I'm sitting in a pub with Charlotte and Rosalind after a rather impressive Rifles gig. The two Rifles fans explain how from the band's earlier gigs, singer Joel is apparently growing in confidence, less cagey and willing to move around more on stage when it comes to singing the songs where he doesn't use his guitar. They state that while the band has gained more stage presence they've also become more energetic. That energy may or may not increase as the toll of a large tour wears on but the girls are happy yet they feel that the band is performing far from their full potential.

Those thoughts do make you wonder how the band was during their earlier days. Just over a year ago they played their first gig at the Bull & Gate and proceeded to play some London club nights, specifically Metro, a club run by Blow Up who after a couple of gigs offered to release 'Peace and Quiet' as a limited single. The band accepted.

"We thought, 'Why not get our sound out?'," explains affable Rifles guitarist Luke Crowther otherwise known as Robin Hood. I'll explain later.

I'm in the dressing room in company of Luke and drummer Grant. The latter a DJ of his own club 'Slash', who opted to switch records for drumsticks to complete the band's line-up. The two of them are giving me a brief rundown on their label history.

Two months later in May, the band released 'When I'm Alone' on Xtramile, a label run by PR company Press Counsel. "Again it seemed like a good idea to get it out there," admits Luke. The song's video was a particular favourite of Joel's as the singer will explain later in the pub. Though he admits the chances of reusing it for the re-release are slim.

Next came the top 40 smash and live favourite 'Local Boy' on Right Hook before the band settled with an album deal with Red Ink, a new division of Sony. >>