Hex are one of my favourite Glasgow bands, even though I've only seen them a handful of times despite them playing about twice a week. I've seen their set develop from broken equipment anger-fuelled ear death to actual songs with singing and tunes, albeit still with the controlled noise of songs powered by drum machine. Their debut album was a glorious mess of noise and ridiculous song titles but by the sounds of things there's even better to come.

Members, and what you do in the band:
Mark Hex: Guitar, Vocals, Drum programming
Fergie: Bass

Location: Glasgow

Formed:
In our hometown of Ayr in about 2000, when Fergie got his bass. However, we were horrible Manics fans and wrote cringe worthy songs like "Time for a Revolution". Then I heard Mogwai at Rothesay in April 2001 and it was a revelation. I started listening to Pavement etc and heard their song "The Hexx" on Terror Twilight. I wanted my band to sound like that song. That's when we became Hex properly.

What do you think you sound like, and how different is that from what other people have said or written about you?

Well, I always think we are far more poppy than we actually are. I mean when we released the album I thought it was pretty listenable but others thought it was extreme. I never considered us as extreme. We were a noise band but we're not now. We're still pretty dark but in a different way.

Which has been your favourite and least favourite gig you've played?

My personal favourite was the Park Attack record launch night in September at Stereo. It was just a really fun experience with most of our friends and supporters present. Then we all went out to Optimo and... well I don't
remember much after that.The worst was probably a gig we did in Aberdeen a couple of years back. The 3 and a half hour journey up there was crap, the venue was crap, the sound guy tried to tell me how my band should sound and how crap we were. We ended up just playing 20 minutes of feedback to annoy everyone. It was awful. The only thing that stopped me going home was the promoters who were extremely nice.

Every time I've seen you play, you've been very different from the last time. What are the reasons for this?

I don't know when you've seen us but I'm not going to say something pretentious like "oooh..I want it to be a different experience every time you see Hex". Rubbish. Basically we've been together properly for 3 years and obviously in that time there is going to be a progression. I'm not gonna churn out the same idea for all that time. We we started we were 17, we've learned a lot in that time.I see it as a natural progression. I had fun
doing all the metal machine music noise stuff but there comes a time when you don't want to do that sort of thing all your life. The music we were making is not what I'd listen to at home. I was getting asked by people if I
knew this band and that band. I didn't and when I checked them out they were all rubbish. The music we are making right now is something I would actually like to listen to at home.

What do you do in your day-to-day lives, other than being Hex?

We are both students. I also work in a Cinema.

Which is your favourite of your own tracks and why?

I'll always have a place in my heart for "Murano St." as it was the first vaguely poppy song I wrote. I can't really stand the old stuff now but I respect what I was trying to do. I was 18 and angry. I really like the new songs we are working on at the moment.

Who is your most famous fan, or the most famous person that owns one of your records?

Depends what you mean by famous. Stuart Braithwaite used to like us but I don't know what he thinks of the new stuff. Thee "Michael" was one of our earliest fans and Adele from Sons and Daughters bought Scott our album for his birthday a few years back.

What does your family think of your music?

My mum and dad have been very supportive. They didn't like the old stuff but my dad was listening our new demo in the car and bopping away. His comment was something like "I'm so glad you've added vocals." I think my brother thinks we're ok but wont admit it as he's into stuff like Biffy Clyro. He did say that I couldn't sing.

What's on your stereo RIGHT NOW?

Nothing. As i'm in a computing room in Glasgow Uni. Since I've started hanging about with Graham Peel I'm listening to a lot of Flying Matchstick Men(whether I like it or not) and Duran Duran (not that I'm complaining). At home, The Cure, Kraftwerk, Pet Shop Boys, Madness, P.i.L

What are the best and worst local bands you've seen recently?

Best: Errors, Flying Matchstick Men, Park Attack, Simplestorm, Multiplies, Germlin, Michael Dracula, Grnr, New Rosy Jewels. Worst: some band called Avaitor Shades or some thing, Operator and others that don't warrant the mention

What's so great about Glasgow?

Dial-a-booze

What is your favourite useless fact?

Daddy Long Legs have the most deadly poison known to man but they can't administer it as they have no teeth. I stole that from Ricky Gervais

What are your upcoming plans? Is there another album on the way?

We are about two thirds through a new album which is being produced by Gav "Grnr" Thomson of Flying Matchstick Men. We don't have a label to release it yet but I'm very excited about it.

Email: wearehex@hotmail.com
Website: The website will be pulled down soon but the address is www.chunkychickenrecords.co.uk/hex

Records we can buy:
Our 1st album, "The Credit of not Caring" is available in it's own wee "Hex" section in Monorail but it's rubbish and it doesn't sound anything like us now, so don't bother

Interview by Marceline Smith