UK band KOOPA reveal they've finished recording their as-yet untitled debut album with ex-Blink 182 man Mark Hoppus and engineer Chris Holmes at Hoppus' LA studio.

English rock band KOOPA give a report from Mark Hoppus' LA studio where the finishing touches are being applied to their as-yet untitled debut album, produced by Hoppus and engineered by Chris Holmes and due out through Nashville based Pied Piper Records.

Suite 101: Is the album pretty much finished?

Joe Murphy (bass/vocals): “It’s finished in as far as we’ve recorded all the tracks. Now it’s just got to be mixed and mastered and it’s gone really well. We’ve enjoyed our time over here in LA and working with Mark and Chris.”

Suite 101: How would you describe the album – is it a step up from the stuff we might have heard already?

Joe: “Yeah, most definitely. It’s probably a little bit more mature to what you might have heard before. Some of the songs on there we’ve played live before but there’s also a lot of completely new stuff. It is a step up from anything we’ve recorded before and personally, I think it’s sounding great.”

The Pop-Punk Label

Suite 101: You’ve had the pop-punk label attached to you – do you think you’ve moved away from that tag?

Joe: “Definitely with the newer stuff but if people want to label us, they can label us if they find that easier for themselves. We’re not really concerned with things like that. I’d say we’re more of a rock band than anything and the songs, like I say, are a bit more mature but there’s still that energy and there’s still a pop element to it I guess.”

Suite 101: Do you have a title and release date yet?

Joe: “We don’t yet, no. It’ll be out some time in the summer and we’ve got a few ideas for a title that we’re kicking about but we haven’t decided on the final one yet. We’ll keep them to ourselves for the moment. It’s top secret for now!”

Recording with Mark Hoppus

Suite 101: How was it working with Mark Hoppus and Chris Holmes?

Joe: “It was absolutely amazing. Obviously Chris Holmes is superb at his job – I’ve never seen anyone so quick on Pro Tools. And Mark, obviously, has sold millions and millions and millions of records so he knows what he’s doing. It took the first few days for us to get to know him and vice versa but after that it was just fantastic. From Blink 182 you might expect him to be this happy, outgoing sort of person and that is pretty much what he’s like – maybe just a little bit more reserved.”

Suite 101: Did they have any actual input on the songs or did they just let you go at it?

Joe: “A bit of both. Mark helped us with a few bits and pieces, with arrangements and obviously the general sound but it was more just a guiding hand. It wasn’t like he came in and rewrote our songs for us.”

KOOPA UK Tour

Suite 101: You’ve a UK tour coming up – are you looking forward to showcasing the album back in Blighty?

Joe: “Oh yeah, of course we are. We played at South by Southwest and we’ve just played at the world famous Whisky a Go Go, which was a brilliant gig. The atmosphere was superb but yeah, we’re looking forward to getting back to gigging properly and getting the new setlist sorted. Hopefully it’s going to be a really good tour.”

Click here for KOOPA's most Spinal Tap moment