Salford/Manchester’s The Mekkits are a rabble of childhood friends, mostly from nearby Cheshire who moved to the bright lights of the rainy city via a few years in windswept and sea-soaked Wales… Indeed The Mekkits’ music is a bit like the weather: A Kaleidesope ranging from gloriously sunshiny singalongs to tales of dark stormy seas. It’s surfy/folky pop music with a smattering of ska! Singing songs of the sea, the city, the countryside, animals, love and life, The Mekkits are a must see live act, a quasi-partyband of multi-instrumentalists, who indeed seem to bring the sunshine to every venue in their path. Three voice harmonies, earthy acoustic and jangly electric guitars, and double portions of keys and brass characterise their unusual and un-Mancunian sound. For the last year the band have been meticulously beavering away in “Studio Los Mekkitos” at their Salford HQ, working on what should become their first album proper. “It’s colourful and eclectic but with good ol’ catchy songs at it’s heart”, says the bands mysterious 6th member Steve, who doesn’t write/sing/play any of the tunes and has never been to a gig and won’t talk to the press. They have also taken a little time off to embark on a tour of The Netherlands, play Wakestock and a few other outdoor extravaganzas, and play a handful of Manchester shows to the old faithful. Now they’ve got their heads down in the studio for the second half. Will 2009 be the year of The Mekkit?