton Academy in London (only a stones throw from where they grew up), then get the bus home for a cup of tea!! http://www.myspace.com/MOUTHWASHLONDON Go Check them Out! :D Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.