January 12, 2010 16:19

Mystery Jets reveal penguin bagpipe influence for new album Mystery Jets Tickets

Band reveal details of forthcoming fourth effort

Photo Gallery: Mystery Jets
Photo: Richard Johnson

Mystery Jets have revealed how an experience with a bagpipe-playing man in a penguin mask helped to shape their forthcoming third album.

The band, set to release the follow-up to 2008's 'Twenty One' in March, told NME.COM that they hired the services of a bagpipe player for the album but didn't end up using the recordings.

"We got a weird bagpipe player in," frontman Blaine Harrison told NME.COM. "We found him on Google, he was cheap. He came along and started playing the Star Wars theme on his midi bagpipes while wearing a penguin mask."

Harrison explained that the band eventually decided not to use the bagpipe recordings on the album, recorded with producer Chris Thomas (Pink Floyd, Pulp, Sex Pistols) at London's British Grove Studios.

Songs set for inclusion include 'Lorna Doone', 'Flash', 'Girl Is Gone', Skinny Jeanne' and 'Alice Springs'.

To read the full interview with Mystery Jets, make sure you pick up a copy of NME's Albums Of 2010 issue, which hits newsstands across the UK tomorrow (January 13).

The special issue features exclusive in-the-studio interviews with the likes of Radiohead, MGMT, MIA, LCD Soundsystem, Vampire Weekend, Klaxons, Babyshambles and much more on this year's essential albums.