AFTER gigging in the States and getting their record played on Radio One, Pinner pop group Munkster are tuning up for a major breakthrough.

Busy laying down tracks for their debut album, guitarist Leo Marks took time out of the recording studio to reflect on the extraordinary rise to fame of four schoolboys friends with a big idea.

Leo said: "We all went to Nower Hill High School, in George V Avenue, and got together because we liked the same kind of music. "Every school kid wants to be in a rock band, but none of us can believe how well we've done. It seems amazing that it all started back then, especially when I think about what we've achieved since."

Although their original drummer left last year, Munkster's line-up still includes three Nower Hill old boys. All now 26, singer and guitarist Seb Wesson, bass player Tom Lammiman-Hinkley and Leo first started jamming together as teenagers. New drummer Charlie Mead, 20, was poached from a rival band after fourth member Kris Anwar reluctantly left to pursue other interests.

Leo said: "It was a wrench when Kris left. We contemplated packing up, but he wanted us to carry on. It definitely helps that we're good friends who have known each other for ages. When you're in a band you spend a lot of time together and trust is very important."

The boys look set to follow in the footsteps of a long line of British guitar groups who have sold well both here and across the Atlantic.

With the melodic draw of Coldplay and the unfettered exuberance of The Police in their hey-day, Munkster are far from being just another dreary indie band.

The facts speak for themselves. Since officially forming in 2002, the talented quartet have released three EPs, set up their own record label, played at Glastonbury and performed at the illustrious South by South West Festival in Texas.

It was in America, on their first ever tour in March, that they were spotted by Radio One.

Leo said: "After we'd performed a set, we were interviewed for Steve Lamacq's show. They also played one of our songs. It was an incredible experience, we really thought we'd made it."

After the success of the Texas trip, the boys won a US distribution deal and their EP, The Precious and Painless was released in May to widespread acclaim.

Leo said: "We've had a fair amount of play time on US radio stations. All the feedback has been positive and we're starting to make an impression in the States."

However, Leo and the band know how difficult it is to break America and are determined to cut their teeth in at home first.

In May, Munkster completed a gruelling tour of the UK which took in an array cult venues including 93 Feet East, in London, The Roadhouse, in Manchester, The KEF, in Aberbeen, The Venue, in Edinburgh, King Tuts, in Glasgow and The Archer, in Newcastle.

Sandwiched between this, they somehow found the time to feature on Sky television, in a 15 minute spot for Scuzz TV. This came about after they made the top ten out of 4,000 bands in a competition to play the Donnington Rock Festival.

Most recently, the hard-working rockers won £2,000 after being crowned champions in the Battle of the Bands in St Albans last month. They intend to use the cash to finance their first full album.

Leo said: "Everything is expensive in this business so it just wasn't possible before. But we've written almost 40 songs and demoed 20 of them so we're confident.

"We're making this record for ourselves and are not to worried about impressing record companies. After that, we'll just have to see what happens."

The album's first track Everyone Knows Your Name can be downloaded for 99p from www.karmadownload.com For more on Munkster visit www.munkster.co.uk