Mancunian five-piece Alfie have just released their third album and will be performing their vocal harmonies, swirling sound-scapes and off-beat rhythms when they support Athlete on their UK tour which stops off at Southampton Uni.

BBC Southampton's Abbie Collins caught up with guitarist Ian Smith.

How did you all get together?
Well, me, Lee, Dee and Sean all knew each other from drinking in the same pubs. I was in the dole queue one day and Lee approached me about starting a band and I said, "yeah", because I wasn't doing anything at the time. We got a flat together and started practising and writing stuff.

Then Lee saw Nirvana Unplugged and said that a cello player would be good in the band. So we put the word about and a girl said that she knew Matt. We met up with Matt and he was up for it, and he knew Sam and Ben because they were all at music college together.

You've been compared to ELO and you re-created one of their album covers on your new album. Are they a band that you admire?
Yeah. It's quite weird because in some circles people think they're embarrassing to like, but in other circles, they're cool.

At the V festival I was wearing my ELO T-shirt that my mate got me for my birthday. I was taking a leak and Jason Little from Grandaddy was stood next to me and he turns round and goes, "Woh, nice shirt!" So at least someone else likes them! ELO have got some classic songs but some of them are pretty naff as well.

Your sound is difficult to define. How would you describe your music?
I really don't know myself to be honest. It does fall into a category in a way but I just don't know what it is. It's a tricky one. It always has been really.

Do you like that about your music?
Yeah, although sometimes it makes it hard to get the point across to people. At least it's a bit original.

You've supported a lot of major bands, like Coldplay and Sigur Ros. Who has been your favourite to tour with?
The NME tour was really good. We met Starsailor there and they're all good bunch of lads. Amen were a good bunch as well. That was a good laugh. JJ72 were a bit quiet though, we didn't really see much of them. All three bands that I mentioned got on really well and we were always on each other's buses, messing about and stuff.

Ian Smith

You've got tours with Athlete and The Flaming Lips coming up. Are you looking forward to them?
Yeah definitely. It should be super. It's a good chance to keep playing live. We've never done much extensive touring. It'll make us a bit better and tighter at what we do.

Are you a fan of those bands?
Yeah, I'm a massive Flaming Lips fan. I haven't heard much Athlete yet. They seem to be doing really well though.

Your song arrangements seem to be quite complicated. How do you go about playing them live?
Well, we've got a sneaky backing track for most of the songs off the new album, but it's not like karaoke or anything. Just a few little extra bits that we can't play live because we don't have enough hands. On some of the tunes there's all seven of us up there with Dee and Ben playing. They help out with the live stuff. They've been draughted in to the studio for bits and bobs as well.

Alfie doubled as Badly Drawn Boy's backing band for while. Do you still see him?
I've not seen him for a while. He's obviously a pretty busy chap these days. I used to bump into him quite a bit when I lived in Chorlton where he lives, in and out of the pubs and stuff. He's a family man now anyway, isn't he, so he's double busy.

What's the best thing about living in Manchester?
The good thing about it is that it's quite a big city but it's not too big. I've been to London a few times and it just seems overwhelming. To get from one friend's house to another friend's house can take two hours on the tube. I'd hate that. Manchester's small enough to know a lot of people but big enough to get away from it all.

What was the first record you bought?
The first 7" I acquired I stole off my friend, Scott, when I was four. Well, I just ended up with it, I don't think I actually stole it. It was Who Killed Bambi by the Sex Pistols oddly enough. The first one I actually bought I think was Madness, Our House.

What's next for Alfie?
All the touring obviously with Athlete and Flaming Lips and then I think our management are trying to sort out a support tour around Europe next year. We should be releasing the next single around January or February.