Mouthwash

The U.K. quartet Mouthwash, whose lineup features frontman Ben McCarthy alongside guitarist Robert Tortelli, bassist Rich Fry, and drummer Chris Hugall, first came together as a trio in 1995 when its members were still teenagers. Their sound blended a distinctive strain of hardcore punk drawn from acts such as Minor Threat, Operation Ivy, and Bad Religion. By the closing years of the decade the group was performing local shows throughout London, put out the Music for the Average Ninja EP, and launched its own imprint, Hot Wok Records. Fry’s arrival on bass freed McCarthy to devote his energies to his roles as principal songwriter and lead vocalist. During the rest of the ’90s Mouthwash supported the Vandals, Hepcat, Agnostic Front, Rancid, the Get Up Kids, and Vanilla Pod on stage. Rancid’s Tim Armstrong responded strongly to the band’s intensity and invited Mouthwash to join his Hellcat Records roster. A self-titled EP appeared in late 1998, and the group contributed tracks to several Hellcat compilations before issuing its first full-length album, 1000 Dreams, in early 2001.