OI OI! HAPPY NEW YEAR! We’re alright, prepping for a music video shoot as we speak. Buzzing for it.

Essex is Essex. If you know it, you KNOW it. I grew up in a seaside town called Clacton. Again, if you know it, you KNOW it. You can’t live there without knowing at least a second cousin of mine – come from a big family.

Most of my upbringing was based on football to be honest. Spent most my spare time playing it as a teenager. Always had a love for music, rock in particular, but that got me shredded a lot in secondary school. If you weren’t into Dizzee Rascal or 50 Cent and listened to Nirvana, you got your head in the toilet. Got to a stage where I forced myself to listen to that just so I didn’t get a bashing. After a while I realized it was stupid to force myself into it and started listening to the music I loved again. But I do still know most the words to Fix Up Look Sharp.

Yeah, The Meffs started about six months before the first lockdown in the UK. I was in one band as was Lewis, but this is the first serious one. Newcomers are good. I like that.

Some people love a ‘subgenre’ and others say “punk is punk”. We don’t mind what we’re labelled. I think everyone has a different idea of what’s what. We think politics and issues in society belong in music, but we’ve also been called “woke” as a result. Bothered. I write about what’s going on around me and a lot of it has a policial or societal stance. It works for us and we’re proud of it.

What a great experience it was working with Frank, such a lovely bloke! Was an interesting start. Day 1 was my day of recording all the drum tracks. I’d felt a little off that day but got through it all. I then read about a lot of people at a recent Amyl and the Sniffers gig I’d attended catching Covid, so day 2 before I leave, I take a test and would you Adam and Eve it, I had Covid. Lily spent the rest of the week with Frank whilst I isolated to come back and finish off my backing vocals a couple months later. Needless to say, we had a great experience with Frank, didn’t seem to have any stress, was just a great week.

It went from having a finished product to “what next?” Frank helped with that too. Sent it to his mate, Mike, who emailed saying “I like your band a lot”. It was Fat Mike of NOFX. The rest is history. Bottles to the Ground and Fat Wreck Chords are an absolute force.

How it feels to have the verses said to you on the regular! People getting judged and marginalised just for being. We’re not about sitting back and letting it happen. People are people. Respect doesn’t cost anything. Some people have no respect and could do with walking in the shoes of someone else for the day.

This goes down well at shows. I used to tell a story before playing it about when my mum moved to England and got made to have elocution lessons. It’s a bit of social commentary. Our ‘leaders’ like to use the word ‘tolerant’ as a good thing. ‘Tolerating’ difference. Tolerance is putting up with something. It is not the same as ’embracing’. You hear comments like “are you gay? I don’t mind, just rather you didn’t do it near me!” It’s not banter mate. Sort yourself out. The phrase “your English is great”… I’ll be here all day if I break that down! Just think before you speak. The chorus is a personal reflection. Things happen around you when you’re young and you don’t always know any different. It’s not until you step out of it that you see what’s really going on. I go back to what I said earlier about Clacton. If you know it, you’ll get what I mean.

Stand up, speak out, you’re gonna die some day!

We’ll let the public decide if it’s broken. Broken Britain Pt.2. It’s got a ring to it.

We love playing live. We’ve had some mad ones and they’re usually very lively. Selling out towns we’ve never been to, festivals… We just headlined a NYE show in our hometown to several hundred people and it was something else. Still not over it.

There’s been a couple less lively ones where you know the punters have probably got work the next day so can’t go too crazy, but to be honest at all our shows, we get such amazing feedback. We’re very chatty as it is so we love hanging back and talking everyone after, it’s nice to hear such kindness. Usually people throw faeces us in the street just for a laugh you know.

UK headline tour this year. Europe. Nearly finished writing a load of new material for after Broken Britain. New merch. Support tours. Become full time!

We’ve been told we can’t be skins because we’ve got too much hair, we can’t be punks because we don’t have a stud count, we’re too trendy to be old school, but not trendy enough to fit in the new school alt punk scene. So The Meffs is its own subculture. One rule: No fascists. Welcome!

All sorts really. As a kid I’d been told about Sex Pistols, saw the case of a cassette for Never Mind the Bollocks and was roped in. Was then shown how the punks dressed at a neighbour’s fancy dress party. The internet was definitely a massive part, watching videos on YouTube of the old school punks, then led to a lot of Ska, etc. Then bands like Motörhead started my journey into a bit of the heavier stuff.

It’s not really a subculture but we love the current Aussie punk scene. The music and culture. Lewis definitely fits in with his Aussie mullet.

I’ve worn a Fred polo shirt for as long as I can remember. I rarely don’t wear one on stage… Or off stage actually. We’ve got a funny Zoom video where Mike says you can tell that we’re from England because of the Freds I wear. It’s definitely become our trademark by accident. A good accident.

Like you say, women may be more visible in the alt scenes, but it’s like when people say “things are better now than they used to be” – they used to be naff, it’s hardly a benchmark! When a male sound tech talks to the male drummer about how he wants the guitar amp set up, when I’m stood on the stage with the guitar. Come on. I’ve been told to wear a dress on stage as it would be better for image. It goes on. I’m comfortable – It’s their issue if they’re not! The people we surround ourselves with – label, agent, listeners – are quality. We’re all here to change things and we’ll see that people involved with The Meffs are respected whatever their identity.

Good question! Where we’re from is a big influence but what we sing about happens all over the world. I’m certain of that. Just take out the word ‘Britain’.

The Meffs is their favourite band. They know what’s good!

If the alternative scene carries on the way it now, that would be amazing. I don’t see much rivalry between fans of certain genres these days, a lot of eclecticism.

Have a listen! Grab some merch! See you at a show near you! UP THE MEFFS.