Will Roberts talks to Courteeners drummer Michael Campbell about the band’s steady rise to fame.

THERE’S a buzz about The Courteeners at the moment.

Their first single from their second album is currently the darling of the airwaves and they’ll soon be smothering dozens of venues across the country with their infectious rock and roll.

The foursome, from Manchester, are one of those bands that are looking to evolve from back of the cupboard music to mainstream, everyday treats.

Anyone who owns their first album St Jude would never deny its undoubted quality. Songs like Not Nineteen Forever and Acrylic combined great, upbeat guitars with lead singer Liam Fray’s clever, heartfelt lyrics. Their music was commonplace on hit TV programmes like Shameless, Gavin and Stacey and 90210, but despite this, the commercial success never really followed.

Before this weekend, the band had yet to achieve a top twenty single. A stand-alone single, That Kiss, was released last year but only got to number 36 in the charts.

Perhaps the turning point was last winter, when The Courteeners combined with fellow Manchester bands The Whip and Buzzcocks to stage a one-off gig at Manchester Central, formerly the G-Mex.

It was a brave move for a far-frommainstream band with only one album to arrange a one-off gig at a 10,000-seater venue, but it paid off – tickets sold out in four days.

Drummer Michael Campbell says it was highlight of the band’s short career.

“It was amazing – the best night of my life,” says Campbell, who used to play acoustic gigs around Manchester with best friend Fray before the band formed.

“It was our first headline show and for it to sell out in such a short time was amazing. But we’re not resting on our laurels, we know we are onto something good here and we want to play at bigger venues.”

Campbell now says the band are excited to release their new album.

“We didn’t do much last year so it was just a question of us getting ready and Liam doing some writing.

“I still listen to St Jude and I am really proud of it but we didn’t just want to do the same thing this time around. I think we have all grown up as musicians.”

The new single, You Overdid it Doll which charted at number 28 on Sunday, is certainly different to previous offerings – there is a disco feel, with more than a passing resemblance to Franz Ferdinand or Reverend and the Makers.

But it’s not necessarily the shape of things to come on Falcon. The album’s first song, The Opener, is more Elbow than disco, while tracks such as Good Times Are Calling and The Rest Of The World Has Gone Home have distinctly Killersflavoured riffs.

But what hasn’t changed is Fray’s uncanny ability to write lyrics which are poignant and catchy.

Fray sings in Last Of The Ladies: “I’m not saying you’re New Order, but I think you know what I mean.

And I’m into the way you’re into me, like a scene from the silver screen.”

Campbell says: “Hopefully people will like what we’ve done, because we have a real hardcore of fans. It might be a slightly different sound but the sentiment is still there.”

■ The Courteeners will perform along with The Futureheads at Newcastle O2 Academy on March 4 as part of Radio 1’s In New Music We Trust event. They will return to the venue as part of their tour on March 22.