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Misper: police slang for a missing person. And the perfect name to be re-appropriated by an alternative-rock quintet. The Mispers were born 18 months ago - Jack Scott and Joey Arnold met while busking in Camden, “actually people just threw tins at us, we never made any profit,’ Jack tells with a smile. Joey followed a girl to Australia and Jack invited himself, a stint of writing songs, playing them on the streets and in wine bars followed. The band - both physically and ideologically - had begun their journey. Upon returning to the UK, Jack called upon an ex-bandmate and drummer Jordan Grispino and Joey called guitarist Diego Belmonte, who he also knew from a previous musical set up. Diego, who had moved from Brazil in search of adventure, adapted his sound to fit with the boys, and the line up was nearly complete. Hannah van den Brul, the final addition was an old friend of Joey’s brothers. “I saw her play violin in a school play four years previously and she’d just stuck in my mind. Her Facebook status on the day I called her just said, ‘new number call me,’ so I did. She had no idea who I was,” he adds mirthfully.
Within two weeks of rehearsing the band had filmed and recorded a video for the track You Hold and soon after recorded the demo of Brother at Abbey Road studios with the help of a friend. Brother was released on their own label, Missing Til Monday, and was picked up by Zane Lowe on Radio 1. Within a month they had played their first London show together. The Mispers had found their own clique of like-minded people to go missing with. After nine sold out shows at seminal indie venues; including The Lexington, The Borderline and Dingwalls, the band unsurprisingly were courted by several major labels. Two standout shows at Eurosonic in Holland later and Printemps de Bourges in France later, and B-Unique had a deal on the table. “They had a tip off about us so flew out to see the show. It wasn’t even the next day before they’d made an offer,” Jack grins. “We all bought new outfits to wear to get signed. But it actually took three days to write up the contract. So we kept our new clothes on, when the time came to actually sign we were all wearing these groggy wine stained suits.” Celebrating the traditional way - a classy dinner that no one can remember, champagne at the top of Centerpoint, a few days missing. Following a tour with Saint Raymond the band quickly got to work on their eponymous ‘The Mispers EP’ which sonically trials and errors the first year of their existence.
Dark Bits, their second EP, to be released this Summer- provides a snapshot into the young group’s lives. It also documents their ‘Missing Til Monday’ parties, which have become a thing of lore on London’s indie party circuit. After finding success in their first year, the band wanted to find a way of thanking their fans. So they did it the only way they knew how, getting an alcohol license to sell booze, and throwing a party in a garage with cheap booze and party games. Jack smiles. “We want to do a series of residencies at secret locations round the capital”. “You see people hooking up at the parties, fans getting together, becoming friends and starting relationships” adds Hannah. “Our fans are international. Which we all are too, Joey alone speaks six languages."
Dark Bits, was recorded in Liverpool’s Parr Street. Known for it’s huge live room, the band found a groovier, party feel with producer Rich Turvey. Originally, songs were born out of Jack and Joey’s songwriting in Australia, with the rest of the band writing their parts on top. This time round it comes from more cohesive natural place. A lyric, a riff, a beat, a vocal melody. Jack and Joey still take charge with the lyrics, either bringing a concept to the table or jamming one out by singing the same line over and over and working lyrics around it. “We have a natural tendency to go to a dark place with lyrics but we try to avoid it,” Jack says. “The Mispers might be a sad idea - someone going missing, but we think of it as a happy thing. We all come from different parts of the world and have gone missing together.”
It’s an idea that’s reinforced in the titular track, Dark Bits. Jack’s quivering voice sings the refrain, “basement and bars I’m taking charge of the dark bits”. It’s a song about themselves. About friends finding refuge in unlikely places. “It’s a happy song, it’s a Stevie Wonder song,”
Live the band are a sensory experience. Taking reference from Phoenix, Black Keys, Arcade Fire and Tame Impala, the band want nothing more than to make people feel great, the audience often finding themselves a sweating, heaving, partying mess.
The Mispers rise to success continues. One thing is certain, if you haven’t become a misper yet, you soon will.
Dark Bits EP will be released on 4th August 2014, followed by an EP in November and debut album next year, through B-Unique.
