Supergrass breed rumour. modelling jobs, film offers, band splits, celeb relationships, drugs, even talk of new music (woah!). we headed off to Oxford to turn over the stone of truth and reveal the woodlice of fact. but there is no-one grass-like in Oxford.

Since releasing "In It For The Money", Supergrass toured pretty solidly and after a rest have, for the past four months, retreated into a London studio to begin work on a new album.

During their sojourn from the limelight, Gaz has guested on Dr. John's album, Danny has been working with both wife Pearl's band 'Lodger' and his other part-time project 'Lemon Incest' and the band have all been moving house. Danny is now the only band member left in Oxford, but we find him in London.

Danny explains: "We don't normally meet up in Oxford that much now. We're back together here to do the new album and just enjoying being our own bosses, everyone's got loads of input. What'll it sound like? It's huge, it's different, a mix of the first two albums with some new stuff. Lots of singles."

Gaz adds: "It's not kinda weird or avant-garde or anything."

Taking a break from recording to watch the World Cup, Danny tells us the band had written a Supergrass alternative world cup song but they didn't finish it in time. "The verse goes: 'come and have a go if you think you're hard enough....you're going home in a f***king ambulance' and we called it 'You'll never walk again'.

The band now plan live rehearsals as they intend to play several new songs - although maybe not their football song - at the Reading festival. An American-only single 'We still need more' is released on July 21 and a single comes out in Britain later this year.

Is there a working title for the album yet?
"Yeah give me a blow job", Danny jokes. We think.

Melody Maker - 25 July 1998