NEWS: Mansun Legend Paul Draper Joins Twitter and Reveals New Project

A few weeks ago I explained how fans of the much-missed 90's legends Mansun had launched a petition to get frontman Paul Draper to release his solo material, and there has been progress of sorts. Since Mansun's split in 2003, Draper has been absent from the music world, with the exception of the work he did with Skunk Anansie's Skin on her 2006 solo album 'Fake Chemical State' and 'Greyhounds In The Slips', a collaborative track with The Joy Formidable which was released in 2009. Despite beginning work on solo material in 2005, nothing has materialised and his official website was taken down in 2011, as were his Facebook fan page and forum. Ever since, Draper has been absent from the public eye. Then, a few weeks ago he played as a guest with Leeds based supergroup Menace Beach during a session for Marc Riley's BBC Radio 6Music show, which prompted the petition. Afterwards, Paul made a statement: "I have been busy writing and producing with other artists recently. I'll be a couple of months wrapping up my current project, then I will be free to look at what to do next. I'm going to keep all options open and have a serious think about things, particularly peoples interest in hearing my own material..."

Not long after, Draper reappeared on Twitter with a new account. After sharing some studio photos, he discovered the existence of an LA-based gangsta rapper who happens to go by the name of Mansun. Cue much hilarity... When he isn't crashing his car or being shot, the self-proclaimed "lynchpin of rap" is "freestyling" about life in the hood and "fat ass bitches" (or something to that effect). Usually if you send insulting tweets to a gangster rapper, you live in danger of being murdered. Luckily, this particular South Central rapper seems to be completely oblivious to Draper's sarcastic, piss-taking interactions. Now two websites have jumped on the story and are actually convinced that a Mansun vs Mansun collaboration is going to happen... Scroll down for a selection of the best tweets...

A statement Draper issued in 2008 suggests that his solo album was temporarily abandoned in favour of a new project. Two of the proposed song titles were 'Being A Girl Part 3' and 'Cancer Part II', suggesting that he may have been working on a sequel to the inventive and ahead-of-it's-time 'Six'. It has now been revealed that the project is called The Anchoress. Rumoured to be a collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Catherine A.D., Draper has just completed recording their debut album at his London studio 'The Kitchen'. The record is the first full album he's produced since 1998's classic 'Six'. Paul has also co-written half of the tracks on the album and contributes by playing guitar and providing backing vocals... The Anchoress has a Twitter page HERE, a Facebook HERE and an official website HERE.

Paul's Twitter page can be found HERE. Following is highly recommended...

Paul Draper ‏@PaulDraper 9 Nov
Hang on, this isn't funny @OFFICIALMANSUN has got more followers than me!! HE hasn't even got a fukin tick next to him!!!
MANSUN ‏@OFFICIALMANSUN 9 Nov
In my hood chilling being the BOSS that I am really living this love to all them fake haters MAFIA4LIFE pic.twitter.com/ZVVYqmCBXT
Retweeted by Paul Draper

Paul Draper ‏@PaulDraper 9 Nov

Jesus @OFFICIALMANSUN just hit back, and hit back hard......he's just tweeted his hairbrush in his toyota to all the haters, look......

MANSUN ‏@OFFICIALMANSUN 10 Nov

@PaulDraper @PaulAnnett @PaulDraperFans love to the MANSUNS will love to do a song for all our fans music is our way of life lets go team
Retweeted by Paul Draper

MANSUN ‏@OFFICIALMANSUN 10 Nov

To all my fans follow @PaulDraper we are about to do the greatest collaboration together from LONDON to LOS ANGELES
Retweeted by Paul Draper