Prodigal hit

Check out Missing Andy, the group behind some of the latest Movement music videos available from PlayStation Store.

Londoners Missing Andy mash up some unlikely ingredients, techno synth sounds, hip-hop beats and punk guitars, to make the kind of vital, life-affirming racket that has to be heard to be believed.

How would you describe your music to someone who hasn't heard it before?

A blend of urban and indie styles with a punky attitude; live it's an aggressive adrenaline rush, broken by moments of poignant euphoria.

So, how did you get together?

Four members of the band had been in several bands before, only natural when you live so close to each other. Alex used to open for our last band, performing an awesome beat-box set. We soon formed a new band and asked him to be our front man. Missing Andy was formed.

Who are your musical influences?

The Prodigy are a big one. They live locally to us, and their music was all we heard while growing up. Other dance acts like The Chemical Brothers, but also guys like Depeche Mode and Kasabian.

What subjects do you tackle in your lyrics?

We like to tackle a lot of real subjects in our music, that relate to us and others around us. Things like the way society views its youth, domestic violence, going out on binges, terrorism, and the emotions everyone gets at some point... Like feeling trapped by the way you're living your own life.

Your music is available through Movement (available on PlayStation Store); how are the Internet and downloads changing the face of the music industry?

A humungous amount as far as we can see. With the Internet it's so easy to get your music cheap, or for free! CDs and CD shops are becoming redundant; I can't remember the last time I actually bought a CD. In turn this affects the way record companies do business. They can't earn their money from record sales anymore, so it makes it harder for a band to get a deal, and when they do the record company want a slice of everything like merchandising and publishing. Things that until now were exclusively the band's right to own. With the rate that Internet music is growing, soon record labels as they are will be a thing of the past. Right now you can touch a squillion people with one click of your mouse.

What do you think of the general perception of music from your country?

I think it's starting to get a lot more interesting again. The last few years or more, we've just been swamped with indie band after indie band. Each a bad copy of the last, with some exceptions of course. Now there seems to be room in the charts for all sorts of bands that are blending different styles together and creating fresh sounding music. Even if they're borrowing from say, the 80s pop scene. It's still a breath of fresh air, just so long as they keep the shoulder pads out of it!

Are you touring this year or will you be doing any festivals?

We are constantly gigging all over the country, with gigs coming up in Manchester, Cambridge, London, Essex and Devon you're bound to see us somewhere.

Missing Andy's Movement videos can be downloaded from PlayStation Store. More about Missing Andy can be found on their MySpace page, myspace.com/missingandy.