Delays

Celebrated in the music press and loved by Radio One DJ's Mark and Lard, with the release of their latest single Long Time Coming at the beginning of this week, they may well be adding an appearance on Top of the Pops to their list of accolades.

The band's drummer Rowley said: "The single was at number 13 in the midweek chart so it looks like it will stay in the top 20 when it charts on Sunday, which is great for us. We're over the moon."

"We're hoping we might be on Top of the Pops next week. There's no guarantee but if we do get in the top 20 there's a very good chance.

"They phoned us up today asking if we do get to do the show, would be want to play live or play to a backing tape and if we can we're going to play live."

The possibility of appearing on the show is a significant marker which reminds the band, who still live in Bitterne Park, how far they have come since they were signed to Rough Trade Records, home of the Strokes and Libertines, less than a year ago.

"Top of the Pops was always a big event to us when we were growing up when a band that we were into, like Suede or whoever, was on. It feels amazing to think we might do that."

But this isn't the most significant marker to the bands progress.

"The real markers are actually the quality of the music, though," Rowley (who, like Cher and Madonna, prefers to use just one name rather than the standard two) explains.

"The actual records we're making and the gigs we're doing, we feel, are getting better and better all the time. That's where the real buzz is.

"We're really, really happy with the album we've made".

The band's first album, due out in spring, is entitled Faded Seaside Glamour, but this isn't a comment on the lad's home city.

"We were in Margate playing in an old ballroom which was almost derelict and we came up with the title then. It's quite melancholy, which fits our music. It's upbeat and melancholic."

Titles are important to Delays. When they were first signed, they were very keen to emphasis the lack of the definite article in their name, ie 'The'.

"We're not so worried now but when our first record came out (Nearer than Heaven), there were billions of bands around called 'The something' who were all playing this style of punky garage rock which we wanted to distance ourselves from because musically we're nothing like that.

"But it's not such a big deal now. We are called Delays but occasionally when we turn up at venues it says 'The Delays' but it doesn't really bother us that much any more."

Delays might not be a 'punky garage rock' band but they have got a lot of experience of playing in garages.

"We were always skint before," Rowley says of the days before the band got signed.

"We had our dole cut off because we had to turn down jobs because we were just playing music all the time. We played music every day in our garage. We always felt like we were a professional band - we just weren't getting paid for it. Getting paid now is a definite bonus! It makes life easier, that's for sure.

"But we're pretty much doing what we've always done. We still rehearse in our garage and I think we probably always will - that's where we created all of our music. It would be a bit weird to do it in a big rehearsal room in the middle of the countryside. We're pretty much doing the same as we've always done."

And the band aren't planning on turning their back on the local venues that they've made their name in on the way to the top.

"The Joiners (in St Mary's, Southampton) is still one of our favourite venues in the country if not our favourite. It's where we go and where we hang out. We really want to play there as much as possible. We've made our own music in Southampton. I can't see us moving to London because it's just not where we do our stuff."

Delays are at The Joiner's Arms in St Mary's, Southampton tonight. Tickets: £5.50. Box office: 023 8022 5612.