THEY were labelled the 'new Oasis', helped pioneer the 'cosmic Scouse' genre and were nominated for a Mercury Music Prize – all in their breakout year.

But James Skelly from The Coral did not know what all the fuss was about.

He was more used to hanging out with his mates than cosying up to music industry types and was so uncomfortable with the whole thing that he and his band played football rather than attend the Mercury prize ceremony.

"We didn’t think it was a big deal," said James.

"Turns out that it was the worst thing that could have happened. We were playing footie so we told them we couldn’t go."

The Coral formed 20 years ago when Ian Skelly and Paul Duffy began jamming together in a pub in Hoylake.

They were joined by Ian's older brother James on vocals and main songwriting duties as well as Warrington-born Bill Ryder-Jones and Lee Southall. They were all just teenagers at the time.

They went on to spearhead Merseyside’s next musical movement – the so-called 'cosmic Scouse' – alongside the likes of The Zutons, The Dead 60s and The Rascals.

James, 36, added: "We were all mates but I didn’t think of it musically as a movement. I thought: ‘What are they going on about?’

"At the time music journalists were labelling big London bands as a ‘really important cultural bastions of new music’.

"Whereas if you’re from Liverpool you were cosmic mushroom heads. People just label you. They're just paying the bills but were probably being a bit lazy."

Oasis were a big influence on James but The Coral's comparisons with the Gallagher brothers' band went down just as well as the 'cosmic Scouse' tag did.

James said: "We weren't that. We couldn't live up to that.

"All these comparisons and labels and award nominations were a bit much sometimes. We weren’t really that street wise. We were like hillbillies really.

"The record company, Deltasonic, wasn’t experienced either so it was new for them as well

"Our mentor and label head Alan Wills guided through a lot of things and then it went big fast when no one had any experience of it.

"It was a great adventure but probably a lot of mistakes were made."

That breakthrough year was 2002 and there has been a lot of water under bridge since then but 14 years on The Coral continue to do things in their own way.

Their new album, Distance Inbetween, is their first since a five-year hiatus and is a complete departure from their usual sound.

James added: "We looked at all the albums and thought if you were listening to all The Coral’s albums what’s missing? A heavier album.

"We wanted to do something that will grab people and I’ve always liked the heavy blues stuff like early Fleetwood Mac. I was listening to a lot of Hawkwind as well."

James said in previous interviews that he felt like his band was trapped in a time warp which was what prompted the hiatus as well as the new sound.

"I think we needed this," he said.

"It’s given us a new lease of life. You need that when you’re on your eighth album.

"During the break I think we needed a bit of space. Everyone had to do their own thing and get some perspective on what they wanted and become hungry for it again."

Among the bands that The Coral influenced were Warrington's Viola Beach.

The indie pop band and their Woolston manager Craig Tarry died in a crash in Sweden in February.

The Coral played at the Parr Hall concert in their memory alongside the likes of the Courteeners and the Kooks.

James added: "I didn’t know the lads but I knew their manager Craig a little. We were there because the families had asked us to play.

"So it was more about going and playing and delivering for them because it was the families’ night. You don’t want to say it was a great gig but there was a brilliant atmosphere when we were playing.

"We just tried to add something to that. That’s all you can do. When it comes to something that tragic happening it’s bigger than you and bigger than music."

James, who produced Blossoms' number one record, got into music when he was a teenager but it was the electronic scene rather than guitar-based tunes that inspired him originally.

He said: "I used to have decks and liked the Prodigy and early rave stuff so I always wanted to do something like that.

"And then Oasis came along and it completely changed my life.

"A Beatles anthology was on telly shortly after that and I went backwards from there ending up with Robert Johnson and Charley Patton.

"I then went back up from there again."

A more unusual influence has crept into James's work since then – the graphic novels of Watchmen and Killing Joke writer Alan Moore.

James added: "My favourite is Swamp Thing and that has affected me and changed my mind on issues more than any politician, talk show or any other book.

"I kind of like things that can step outside of reality and then look back at it. I think that way you can sometimes see it clearer and not get bogged down in the details."

- The Coral play at Manchester Academy on December 17. Visit gigst.rs/thecoral