The new album was written last year in their native Hull (where they organised a big Love Music Hate Racism festival) and New York when the young punk-popsters were living and gigging in the US. It came together against the backdrop of the weird tabloid life that guitarist Josh Hubbard was living. It was then demoed at the Charlatans studio in Cheshire. ‘No Mundane Options’ was recorded this year by Mogwai producer Tony Doogan at a Glasgow studio. Mega-Paddingtons fans, The View were regular visitors to the sessions.
‘No Mundane Options’ features punk rock thrills, 3-part harmonies, humming monks ('Heart Song') and even a ballad ('You & I' - one of those great universal love songs that really grabs you). The other songs include: the anthemic 'Punk R.I.P' with its 50's style flashes of Del Shannon, politics of 'Plastic Soldiers', ‘Shame About Elle’ (a Pixies-esque track about a cat that died), prime punk rock stompers 'Molotov Cocktail', 'What's The Point In Anything New' (about major labels), ‘Gangs’ (about a dodgy business man), and ‘No Mundane Options’ (about the dark days in between the 2 albums), the uplifting ‘Stand Down’ and the sweet harmonies of the stealing love song ‘Sticky Fingers'.
While in New York last year legendary punk photographer Bob Gruen came down to their gigs to hang out and take photos; Sean Lennon asked if could cover their new song 'Shame About Elle'; they played gigs with their mate and ex-Moldy Peach, Adam Green. The band will return to the US in 2009 for more gigs.
This summer in Spain when the Padds played the Summercase Festival, affable drummer Grant picked the unsuspecting Johnny Borrell up and despite protests from Borrell wouldn't put him down til he'd run round the back stage area in front of the likes of the Dandy Warhols and Keane and the other members of Razorlight. Borrell was not pleased. Everyone else was.
