Rob makes himself comfortable by scrounging a roll up, as we make our way to the band's tour bus which is complete with Welsh flag decor.

There is a little something for everyone in your sound, and you are certainly unique in what you do. I am interested to know what inspired you, and how the concept developed?
It was hardcore, fundamentalist Christianity and active membership of the Communist party. Basically I was brought up the son of a preacher man in South Wales and was influenced by Gospel music at an early age. D. Wayne was the son of an active Trotskyist, trade unionist in Glasgow. From there we got into Acid House and started singing Country songs over the top.

Do you still consider yourselves part of the Brixton all-night party scene?
Yeah, we have been there over the last ten months recording the new album, so we've been keeping the parties open late..

Hmm, I bet they welcome you with open arms around there then?
They welcome us with a new dialysis machine.

How was the summer of 2002 for you and the band?
A bit claustrophobic, we've just finished the album and we've been stuck in a very small room with ugly men for 9 months, so we didn't see much of the summer. Then we go on tour just as the clocks go back and it's all really dark and depressing. (adopts American accent..) Not much Melanonin coming through the rays at the moment.

Any funny tour stories for us?
Far too many to mention and far too many that I can't remember. It's like the sixties, if you were there, you can't remember it. (American accent..) After tonight sister, you'll know that we are a riotous living bunch of motherfuckers.

Your tracks are full of irony, yet there is a dark edge to some of your tracks. How much of your meaning is serious?
We are totally serious, but we are serious about creating a smokescreen in front of us. We would much rather give people the option of being confused than say 'hey I'm a really serious artist'. Start from the premise that such is your ego that you wanna get up on stage, you have two options. You can either assume that you are there for your own developement, which means that you take yourself very fucking seriously, or you go 'hey, I've got a load of people coming to see me who have paid a tenner each, and if they have a laugh cos we're having a laugh and talking in American accents, that's good. I mean we are very serious about being stupid if that makes any sense.

Do you think people get that?
A lot of people get it. Journalists don't because it is not in their interests. Journalists depend on bands and musicians to take themselves seriously so that they can take themselves seriously.

Your new album Power In The Blood is slightly more upbeat though with serious undertones. How would you say it differs to your previous albums?
Well, the first album cost half a million, the second 330,000, this one we did ourselves totally underground and is cost us 50 grand. That for us was tough, but its got a lot more of a street edge to it. Also the band as writers, after 9/11 have hopefully got some compassion in there but also there are questions which we are trying to address in our own stupid way.

What is your meaning behind your anti-12 step lyrics?
Being in the rock n' roll industry, I have come across people who have done too much of this and too much of that. I also used to work as an outreach worker in Kings Cross and Earls Court and from experiences there, and my own personal experiences, I do not believe in swopping one narcotic for another, which I think is very much the NA/AA way. Whether you are a heroin addict or a born again Christian, I think both are equally as bad. I think that the 12 step theory is a very contrived, middle class, fucking angst filled bollocks. If it works for some people then that's all well and good. Being a Welshman growing up in a mining community with the miner's strike and seeing how communities are capable as supporting themselves. I think a lot more rehabilitation can be done within the safe environment of your brothers and sisters. You should look to each other for support, not necessarily to some evangelical model of rehabilitation. .Rant, rant, rant.

Hence R.E.H.A.B?
Exactly.

And your take on drugs?
My take on drugs is like my take on water, sea and air. Its there. You can be responsible and yeah, we have a certain' penchance', shall we say, for a rock n' roll lifestyle but we are hard working. We are not a band that tolerate fuck ups, people can do what the fuck they want as long as they survive and are kicking and smiling by ten o clock at night.

What sort of things do the band argue about?
Who nicked my fucking socks! No not really, we just have random attacks of violence, no one particular thing, we are quiet healthy in that a band that fights together stays together. Friction is the formula for the funk.

Do you have your own groupies, a group of girls who follow you around?
Generally men over the age of 37, with drink and drug problems who relate to us. No, some ladies are getting involved now, which is nice. But we are not really a groupie band.

How do you see the difference between your fans in the UK and the US?
Americans are not that hot on irony, what is good is that they have picked up on what we are doing with the form i.e Country and Blues. We were always tarred as a kind of novelty band, because we are mixing Country and Techno. I mean, on paper it looks really stupid. We have people like Steve Earle and Billy Jo Spears giving us namechecks so we know we are doing something right. The Americans aren't arsed that we sing in American accents - they love that.

How would you say you are dealing with success?
(American accent) I sell success for fifty quid a gram, I dunno how the rest of the band do it. I think some of them do it a bit cheaper, but I've run out tonight baby, so I'm feeling a bit of a failure.

What are you most proud of achieving?
I've got a beautiful two and a half year old daughter, you can't beat that really.

How has 'Woke Up This Morning' being used on The Soprano's affected you?
It's alright, we get royalty checks. Sony picked us up in the US because of The Sopranos, but they didn't know how to work an Acid-house Country band from Brixton with a Welshman and a Glasweigan pretending to be from Alabama. They don't know how to categorise us so there are a lot of fuck ups with that. We were on The Simpsons two weeks ago, so that's the best accolade I could ever have, apart from my daughter of course.

What do you think of today's music scene?
I think the music industry reflects the dynamism of our wonderful Labour government. It's bland as fuck. We are seen as a political band, because we mention asylum seekers and racism. We are involved with the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation, set up by Paddy Hill of the Birmingham 6. If we can do anything to help Paddy, that's great.

Who do you admire musically?
Well Steve Earle sticking his neck out with a track called The John Moore Blues about the American turned Taliban is causing a lot of rumpus. I tend to listen to weird DJs from Brixton, a lot of drum and bass. At home I listen to Country and a lot of Hip Hop and Jungle.

What would you like to be remembered for?
(American accent) That I loved the life I lived but I loved the liver I lost..

Is there anything you would have done differently?
Yeah, I wouldn't have had this fucking stupid idea that Country and Western Techno was gonna give me a career. I'd have got into Hard House or Drum and Bass, or some Indie shoegazing.

What would you say are the three most important things in your life?
The family, the funk and the flygaric.

This is an opportunity for you to promote Power In the Blood, the new album.
Well we are not gonna compete on a Radio One A list, but we are developing more Guerilla tactics towards our marketing. We are getting our websites up and running, pretty funky now (www.alabama3.co.uk).

What are your plans for the rest of the year and early 2003?
Die by Christmas, be resurrected by the 22nd, fuck off for New Year somewhere nice and we are doing a tour in Europe in March. We are also looking at a few of us going to New York for a month.

Work or play?
Work. Damn serious hard work.

Is there anything else you would like to comment on?
(Deep South accent) There will only be peace in the valley when we all get the keys to the mansion on the hill.