We first interviewed Ben McKeown, The Mustangs' Bass player in November 2004 and again in July 2006. He's still there and penning some insight into the new Album. Let's see how's it going?

Q. Hi Ben, new year, new album! How do you feel about it now it's finished and available?

I’m very pleased with the new album. It feels as though we’ve really moved forward from Split Decision. The whole package, with the music and Mark Fullick’s great artwork, has a solidity and confidence to it that’s very appealing.

Q. How do you feel it's different to previous Mustangs albums?

I love the production. It represents our live sound much better than previous albums. The drums in particular sound fantastic, but overall it has an airy, natural sound that’s a major step forward from our previous work.

Also, I think it takes the listener on a bit of a journey. There’s an impression of space and depth that comes from the production as much as the performances and songs themselves. Together with the variety in the song writing and the subject matter, it adds up to a cohesive and interesting album that goes somewhere, rather than just a collection of songs.

Q. Can you explain the title for us?

Adam had a riff that he brought to rehearsal. Whilst we were jamming and feeling our way into it, the lyric “everything must change, nothing stays the same” emerged. We all felt it would be an appropriate title, as things have moved forward significantly for all of us individually and as a band since the last record.

Q. What are you most happy with on it?

The album has a swagger and confidence that I love. I think there are some fantastic moments on it. It’s our best album in every way: song writing, arrangement, performance, production. From a personal point of view, I’m pleased with my performance. I can listen to Rocking Horse, Split Decision and Nothing Stays The Same and hear a major progression in terms of my level of ability and musicianship. That’s very satisfying.

Q. How has it been received so far? What about live?

As yet very few people have heard the new album, but the comments have been universally positive. We’ve played far more of this album live than we ever did of Rocking Horse or Split Decision ahead of their release and some of the new numbers have become crowd favourites. Looking Down The Well always goes down a storm and we’ve been successfully opening and closing shows with Put Your Money On Me and Nothing Stays The Same respectively.

Q. The band now seems a regular at some of the biggest blues festivals, what aims do you have for these in 2008?

More festivals and bigger crowds, with luck!

Q. There is also often talk of gigs abroad, any developments here?

We would love to go off on tour somewhere else, although we all have commitments in the UK that would make touring difficult. Holland, Spain and Ireland have all been suggested for mini-tours. I really hope it happens soon.

Q. What about your own song writing in the band...you have more songs on this album than any other?

Over the past couple of albums a song writing process has emerged organically between Adam and me. Generally, I’ll write something on the guitar and take it to Ad. He’ll come up with a vocal melody and some lyric ideas, which we’ll develop together (invariably over a beer or two). I then finish off the lyrics and give them back to Ad for final refinement. It’s always a lot of fun and seems to work well. Having said that, it’s always a special thing to write a song in its entirety and take it to the band, as I did with Over Too Soon and (on this album) Long Distance Line. The fact that I was able to play guitar on both of them too was an added bonus.

Q. Can you tell us a bit about the songwriting process that goes on when songs are attributed to all of you?

We’ve developed an ability to chip away at ideas in rehearsal and come up with something that really works for us as a band. For instance, it was obvious from the beginning that Keep On Loving had promise as a song, but we just couldn’t get it to work. We persevered with it until it finally emerged as you hear it on the album. I think we did it justice.

Q. Jon has yet to pen a track all on his own... will he ever?

I’m sure he will!

Q. The band has veered quite a way from the traditional blues roots it began with. Do you still regard The Band as a blues band?

I’m not sure we’ve ventured that far from our blues roots. The new album is full of blues songs with a fresh twist, even if initially they might sound like something else. For instance, Nights Like Those is practically a straight blues song in terms of structure and melody, although it may not sound that way on first listen.

Q. How important is it to you to keep a blues element?

Blues music and the blues sensibility is stamped right through us like Blackpool through a stick of rock. We couldn’t be anything else if we tried. No matter what music we play, our foundations are deep and will always colour the music that we play.

Q. Our regular final question may be a bit unfair for you, but what is your favourite Mustangs song?

At the moment I particularly like So Many Roads. It’s so breezy and optimistic. It’s also different from anything else we’ve done, while still being instantly recognisable as a Mustangs song. I love the way that Derek’s harp floats in such a pretty way above the crunchy guitar and solid push-pull rhythm track in the chorus. During the verses, there’s a much looser, free-form feel and then there’s the psychedelic middle eight, which is our “Mustangs at Woodstock” moment. It gives the song so much texture and interest. It’s like a musical cheesecake – solid biscuit base, creamy tangy filling and a sprinkling of multicoloured hundreds and thousands on the top!

Thanks Ben.