Comprised of four kids from South London, the Mouthwash comine the best of punk, ska and hardcore, merging their UK roots with their US influences, which include Bad Religion, Operation Ivy and Minor Threat. As the band began to gain recognition as a great live act, they found themselves opening for bands such as The Vandals, Bouncing Souls, H20, Hepcat, Agnostic Front, Rancid and The Get Up Kids. It was when they played a Rancid gig in 1998 that Rancid founder and Hellcat prez Tim Armstrong noticed Mouthwash and asked them to join up and be a part of Hellcat Records.