AKP have been on the York scene for a few years, and over that time have built up a reputation for great live shows and tunes with more energy than Drax. They clearly think about how to present themselves as well. Even for their live session on BBC Radio York, they turned up looking good in coordinated black outfits... a bit like they'd just finished the day job at the crematorium. But although their colour scheme may be subdued, the music certainly isn't. "We try and look half decent. It's important to look like you've made an effort when you go out on stage, even when you're on the radio." So where did the name come from? "The name of the band is AKP. That's it. At the moment it stands for Auto Kinetic Playback, but we'll probably change that on a whim, to get people used to the idea that AKP is now in fact a word." So there you go. It's official. There are plans to add AKP to Wikipedia as once it's on there, it must be true. Although front man Alex says he already has to make numerous corrections to other wiki entries. "I have to go in there quite a lot to correct people who say I'm still alive... Making it very clear that I am in fact dead. No taxes for me thanks. "The thing is you have to create your own myths in this world because no-one else is going to do it for you. Nobody's really interested that I'm a web designer, or that Andy (keyboards) is a basket weaver, or that Dan (drums) is a part time zoologist. It's just boring isn't it." Where does the AKP sound come from? "Luckily we've all got relatively different tastes in music. The most important thing is that we're trying, and some would say succeeding, in not being at all fashionable. Which is a lot more difficult than you'd think. "There aren't any other bands around that sound like us, certainly not on the York scene. And if there were we'd have to change. "We're all into slightly different styles of guitar music, apart from Andy who's more into the electro side of things. With so many influences, if we picked band names out of the air, none of it would make any sense. There's all sorts from old school Hip-Hop to bands like Christian Death and Shadow Project. "I think the most important thing is good songwriting regardless of genre. Musicians should soak up some of the many different ways there are to tell a story." The band's album The Blast Apex has received rave reviews but has been around for a little while now, so are there plans to release more material? "The Blast Apex was a lot of work, about two years in the making. We're currently working on a new single, which won't take two years. Blast Apex is a really great record of where we were and where we've come from. It's still very much relevant, but we've moved on a bit since then. More guitar solos and more jumping around - which is all anyone wants at the end of the day." | 
