In 2005 a project was started featuring guest collaborators, artists, poets and performers we had met at The Foundry, a bar and gallery in East London, where The Who Boys had performed regularly for a long time. The change in the UK licensing laws in 2005 meant that the Who Boys and these other performers would no longer be able to perform live there anymore, as the venue was not allowed to have anything that constituted a live performance without first applying for an entertainment license. It was the end of an era.

The project was originally to be called 'Lost and Foundry', to commemorate this loss and capture the spirit of the characters and performers on this album, but then Rathmell, who is bloody-minded, fell out with one of the owners. Also we worried that no one would know what The Foundry is outside of East London anyway, so as a title it would make no sense to anybody else in the world. Instead we decided to call it 'The Quite Album'.

Why? Because it's quite long, there are quite a lot of quite short tracks, there are quite a lot of participants and it's quite a departure for us in terms of style and approach. It's also quite bloody good, cunt.

Inspired by The Commercial Album by The Residents, we wanted to make a collection of very short tracks where we reduced songwriting to its basic elements, working fast and often improvising. After years of spending ages on tracks, agonising over every detail, we wanted to bring more spontaneous creativity back into it and maybe learn something about songwriting in the process, or indeed what a song can be. And have some bloody FUN, instead of being precious and thinking too much.

So welcome to The Quite Album - a dark, experimental journey through our culture. Quite.

The Who Boys are joined by:

Porno Paul
Porno Paul is a very sick and dangerous man, who is also extremely talented. He composes and sends unsolicited text messages to a large number of people that amount to modern poetic genius. The Who Boys are in no way responsible for the content of the texts he reads out on any tracks that feature him on this album. We're also intending at some point to make an album with Paul, 'The Frankly Amoral World of Porno Paul', so keep checking.

Danny Pockets
Usually known for sticking carrier bags in trees, multimedia artist Danny Pockets reveals himself on this album to be a lyricist of rare talent. A very clever man - but don't cross him or he'll send Terry The Fork round.

Grassy' Noel Macken
A fiery poet, performer and playwright of distinction, Noel brings his unique brand of madness to several tracks.

Cathy Flowers
Poet and performance artist Cathy Flowers brings her vocals to 'Just You and Me', and 'I don't care'.

Mark Stringer
Photographer and performer of text messages, Mark Stringer contributes some splendid acting on 'Dover Soul' and 'Just You and Me', and plays a marvellous flute on 'All a Bit Too Clever'. Miguel Must remember to find out his last name. Played beautiful piano on 'Just You and Me'.

Tracey Moberly
Artist Tracey Moberly performs the introduction to her radio show 'The Late Breakfast Show' (Resonance FM, 104.4, Fridays at 12pm). Has an alter-ego, Moira Minguella, the writings of whom have inspired three songs here.