THE band name Mower came about thanks to the lead singer's very strange dancing.

Mat Motte, singer, guitarist and writer is in fact a former Worcester lad who got the nickname of Mower when he lived in the Faithful City.

"My friends were quite weird and would make up nicknames," says Mat.

"They called me Mower because I danced like I was mowing the lawn."

Mat, who lived in Barbourne for 18 years, says when he went to university in London at the age of 18 he joined bands and music societies before forming Mower.

"Other people in the band knew about my nickname and suggested Mower for the band," he says.

Mower consist of Nash on bass and John Barrett on drums.

The band have just embarked on a tour to promote their new album People Are Cruel.

Their single The Morning After was released on Monday following the recent radio hit After Dark, which had the distinction of having two Radio 1 Singles of The Week, on Mark and Lard's show and Colin Murray's show.

People are Cruel, which is released on Monday, August 4, is Mat's snapshot diary on the last 18 months.

"Half is about what has happened to me in the last year or so, half is about good things, the other half bad things," says Mat.

"With the bad things it's about being locked away in my flat writing this album. It's just been so lonely.

"One of the bad things is about letting people down.

"The album is not just about the kind of things that happen to me but the things that happen around me and on television.

"One song is called Rest In Peace, particularly to do with September 11."

Mat says another song is called No Right No Reason, which is an anti-war song.

"The music on this album has American influences, like the Pixies," says Mat.

Contemporary

Mower have been described as sounding like The Kinks and The Beatles, but Mat says they have their own sound and don't sound like anyone contemporary.

"Mower are not a retro band," says Mat.

"Our music sounds like music that's been around over the last couple of years."

Mat has been playing guitar for 11 years, since the age of 15.

"I was originally in a band with my brother, it was called The Honky Tonk Good Time Band.

"It was a bad name," he admitted ruefully. "But the name was not my idea."

Mat says he decided to play guitar when he asked the drummer of The Honky Tonk Good Time Band to do something on the drums .

"He said: 'Until you can play guitar you can shut up,' so I started learning guitar."

Mat - whose parents still live in Worcester - is currently living in North London, near Kentish Town.

"The great thing about London is that you can be any culture and from any background," says Mat.

Although Mat loves London he often returns to Worcester for a night out on the tiles.

"I try to avoid the nightclubs," he says.

"But my sister takes me to all the other new places."

The nearest place Mower will be playing to Worcester is Bristol Louisiana on Saturday, August 9.