It is highly apt that in a month of grey skies, chilly mornings and severe financial hangovers an act called January are amidst the must-see nu-kids on the block.

Lead singer and principle songwriter Simon McLean is suffering from from a seasonal bout of flu, yet in true rock n' roll pro manner he has just managed to pull off another well-received gig in London's Scala Theatre.

The momentum January are currently surfing on is chiefly down to two reasons. Firstly, they are among the first batch of signings to Alan McGee's highly touted Poptones label. Secondly, and contrary to the usual McGee hyperbole, January live up to the promise of their superlatives with a gorgeous, slow-burning, neo-country-tinged debut I Heard Myself In You. They are arguably the finest McGee signings since those Welsh pop upstarts Super Furry Animals blazed into our collective consciousness. Even though McLean is originally from Australia, the significance of being on Poptones is not lost on the singer.

"When I was eighteen in Australia I loved the Creation bands out at the time - Teenage Fanclub, My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream and so on. The ethos at Poptones is that everyone is unknown and starts on the same footing. There is no flagship act. Creation bands like Primal Scream and Teenage Fanclub are now signed with Sony so no-one is dwarfed by them. Arnold are the only Creation band that have been carried over.

"We've only been playing with the current line-up for about a year," continues Simon. "It took a while for the band to gel, but I think we're getting there. I'm always thinking about the next song. We have a pretty high standard of quality control, so a lot of songs fall by the wayside!"

Sounding remarkably assured for a band fresh from their own bakery, January's gigography is also quite brief. They have performed regularly in London, including some appearances at the already legendary Poptones nights on Wednesdays in the Notting Hill Arts Club where Andrew Innes, Bobby Gillespie and even Alan McGee are 'occasional' spinners.

They have yet to play live outside the UK, so their forthcoming New Breathe gig in the PoD is set to be their overseas debut.

"We'll just see what happens really," Simon humbly concludes. Something tells me their booking agent may well have a very busy 2001.

January play New Breathe at the PoD on. I Heard Myself In You is avaiable now on Poptones. All Poptones albums are available for £9.99STG from www.poptones.co.uk