WHILE their university graduate contemporaries were desperately searching for proper jobs or finding ways to put off such grown-up reality, the indie music ensemble known as Los Campesinos! were packing their bags to fulfil that universal dream of signing a record deal and going on tour.

Three years on and the Cardiff-based gang are about to release their second official album for Wichita Recordings, Romance is Boring, recorded in Stamford, Connecticut and Seattle in between live dates across America.

Taking their profile up a notch, this month they embark on their first major UK headline tour, which includes a date at Falmouth's Princess Pavilion the night after their prestigious show at London's Koko.

"We all went to uni together in Cardiff and most of us have stayed on in the city," explains Harriet Campesino! (all band members use this universal surname) whose violin and backing vocals contribute to the band's unique, cacophonous and avant garde rock sound.

"When we were starting a lot of the bands we were into were from the US, and people in the industry and the media picked up on this. In the beginning we felt we were outsiders in the British music scene – we didn't have much in common with anyone here. When we went over there to tour the glamour of the exotic kicked in; people seemed to get us a bit more."

Harriet, originally from Dorking in Surrey, acknowledges that it's very easy to be disparaging about where you come from and UK audiences are now catching the Campesinos! bug.

She learned to play violin as a child, working her way through the grades, never imagining this could lead to any career opportunities.

"When I went to uni to study English, I brought my violin and it lived under my bed for about a year. Then Neil (Campesino!) asked if I'd like to join his band and I said yeah!" she says.

The Los Campesinos! story began in the student bedroom of drummer Ollie, where the original seven (who have just been joined by an eighth member for live work) would gather to rehearse. Harriet, who had been used to playing from sheet music, began a crash course in improvisation.

"We would have half pop songs and half long, deep indie stuff, and you can still see elements of that in our album," says Harriet.

"I have a pretty free rein about what I play; nobody really cares what I do – it's not like being the drummer," she laughs.

All the band members are between 23 and 26 and life on the road is still very much a convivial student-style existence.

"We seem to enjoy it more and more. We all get on and we're not confrontational people so if we do get annoyed with someone there is always someone else to talk to!" says Harriet.

"We share this amazing history and we don't take things too seriously. Most things get turned into a joke."

In the US they have a big tour bus, but here they will travel in two vans to keep costs down.

"We can't be lavish now," she adds. "It was crazy how much money we had to start with. There wasn't so much a record label war over us – it was more of a three-man scuffle – but we ended up with an amazing contract. We have to keep a tight hold on the purse strings now, though."

Support on the night comes from London band Swanton Bombs, who are Dominic McGuinness and Brendon Heaney. Opening proceedings are Cardiff group Islet.

JACKIE BUTLER

Los Campesinos! play at the Princess Pavilion, Falmouth on Friday, February 26. Tickets are £9 in advance from www.seetickets.com 08712 2200260 or the venue on 01326 211222. This is an all ages show.