You recently just finished a tour in the USA, so with this in mind how was this experience for you? This tour was great, the shows were a little bigger, and we did two nights at Webster Hall in New York, which was amazing. We also had Larry & His Flask and Jenny Owen Youngs on the road with us, which was great, they're both amazing so it made the boys and I really step it up.
What was it like to be picked by Danny Boyle to perform at the Olympic Opening Ceremony in London, and how was this whole experience for you? Being asked directly by Danny was weird, but cool. He is a genuine fan, which is pretty disarming, and when the offer to do the show came at me from that angle, it was hard to say anything other than yes. It was quite the event, something I'm glad I did and am proud to have been part of in a way. Parts of it were more than a little odd, but it was a great piece of exposure.
What can you tell us about your latest release 'Last Minutes and Lost Evenings'? The record is supposed to be an introductory piece of sorts for people outside the UK, where my latest studio album (England) has done way better than any of its predecessors. Of course people are still free (and indeed encouraged) to track down the first three records and associated rarities, but if people just want the Cliff notes, then here it is. The Wembley show is also included on DVD to give people an idea about the live show.
How did you end up forming Mรถngรถl Hรถrde and how has the response been from your fan base so far to this project? I've been thinking about doing a heavy side project for a long while - it's definitely the music I grew up with and that I still love, plus I wanted to play with Ben Dawson again, as we are old friends and musical collaborators. We finally found some time to rehearse properly and write some songs at the start of this year, which turned into a week of shows in the summer. It was a ton of fun, if not a little exhausting. I think some people have loved it, some people have hated it, and a lot of people have been indifferent. I can't say I care that much, it's for my benefit as much as anything else, and I had a blast.