Megarider are one of Manchester's finest purveyors of synth-pop and kitsch-disco-sex-party tunes. The four-piece are about to release their second single, the 'Stockport Posse EP' as part of Twisted Nerve's ongoing 'Weekly MP3 Series', on September 20th.

The band combine everything from French pop, electroclash, punk and reggae. The 'Stockport Posse EP' contains a number of remixes and is the follow up to their debut EP 'Voiture', released in January this year.

For more information on Megarider, check out their official site - Megarider

Or information on Eskimo Girl - Eskimo Girl

Or even information on Eskimo Girl's Valentine Records - Valentine Records

The 'Stockport Posse EP' is released on September 20th 2004 by Twisted Nerve

Hey, how the hell are you doing?

Really great thanks, just so God damn busy mate! All good stuff though.

We last caught up with you in January as you were about to release the debut Megarider single 'Voiture', what have you been upto since?

The interest that the single release created took us by surprise, as we were more or less resigned to Megarider being our little hobby, but we got alot of interest from that small release. At the single launch night Pete from IAK asked us to submit a track for the Skinny Dog compilation, which has been shortlisted so far. Since then we've been recording at home and in the studio. We've done some great support slots for IAK, Zoot Woman, Bobby Conn as well as Alan Mcgee's night 'Death Disco' and the 'Queen is Dead', which were a total riot.

You appear to have no problem with fresh ideas and changing direction - 'Stockport Posse' is a departure from 'Voiture' and has a more reggae feel. Why did you choose to change your sound so much?

Everyone has a soft spot for a bit of reggae; and Denis has always wanted to start a electro-ska or ragga-clash movement, just to see if anyone would be into it. We are anyway, and it's a blast to perform. I have to stop myself from laughing and dancing to 'Stockport Posse', as I'm supposed to look really mean. It's about scary girl gangs on the prowl in Stockport.

You mean park slags in pink tracksuits and hoops earrings? Yeh I'm scared too, everytime one walks past me I fear of getting chlamydia or something and some of those 15 year olds could batter a grown man.

So what's the next direction you think Megarider will take?

We're going to play live much more this year when we've got the last bits of the album out of the way. We're playing in New York in March so I see that as a marker for starting to put more time into proper live dates.

The new EP contains several remixes from the likes of Loser Superhero and Shirokuma, what made these guys so special to use their services?

We met Julien from Loser Superhero at his first gig and were impressed. We were a bit like geeky fans, since then we've become really good mates and genuinely love his music. We play it around the house all the time and convince him to play live
with Megarider whenever poss, so of course we wanted to hear what a baby born between Megarider and Loser Superhero would be, and we love it as if it were our own.

As for Mark from Shirokuma, he too has become a friend. I asked him to do something 'calypso' with the track. It's a cute interpretation.

Hi-fi guy is Sarah's boyfriend, and he wanted to re-mix Voiture as he hates the original. I was suprised by his version, as it's really listenable, I thought that he'd really mash it up.

Did the remixes come about because you're too lazy to write more songs yourself?

Oooooo? You're sooooo provocative. Course not silly, it was just an idea to do something different, and see what our peers would come up with.

People think I am lazy though, as ideally I need 13 hours sleep .

Most of your songs sound like they are about having fun. Do you feel most band's become too obsessed with being serious, creative and "meaningful", losing any element of having fun or enjoying the music they make in the process?

I believe we've been criticised for having more style than content; but we slavishly pour over these tracks in order to get them to sound so throw away and fun. Y' know, this process is creative and serious. They're not deeply meaningful though, God forbid! we'd laugh too much. I guess we're just not that type of musician, also we've never really had any great sadness in our lives, and met each other quite young. So the themes of loss and heartache and loneliness are lost on us. Good innit?

Are you recording any new tracks for the debut album? If so do you think your new material will surprise people?

We have a track called 'Crash Lorraine', on the Valentine compilation out in the Autumn, and have 'Stockport Posse' reserved for a release too, otherwise we'll release it as a single. As for the album, we've got some great tunes in the bag like 'So Special' and 'Rodeo' with plenty of suprises!

What are you most scared of? I'm scared of heights and wasps since you asked...

I'm scared of the dark, I also have a morbid fear of clowns and people in Gorilla outfits (I know...)

Sarah is going to release her solo single 'A Night With Eskimo Girl' through the name of Eskimo Girl on Valentine Records, what does the EP sound like?

Dunno, she's pretty secretive about her music. I've never even heard her sing, although Denis has when she helped out Shirokuma with a live gig. He said she was amazing. Sarah is just alarmingly talented and fits more into her days than anyone I've ever known.

If you could collaborate with any other musician / band who would you choose?

It would have to be the legend that is Dolly Parton, just a duet of 'Islands in the Stream', and I would be ready to die. I could see Denis beavering away in the studio with Mark Hollis or Alec Empire.

If you're house was on fire and you only had time to grab one of your personal items, what would you choose and why?

I would take the one thing that can never be replaced left to me by someone who is now gone. Denis, he would take as many of his 45's as he could fit in his jimmy jams pockets.

Are there any band's you can't stand lately?

What's funny is that I hate Keane with passion but adore 'Everybodys Changing', such a beautiful melody. I just hate any bland guitar shit y'know. Franz Ferdinand have put boys with guitars back in my good books though, I love that band with a passion.

What do you all do when you're not making music?

D.I.Y. in Stockport, daily swim at aquatics centre, managing Megarider mainly actually.

Thanks for your time, keep in touch!