Mouth Culture: Meet Your New Favourite Band

MOUTH CULTURE are on the cusp of becoming the biggest band in the alternative rock scene. They’ve already done a headline tour in the UK in February and March this year, and are going on another headline tour in November, including a date at the iconic venue The Underworld in Camden, London. In November 2023, they released their EP Mishaps Of My Mid Twenties, which was a raw and unfiltered look into the reality of the ‘best years of your life’.

But with their new EP, Whatever The Weather, MOUTH CULTURE‘s lyrics “came from a more positive perspective. There’s still some deep stuff on there, like [the song] Everyday, which we wrote before Mishaps Of My Mid Twenties. We’ve been sitting on that song for a while, and it means a lot to me, so it’s nice that it’s officially out now and that people get it,” vocalist Jack Voss explains.

He, bassist Todd Groome, and guitarist Mason Clifford all live together, and they’ve been a band since 2019. It’s thanks to their hard work, perseverance and constant touring around the UK that has got them to where they are today. But if they had stayed just touring their hometown of Leicestershire, then things might’ve been very different. “It used to have a really good music scene, but it’s difficult now,” Jack explains. “We made an oath to ourselves when we started this band. We played two or three shows in Leicester, and then I was like ‘we need to play out of Leicester. I don’t want to be one of those bands who is going to play their hometown week in, week out. If we’re going to give this a proper go, we need to go and show the world’.”

They haven’t abandoned their hometown for good. They play a show in Leicester once a year, yet despite the band becoming more well-known, the venues that they play in their hometown have stayed the same, which they don’t mind. “It also comes down to venues and what people like,” explains Todd. “It needs to be a place where people want to hang out and have a drink. It’s what Leicester is missing.” It’s due to a lot of those venues closing down, which has become a growing problem in the music industry.

Another issue is the internet. Whilst touring seems like the obvious way to get your name out there, the rise of social media – especially short-form video apps such as TikTok – means that a band or singer can go viral at any moment. Social media has always been a prominent part of society, but ever since the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, social media has become much more prominent in all our lives. The music industry has always been competitive, and with technology making things easier, how do up-and-coming bands such as MOUTH CULTURE stay true to themselves and their music? “We all try to do it in the most authentic way we can,” Mason explains, “which is why we all butt heads sometimes.”

“When we were younger, we were on MSN and downloading songs on LimeWire,” Jack adds. “You best believe we weren’t sat on our phones scrolling all day. But we are now. So, over the last few years, we have figured out our own way of doing it.” That includes only posting when they have something to say and not posting cringey stuff. “It’s about finding that balance between what is authentic and also adhere to what works because there is obviously stuff that people go viral for,” Todd adds. But MOUTH CULTURE do acknowledge that because they have released music and toured, it helps create more content.

The cover for Whatever The Weather sticks out on their social media with its bright yellow pop art-inspired look. “We sat here for fucking hours doing it,” Jack explains. “It was going to be a world in my hand on fire, but when we took the photo and the world looked really shit, so we decided to swap it for an atomic bomb.” Todd adds, “we always like to do things DIY in elaborate ways. It’s part of the process.”

MOUTH CULTURE went through a similar process for their previous EP Mishaps Of My Mid Twenties. “Someone took photos of us wearing snorkels in our garden because it was a metaphor for us drowning in the mishaps that we were going through in our mid-twenties, and then it was a collage of all our faces because we’re all going through it together,” Todd explains. Mason adds, “we just like weird looking stuff!”

MOUTH CULTURE have a knack for standing out from the crowd, and even their shows are eye-catching as they exuberate the same energy as they do on the studio recordings. Their November headline tour sees them playing iconic venues, such as The Key Club in Leeds and The Underworld in London, which are major venues for smaller bands. But when it comes to what the future holds for them, the trio are full of ideas. “World domination and lots of new music,” Mason suggests. “Private planes!” Jack adds, “a BRIT award!” Todd says. “I mean, if we ever got considered for an award,” Jack says seriously. “It’s something I’ve never really thought about.” “The thing is, we’re just never going to stop grafting,” Todd adds. “I think the thing is we see anything as achievable and we’ll work hard to try and do it.”

It is clear that if you still want to see them play live in smaller rooms, it’s best to go whilst you still can. MOUTH CULTURE are about to be the biggest band in alternative rock.

Whatever The Weather is out now via InVogue Records.

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