July 27, 2006 10:00

Hot Chip back Arctic Monkeys for Nationwide Mercury Prize

They don't fancy their own chances

Hot Chip think they have no chance of winning this year’s Nationwide Mercury Prize – because Artic Monkeys have it all sewn up.

Both bands are nominated in this year’s list, with the winner announced on September 5. But the Chip’s frontman is backing the favourites rather than his own band.

He told MTV: “I'm gonna put some money on them!”, before adding: “I haven't actually checked our odds yet.”

Taylor was full of praise for Arctic Monkeys after a recent meeting with them.

He revealed: “We had a nice time with the Arctic Monkeys in Sweden. We played at a festival called Accelerator over there and they were around and it was very nice.

“We were backstage and there was a nice kind of balcony and the sun setting on the water and Alex (Turner) was there sort of playing his guitar and it was really quite strange. I didn't actually say hello to them, they looked a bit pissed off about being there but they seemed nice.”

This year's nominations are:

Arctic Monkeys - 'Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not'
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - 'Ballad Of The Broken Seas'
Editors - 'The Back Room'
Guillemots - 'Through The Windowpane'
Richard Hawley - 'Coles Corner'
Hot Chip - 'The Warning'
Muse - 'Black Holes & Revelations'
Zoe Rahman - 'Melting Pot'
Lou Rhodes - 'Beloved One'
Scritti Politti - 'White Bread Black Beer'
Sway - 'This Is My Demo'
Thom Yorke - 'The Eraser'