Rewind12 months or so, writes Templeton Blake.

Oxford's Medal had released their debut album Drop Your Weapon on Polydor. The Porno EP, complete with accompanying video, was set for release - and Medal played the Carling Weekender festivals at Reading and Leeds.

Things were looking good for Medal - then, just as work was just about to commence on their second album, their long-serving bass player announced that he was leaving the band.

Shortly afterwards, Medal parted company with their label.

Their last gig prior to the recent Truck 2000 at Steventon was in Paris last December, supporting those other home-grown heroes, Supergrass.

Now the band has regrouped, recruited a new bassist and completed their second album. Medal are back and this time they mean business.

Singer and guitarist Jamie Hyatt takes up the story.

"It's been a bit hectic. After we supported Supergrass in Paris last December, we went into the studio and started trying to put the album together as quickly as possible," he said.

"At that point there was a bit of a change in A&R at Polydor who felt they weren't able to take a gamble with the second album. It was all down to money in the end really. So it was all a bit hectic trying to get things finished.

"The new album has got four bass players on it! Me, Dan, Gavin our sound engineer and our new bassist Ollie. He used to play in a band called Fuzzgun we've known him for a few years."

The new album is called Stuntman after a track on the album.

"It's a really slow number with just acoustic guitar, vocals, cellos and just a bit of drums. The Away Team have mixed the album and produced bits of it. It was recorded all over the place in a little home studio, in rehearsal rooms and in the studio too. It sounds really good."

"We're trying to be more experimental in our approach to songs. The last album, I felt, was a whole concept; it had a whole feel to it, this one's more all over the place but it's still held together. It's not outrageously experimental though," he added.

Medal unveiled some of their material at Truck 2000 a week or so ago.

"I enjoy going to Truck, it was the first time we've played there. We've got a local gig at The Bullingdon on Sunday, August 20, sort of a warm-up for this year's Reading Festival. Then, of course, it's Reading and Leeds."

**Reading Festival takes place on August 25-27. Tickets are available from the credit card hotline 08701 500 044. Weekend tickets are 80; day tickets 33 plus booking fee.