The A team

Apparently, A are not hung over this morning (a common complaint for bands visiting Ireland). “We’re toured over” groans a sleepy eyed drummer, Adam Perry. “We did Top Of The Pops yesterday and had to get a helicopter straight off to Exeter, straight off the helicopter onto the gig, straight onto stage in the same clothes, off the stage onto the bus, straight to the airport, off the bus and flew here. And we got here an hour ago. I haven’t slept properly for two weeks now. It’s been insane.”

Such are the lives of Suffolk five piece A, a band who over the past year have swapped the gruelling depths of a non stop touring schedule for the cushty confines of a top ten single, big expensive videos, packing out all three levels of Virgin Megastores and being on the telly. However, their rapid rise to success has not been without the graft.

“We’re quite a hardworking band,” says Adam. “It was about time we got some media attention and it’s made all the difference. It’s been blinding really.”

“Our rock dues have been paid,” agrees twin brother Jason (vocals). “We’ve toured and toured and toured and never given up. Most bands would have split by now. It’s like bashing your head up against a brick wall and, yeah, we’ve come pretty close to the brink a couple of times. The pressure is phenomenal.”

As an actual band of brothers, sporting both the twins and their younger sibling Giles on keyboards, the odd punch up would certainly be expected. However, things took a turn for the serious when last year when an ordinarily contented and karmic A hit a black spot.

“We always thought our band would avoid those temperamental rock cliches of inter-band fighting because we get on like a house on fire and have a good time,” says Adam. “That’s what we’ve always been known for in the past, this bunch of clowns that’d do anything people wanted and always have a smile on our faces. But last year it just all got a bit much. We started having arguments and bust-ups and wanting to fly home and stuff.”

“But we’re all so close, that it’s made us into a better band,” interjects Jason. “That’s what made this album so good. We realised we just had to get in the studio and make it and at times it seemed like we never would, so when we did, we raised our game and decided to make something really special; strip it all down and just do the important stuff. We didn’t want to make an ‘I’m Happy To Be Here’ record.”

The album Hi Fi Serious is the band’s third full length offering and something of a corker at that, mixing abrasive guitars with an undeniable eighties New Wave vibe, placing A firmly at the forefront of the regeneration of British rock.

“There aren’t that many British rock bands around these days because they all get dropped” remarks Adam. “I think our label saw something in our music that a lot of the other Brit rock bands haven’t really got. It’s got more of an eclectic sound, there’s a bit of a Police New Wave tint to it. Plus, we’ve got a pretty decent following and have sold quite a few records. Now we just want to build on that.”