PRODUCING some of the most joyous alternative rock n’ roll not seen for many a while, the Zutons army of devotees continues to grow at breakneck pace.

Since forming amid the Liverpudlian scene several years ago, they have unleashed five top 40 singles.

Among these, their signature track, You Will You Won’t, which has found its way into the affections of the nation at summer festivals and on the band’s fervently received tours.

Not content to rest on their laurels with their Mercury nominated debut album produced by Ian Broudie of the Lightening Seeds, they have returned to the upper reaches of the charts with their latest album.

Its insistent sounding lead single, Why Won’t You Give Me Your Love is backed by an intense West Side Story style video revealing a dark tale of "stalking someone for fun" as their charismatic singer David McCabe puts it, and is a clear declaration of their ambitious musical intent.

"We weren’t sure about the video at first - we thought the director would have us slicking our hair back and stuff like that- but we told him we wanted to look like the warrior gangs in Thriller.

"I didn’t think it would be the sort of song they would play on radio but our label really wanted it as a single," explained the group’s drummer Sean Payne.

Refreshingly, he’s not shy in revealing that heading back into the studio for the second time was inevitably a difficult process. After several aborted attempts they recruited production supremo Stephen Street, who’s been at the helm of Blur and The Smiths' finest works.

"We’ve learned that your only as hot as the album you’re coming out with. The success of our first record was quite unexpected but then bands like the Kaiser Chiefs and Arctic Monkeys come along and sell twice as many albums, so you’ve got to stay on your toes."

None of them dared imagine the success they have enjoyed to date which has seen them take to the road with the likes of Oasis and REM. Its all a long way from their early days finding their musical feet.

Several of the band had known each other at school, though had little to do with each other. "We weren’t actually friends then, so it’s quite weird knowing you used to see them about," added Sean, who spent part of his early childhood in New York surrounded by hip hop rather than rock.

But fast forward a few years and the Zutons teamed up after spotting each other in different local bands in Liverpool. The picture was completed with their sultry sax player Abi Harding who was "a mate who was working in a coffee shop".

Her bold playing has had a big impact on their sound, courting comparisons with Dexy’s Midnight Runners and Roxy Music. Has having a girl in the band kept the lads in line?

"Their has been a bit more of an air of politeness and people haven’t perhaps said things they would have done, but the boys are starting to get more and more laddish," laughed Sean.

There’s no doubt there will be plenty of time for rock n roll shenanigans on their summer gigs. It mark’s their debut in Kent and it seems they are all up for the grind of living like sardines in a can on the tour bus.

"Coming up with the music in the first place is what gives you a real buzz and then putting that idea in front of a lot of people at gigs is just amazing."

* The Zutons play Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall on Thursday, May 25. Tickets £16. Box office 01303 228 600.