Tell us again, how did the name Mogwai come about?
(chuckles) We got it from the film Gremlins—there’s not much of a story to be honest.
It’s been about 17 years now. Are your fans growing old with you or are you finding new ones?
I think both. There have been a lot of people listening to us since we started as well as new people who have discovered us along the way. People our age, older and younger as well, which is great.
How has the musical landscape changed since you started in 1995?
It’s definitely changed. It’s much easier for people to obtain music when they can do it online. Back then, any song you wanted to hear, you had to buy the record—it was much simpler. However, it would be much harder for us to get known outside Europe and America hadn’t it been for the Internet. I think there’s more good than bad.
Is touring a breeze now that you’ve had so much experience or otherwise?
It’s neither hard nor easy. Yes, I think there are some parts that are still difficult–it’s still pretty tiring to travel.
Do you make it a point to stay in shape?
Sometimes we do. The last tour I did a lot of running. Maybe this time I’ll do it again.
Do you have someone taking care of your diet?
No, we do all that ourselves when we feel like doing it!
Your most memorable moment on stage?
(laughs) No one has thrown anything on stage! A few times people will come on the stage, but most of it is because they’re drunk and come off as more annoying than memorable. I think the good experiences come from playing really good concerts—first time we ever played our big gig was opening for Pavement, that was really special.
How long do you guys plan to make music?
As long as people are interested in hearing the music—that’s the main thing. It’s not physically demanding to play music.
In interviews, you typically describe your music as “just a piece of music, there isn’t much meaning to it”. Tell us more about that.
Yes that’s true. The music has meaning to us but it’s hard to describe it to the listeners. You can’t possibly describe it in just a few sentences to them.
How is your new album “Rave Tapes“ different from your previous records?
I think it’s a different record from the ones before. There’s a little bit more spark and electronic sounds to it.
The band cut an album called “Zidane” back in 2006. Are you guys big fans of football?
Yeah we are! But I think only Martin plays actively these days. I support Celtic, the biggest club in Scotland.
Mogwai performs at Hostess Club Weekender on Feb 22. $118 from eventClique. Door sales at $150. For more information, check out their Facebook page.
