FEW bands have fallen from grace quite as quickly as Kula Shaker.
Formed at the height of Britpop by Crispian Mills – son of actress Hayley and grandson of film legend Sir John – the band hit fame in 1996 with the single Tattva, before their No1 album K went on to become the fastest-selling debut since Oasis' Definitely Maybe, shifting well over a million copies worldwide.
They enjoyed further hits with the singles Govinda, The Sound of Drums, Hush and Hey Dude, which was only kept off the top spot by the Spice Girls.
It was, indeed, a fast rise, but an even faster fall, brought on by a few dodgy comments that lead singer Mills made about the swastika.
Speaking to NME in 1997, Mills started talking about Hitler, saying that he'd love to "have great big flaming swastikas onstage just for the f*** of it."
As if that wasn't enough to ruffle feathers, later that year he told the same publication, "You can see why Hitler got support. It was probably the uniforms that swung it".
Following the outcry, Mills tried to defend his views by explaining that he was referring to the swastika as an ancient Indian spiritual symbol rather than the Nazi emblem.
That might have swung it in his favour, had it not then transpired that his previous band, The Objects Of Desire, used the slogan: 'England will rise again'.
The group had done the usual round of toilet circuit venues, but in 1993 lined up to play at a conference entitled Global Deception, at which speakers included a leading US militia writer, William Cooper, who had reprinted the anti-semitic forgery, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which was used by the Nazis to help justify the Holocaust.
Adding salt to the wounds, it was also found that Mills had later thanked Cooper on the credits to Kula Shaker's hit album, K.
Perhaps it was just plain silly rather than racist, but nevertheless, the singer never shook off the controversy, and Kula Shaker's second album, Peasants, Pigs And Astro-nauts, was a massive flop.
The band announced their split up in March 1999.
Now, more than ten years since their debut album, Mills and co are back, having returned last year with third album Strangefolk, which was released on their own record label.
"In many ways, I think the world is a much more exciting place than it was ten years ago," says Mills, pondering the time gap. "War, oppression, mass communication, ridiculously skinny jeans, that's what rock 'n' roll thrives on." As far as the current state of the music industry goes, Mills says, "It's a different universe," to the one Kula Shaker first inhabited, adding that "record companies are dying.
"As they come close to their death, they are kicking hard in their final howl. They aren't taking as many risks as before, and they are being a lot harder in their advertising.
"Nobody knows which way it's going to go, but it's a great opportunity for new musicians – it's a time for musical independence."
Asked about the whole press affair surrounding his infamous swastika comments and Mills collects himself a moment before calmly stating, "You know, bands get a lot of nasty s*** thrown at them in the press. But they don't split up if there's a chemistry within them.
"We were just kids, making money for other people and we were just a bit naive really. We were kids and needed to grow and we have done. But as far as that being the reason the band split, then no, it was more than that."
Today's might be a totally different musical climate to the one Kula Shaker first burst onto, but Mills insists the band are still as obsessed with Eastern mysticism as they have always been.
"It wasn't just some passing fad, it's something I've always been interested in," says the singer, whose hit single Tattva featured a chorus adapted from an ancient Sanskrit text and a colourful organ and guitar riff, which essentially encapsulated the band's sound.
"Our music is still evolving, and we're still on a mission. We made a very young-sounding rock 'n' roll album with K, and it's something that we're still very proud of."
The band, who come to Liquid Room on Wednesday, have plans to release another full-length album this year, which Mills believes will represent the next big leap.
"I think the next record will be a big step forward for the band," he says. "We started writing for it a few months ago and the plan is to get it recorded and out there as soon as possible."
Kula Shaker kick off the tour in Warrington on Sunday night, and the hope is that they receive the same reaction from crowds as they did when they went on the road last year.
"We have been really surprised by how many young people there have been coming to our gigs recently – kids as young as ten even, just little kids," says Mills. "That's very inspiring.
"Ten years ago we made a pop album that, even after all this time, people still enjoy. That's something we're proud of. What's so inspiring is that people still listen to that record."
Turning his attention to the band's Capital visit, he says, "We're looking forward to getting to Edinburgh, of course we are. Playing Scotland is a highlight on any tour, and we always get a great reception up there."
As well as a chance to win over a new generation of fans, Kula Shaker's current tour is also in support of NO2ID, a group of people committed to raising awareness about the full impact of ID cards and the database state.
"Away from the music side of things, that aspect of the tour is something that really excites me," explains Mills. "We're glad to be doing our bit to raise awareness of this."
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Kula Shaker, Liquid Room, Victoria Street, Wednesday, 7pm, £15, 0131-225 2564
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