by Linda SeidaAlthough Mofro is based in the Florida city of Jacksonville, near where JJ Grey and Daryl Hance grew up, the band actually formed across the Atlantic in London. The Floridians were in Great Britain to work on a recording contract that ended up going sour. While in London, the two musicians made the acquaintance of Nathan Shepherd, a keyboard player from Down Under, and Fabrice Quentin, a bassist who hails from France. Shepherd and Quentin joined them for a short time under the Mofro moniker. Unfortunately, the band's situation took an almost deadly turn following a show in Jacksonville that was supposed to be the start of a U.S. tour. Following an evening at the city's Marquee Theatre, band members were involved in an auto accident. Grey's wife sustained serious injuries, while Shepherd needed a period of rehabilitation and he returned to Australia. The band's later lineup included founding members Grey, Hance, and Quentin, plus keyboard player Mike Shapiro and drummer Craig Barnette. Many of the band's songs revolve around environmental issues facing Florida's wildlife and ecology.