The first Fosca interview appears in the e-zine Viva Paraguay.

From reading it back, it occurs to me that my worldview and perspective on most things is so massively different to the others in the group, that in future it’s probably best to be interviewed separately. The endless dilemma is trying to strike the balance between not going over people’s heads with outrageous thoughts and theories and run the risk of being misunderstood (as I’ve learnt only too well in the past), and overdoing the “common touch” line of rock interviews, saturated with swearing and unoriginal arrogance. One-to-one is usually best. The old Frank Zappa quote about music journalists being “people who can’t write interviewing people who can’t speak for the benefit of people who can’t read” holds as true as ever, and if I am to prevent Fosca towing the Great Dumbing-Down line and end up sounding like just another band I have to keep my social hermitage intact. So be it. I have to Know My Place.

It’s one of the great tragedies of the human condition. No one ever speaks like or looks like the way they write.

But as I type this, The Carpenters, playing on Melody FM, remind me “we’ve only just begun / we’ll start out walking, and learn to run…”, and I am instantly filled with confidence for the future and for Fosca.

Melody FM is a favourite radio station of London cabbies, being as it is pure back-to-back easy listening and MOR, the only pop station whose DJs sound more like Radio 3 continuity announcers, all cosy whispers and reassuring placatory tones, almost embarrassed to be breaking up the music. It’s a perfect antidote to the onslaught of noise that carpets the capital’s streets. And as its playlist tends towards the likes of The Carpenters, The Style Council, Abba, classic soul, Bacharach and Sondheim, it’s right up my street. One of my many soundbite answers to the question “what do Fosca sound like” is “Barry Manilow being fisted by Sonic Youth”: noisy packaging of anthemic showstoppers… I always thought that No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” was more a showtune than the sweaty ska-rock that the band otherwise specialise in. On the way home from Fosca rehearsals, Sav puts on tapes of Bread in his car… “something mellow so I can come down from the noise.” It occurs to me that you can have both, and I start work on a new Fosca song, Weightless, to be given its world premiere at our next show at Club Revolver, Friday 30th January, Upstairs At The Garage, 20-22 Highbury Corner, London N5. Admission is £4 with a flyer (available by emailing me). Nearest Tube station is Highbury & Islington, and we take the stage at 9.30pm…

There’s also just been a Fosca Message Board set up on the Web for you to peruse and add to at your whim. Take a look, say something outrageous.

David Gray has devised a questionnaire for all four Fosca members, the results of which are available for you to read here at “6” as soon as I can type them up. He has also submitted his own thoughts on Fosca in a piece called “Last Night I Dreamed I Was Christ”, up shortly. We hope you enjoy your cyber-stay.