July 20, 2007 14:49

The View: 'Mercury Music Prize doesn't mean anything to us'

Dundee band not bothered about being shortlisted

Scottish rockers The View have dismissed the Nationwide Mercury Music Prize as meaningless.

The were speaking after the official announcement of 2007’s nominations earlier this week (July 17), when their album ‘Hats Off To The Buskers’ was confirmed on the shortlist.

"It doesn’t really mean anything," declared bassist Kieran Webster. "The album doesn’t suddenly get any better or worse. The real accomplishment is when the fans went out and bought it. People have come up to me in Dundee and said, ‘I heard your album and started a band’. That’s the really big compliment."

Frontman Kyle Falconer seemed similarly un-moved by the award.

"I’d never really heard much about it [the award] until I found out we’d been nominated," he explained, although he chirped up when reminded there's £20,000 in prize money for the winners, declaring,"Great, I’ll buy my mum a caravan!"

The band went on to reveal who they were tipping for the award. Falconer is rooting for Jamie T’s album, ‘Panic Prevention’, while Webster is tipping Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back To Black’.

"She’s like the female version of Kyle!" joked Webster. "Spewing on stage, and stuff!"

For exclusive backstage pics and video of the nomination announcement bash, featuring The View, The Young Knives and Dizzee Rascal, head to the NME blog now.