Mince Connects with Us About Their Electrifying New Album ‘Paid to Leave’ And The Creative Forces Behind It
- STAFF
- Jul 24
- 9 min read
By: Staff
'Paid to Leave' pulses with a raw intensity, blending chaotic energy with moments of emotional depth.
Mince, the band known for their raucous energy and raw storytelling, have just unleashed their album 'Paid to Leave', a release that blends absurdity with heartache. With a perfect balance of melancholic reflection and electric intensity, it offers a sound that's both urgent and emotionally charged, a powerful preview of what's to come on their highly anticipated debut album.
We spoke with the band about the inspiration behind the record, their creative process, and the challenge of balancing the chaotic energy of their live performances with the emotional depth of their songwriting. If you’ve ever found beauty in life’s messy moments or if you've felt the raw emotion behind a punchy guitar riff, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
Read on for our full interview with Mince, and get to know the minds behind the album that’s already catching the attention of BBC Introducing and music fans everywhere.
Begin Interview:
Hello Mince, we’re thrilled to have you here for this interview! We've had an amazing time exploring your music and diving into your creative journey. Now, we’re even more intrigued to get a deeper look into both your brand and your personal and professional inspirations.
Q. Can you tell us the names of each member of Mince and highlight one or more of their most significant contributions to the band?
A. Mince consists of Jamie, George, Owen, Clem and Matthew.
Jamie (vocals + rhythm guitar) is the mastermind behind the operation, practically all of our songs have been his creation. His head is full of ideas and it’s a real privilege that we get to listen to them and bring them to life.
George (vocals) is the muscle of the band on stage - dominating, bold and brash. Off-stage he is reserved - tender, thoughtful and lovely.
Owen (lead guitar) brings the style. I’d like to say we all scrub up pretty well but when we’re stood next to Owen he puts us to shame.
Clem (bass) is the wildcard of the band. Just when you think you’ve got us all figured out he’s gonna blow your mind. Is he gonna pull his trousers down on stage? Is he gonna break his leg and carry on playing? You never know.
And I’m Matthew (drums). The guys have called me level headed and calculated in the past, I try to keep well connected and do as much as I can to help the band - but really I just hit the drums.
Q. What's the story behind how you chose the band's name, Mince? Is there a particular meaning or event that led to the decision?
A. We just needed a name in the early days and couldn’t settle on one. George was making a spaghetti bolognese and added the mince, the rest was history. “What? You’re called Mince?” Was a question we had to get used to, but now we’re a bit more established people just seem to accept it, somehow.
Q. The album Paid to Leave is described as an anthology of "losers" in love, life, and self. What inspired you to focus on these kinds of characters, and do you feel a personal connection to them in your life or career?
A. I feel like there’s a lot of pretension in the world at the moment, not just in music but in everyday life. The guy with the leather trench coat you saw on the high street with his independently brewed coffee in one hand and his miniature dachshund in the other? Yeah he seems cool, but he’s a loser just like the rest of us. You’re telling me he’s never slept in until 1pm and chucked a rustlers burger straight in the microwave before eating it in his pants watching Dog the Bounty Hunter? Yeah right!
I think what I’m trying to say is, it’s okay to not be perfect, it’s even better to embrace it. And that’s what Paid to Leave is all about, acceptance of our flaws and removing ego from art.
Q. You mention that the album aims to be "raucous, like our live shows" but also "deep and meaningful." How do you balance the energy of a live performance with the introspective nature of your songwriting? And can you share some stories about those raucous live events?
A. The thing about a Mince live show is that you never know what’s gonna happen. The majority of the album was recorded fully live with only a few bits done over in separate recordings. A lot of things went wrong, as they do in most of our shows, but it’s how we adapt to them that makes them ‘us’. A lot of the microphones not working in the studio harkened back to one of our earliest gigs where George ‘accidentally’ knocked over three separate microphones in the moment. Or another time when we hit the first note of a chorus and all the amps died in sync, good times. But that’s the fun of it all, we’ve grown to love it.
Q. Paid to Leave has a lot of stylistic intention behind it. Could you tell us about the sonic details you focused on during the recording? How did Jack Grant, producer (The 113), influence the album’s sound, and how did you connect with him professionally?
A. It was our producer’s (Jack Grant of The 113) first big project and I think we pushed him to the limit in the best ways possible, almost acclimatising him to the Mince way of work. We had a week booked in the studio to record it all, the time pressure really set in in the last two days. Tensions were high especially when Jamie brought in an unannounced violin player to add some texture to ‘Sad Old Jumper’ when we still hadn’t even started on at least four other songs. Jack hit the record button but you could tell he wasn’t interested in the playing. He was more likely planning out which of Jamie’s organs he wanted to puncture with the violin bow first. Jack was the perfect fit for us.
Q. Your music has been compared to artists like Guided by Voices, Teenage Fanclub, and Frankie Valli. We’re huge fans of FV here. What is it about their music or swagger that resonates with you, especially considering their rock influences span over half a century?
A. Their influence on rock can’t be understated but I think we as a band look at them in a different way, I’d say it’s pop music. Of course there’s the fuzzy guitars and lo-fi recordings that have influenced the sound of Paid to Leave, but the songs themselves are based on the simplicity of pop music. Roughly 2 minutes, in and out. Simple chords and a good chance you’ll have it stuck in your head after one listen.
