Kim cuahgt up with The Xcerts in Bristol just before they took to the stage to support Charlie Simpson.

Hi, could you firstly introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about how you got together?
Jordan: We’re The Xcerts, I’m Jordan.
Murray: I’m Murray.

Tom: And I’m Tom.

Jordan: We got together when we were really small; we were teenagers when we started the band. Our original drummer from Aberdeen, we followed him down to London when he moved away. Then he left and we met Tom and now we’re The Xcerts!

Who would you say are your main musical influences?
Murray: That’s always a tricky one. It kinda changes as the years go on. We love Idlewild. We’ve toured with them, and we’ve learnt so much from them, not just musically. But as people and how to be treated on tour. So Idlewild have always stuck.

Tom: Weezer, they’ve always been around.

Jordan: Pixies. Just the rock bands throughout the ages.

You released your latest album ‘Scatterbrain’ back in 2010. Are you happy with the general response it has had from your fans and the press?
Murray: Yeah it was weird, the press side we’re all great, and I mean a few didn’t get into it, but the majority did. It took us by surprise a little bit. But then there was a hug divide with people who like the band. Some people just instantly loved it, and totally got on board. Then there were some first album purists, who were like ‘No, this is awful!”

Jordan: “You’re dead to me.”

Murray: Yeah! Like this is bad, there’s no way back. But more often or not, some didn’t fully get it. Came and saw us live. Came back to it, and really enjoyed it. So yeah, it’ been quite odd, but we’ve definitely made more fans in the process.

You also released 'The Stairs to Noise: The Scatterbrain EP' back in March, what made you release an EP so soon after the album release?
Murray: Basically, we didn’t think it was that big of a deal. Singles are a bit redundant for bands like us.

Jordan: So we thought we’d give them a bit more band for their buck.

Murray: Yes, so we had a couple of songs left over from the New York sessions that we wanted to get out. We were really proud of those two songs and we really wanted people to hear them. Then we did a cover and remixed Slackerpop. Five songs for £2.79

You are due to play a few festivals across the summer, are you looking forward to playing certain festivals more than others?
Jordan: We’ve got T In The Park coming up.

Tom: It’s gonna be killer.

Murray: I hope its killer. We don’t know who we’re clashing with yet so. I’m looking forward to Guilfest a lot. Cause its Jordan’s birthday! And some of our best buds are there playing right after us. Dinosaur Pile-up.

Tom: And Jordan has always wanted to see James Blunt.

Jordan: It’s gonna be a special day. No interruptions.

Murray: No jokes no nothing.

Jordan: We’re definitely going to go right? They promised me! Unlike NDubz last year.

Murray: Walked past NDubz last year on main stage and it was just mayhem.

Jordan: It doesn’t matter though; I could hear his poor education from far away, just blasting out of the PA. “Smith bashes NDubz in shock horror!”

I’m gonna make that the title of the interview now. And will you be checking out many bands at the festivals?
Murray: At T – Beyoncé! Definitely.
Tom: Foo Fighters, Bright Lights.

You’ve supported bands such as Funeral for a Friend, Fightstar, Feeder and Idlewild – who’s been the best to gig with?
Murray: Idlewild we love.

Jordan: Taking Back Sunday was really recently. They were really cool guys.

Tom: They were probably the most instantly nice band.

What are your thoughts on the digital revolution killing off the music business with things such as illegal downloading?
Murray: This is a tough one for us as we’re on an independent label. It’s kind of odd because we want as many people as possible to hear our music. And I guess younger people now don’t know what it’s like to go into a record shop and buy it. They just know how to go a get the, well I don’t know how they download these days.

Jordan: A computer perhaps?

Murray: No! Haha, I mean like media fire or something like that.

Jordan: You don’t have to go outside basically.

Murray: I mean it’s great from our point of view, because so many more people are hearing our record but not maybe so good for our record label when they pay us to record.

Jordan: It’s bittersweet. No one’s saying the music business is dying, it’s just changing.

Where do you see The Xcerts in a years’ time?
Tom: Dead!
Jordan: From too much drugs. No seriously, Tom has a problem. We’ll probably be doing the same thing we were doing last year, just playing.

One last random question that we ask every band, if you could be an animal out of a zebra or Giraffe which one would you be and why?
Tom: Giraffe’s are way taller!

Murray: Is this in the afterlife if you come back as something?

I’m not sure; no one’s answered with as much thought as you.

Murray: I’d probably be a giraffe so I can have the experience of being tall.

Jordan: But the design is all wrong, what if you fall down? That would be a nightmare to get back up. And if you had a sore throat like, how much Benadryl would you have to buy!

You’d have to like, beer bong it.

Murray: If I was a giraffe, I can just imagine these guys pushing me over.

Jordan: Yeah if Tom and I were zebras and I’m like crouching on the floor and then Tom pushes you over and you go flying over me!

Murray: So we’d all be zebras then!

Thanks for your time, is there a message for your fans reading this?
Jordan: Come see us play. Eat your vegetables.

Interview by Kim Horsley