Q. Considering the range of influences on Paid to Leave, if you had to pick a song from any of these artists (or another band) that you’d want to cover in the studio, which one would it be and why?
A. That’s a great question, we like to try throw a cover in our live shows here and there. Off the top of my head we’ve done Elvis, Tom Jones, Vera Lynn and Wham. But to pick a song from the previous questions artists I’d go C’mon Marianne from Frankie Valli. It’s got a great bounce to it, harmonised backing vocals that fill the space and weirdly dark lyrics for such an upbeat tune. Perfect!
Q. In your previously released singles "Sad Old Jumper" and "Roadworks on the B6369," there’s an interesting mix of melancholy and absurdity. What role do you think humor and absurdity play in exploring deeper emotions or themes like love and self-identity?
A. Touching back on the idea that everyone’s a loser, I don’t think it’s written into music enough. We love love songs, and we love love. But it’s never that simple in the real world, everyone has moments of emotional embarrassment and vulnerability, and that’s okay. To quote from Roadworks on the B6369 - “I see you coming so I get up and leave” - we’ve all been there. Chris Martin might be able to knock up a lyric about finding deep connections and healing the pains of love. But what if you’re just so in your own head that you don’t even want to acknowledge that person. Have you ever thought of that Chris?
Q. The album was recorded at Eiger Studios. How did the environment there influence the sound of Paid to Leave, if at all? Or did you have a clear vision of the album’s direction before stepping into the studio?
A. We went into the studio with the songs already written, track order decided and everything else you can think of - Jamie was very particular, and we’re so thankful for that. Otherwise we wouldn’t be sitting here with an album today. We do love Eiger Studios though, it’s a lovely space that’s always catered to us. We’ve been to a lot of different spaces for recording and practicing but for consistency and atmosphere, Eiger has never let us down.
Q. Your upcoming live show at Hyde Park Book Club will feature a full album performance. What are you most excited about for the first live performance of these songs, and are you planning to add or remove anything musically to present them differently live?
A. We had a lot of discussion about this set but eventually decided on playing the tracks in the exact order. We’ll add a few flourishes here and there but I think for a listener, hearing the tracks live in the order we intended really solidifies the album as an ‘experience’ rather than just a few songs thrown at them. We’re always just happy to play live, see our friends, have a good time!
Q. With Paid to Leave being the first full album released by Monomyth Records, what does being part of this particular label mean to you? How did the collaboration with Monomyth come together, and how did it shape the album’s creation?
A. Monomyth has offered us so much support, I’ve known Bob for about 6 years now, he’s an absolute hero of the Leeds scene and has the time for everybody. So to have the full backing of the label really means a lot to us. I also want to give a shout out to Liv who although isn’t at Monomyth anymore was instrumental in the early days of the album and put all the wheels in motion to get us rocking and rolling. The music industry is a tough one, there isn’t a lot of money and a lot of time needs to be put into it. Monomyth helps us keep our music fun, the support is always there when we’re doubting ourselves and helps us keep on going.
Q. Where does the band typically gather to create music — at home, in a recording studio, or with a producer? Does the music usually come to life spontaneously, like after a night out, or is it more of a structured, "let’s get this song together" kind of process?
A. I wish Jamie was here to answer this question but he’s on his holidays right now. The rest of us have all given creating a go but Jamie really takes it to another level. Most times he’ll just rock up to practice and say “hey I made a song last night let’s try it” and it just all fits into place. I love listening to Jamie talk about his ideas and inspirations but I’m always in absolute awe of his ability to translate them into these songs.
Q. What part of the music-making process do you find the most stressful: the creation of the songs, the actual release date, or something else entirely?
A. The release, always the release. It’s hard to determine what a ‘successful’ release is. Did it get on the radio? Did it get on any playlists? Who wrote reviews on it? Does any of it matter? I like to look at the positives, especially with this album. We’ve got a physical piece of our music, it’s here forever, that’s incredible. Maybe 20 years from now some kid will pick up our record in a bargain bin and say to his dad “what’s this one?” And the father’s eyes will widen, he’ll pick up the album in both hands and take a long deep breath. Finally he opens his mouth to speak - “Mince? Never heard of them” - that’d be pretty cool.
Q. Not considering ticket sales or venue size, what’s your favorite style of venue for performing? Is there a specific atmosphere or setting that makes a show feel particularly special for you?
A. We’ve got our favourites in Leeds - Oporto, Book Club, Brudenell - there’s plenty. I think the real fun now is getting out of Leeds and playing to people that have never seen us before. Getting to chat with people after our sets about how they found us, it really does mean a lot. Internationally especially, Supersonic in Paris will always be special to us. Just a room packed with people all there to check out some new bands, such a great time.
Q. We can’t thank you enough for sharing these intimate details! So, what’s next for Mince? Can you give us a sneak peek into your upcoming projects and what fans should be excited about in the future? We’d love to be the first to share the news!
A. You’ll just have to wait and see I guess… in other words, we don’t quite know just yet. We’re still living off the buzz of the album, and we’re all very happy, which is all we ever wanted. We do have a few new songs that aren’t on the album, a few new venues to play on the horizon. But we just like to take things as they come. Thank you so much for this interview, I hope it was nice and coherent. Like I said throughout, Jamie really is the wordsmith of the band, I just hit the drums. But hey, that’s rock and roll.
Mince, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
End Interview
We’re happy to have shared Mince’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
