WHEN you're hot you're hot, and The Kooks certainly know it after finding themselves firmly entrenched in the upper reaches of the album charts.

Less-than 12 months ago these former Brit School arts students were scraping around for radio airplay. But armed with major label backing, this feisty Brighton quartet now have plenty to shout about.

Last time I caught up with their curly-locked, Dylan-esque singer Luke Pritchard, he shrugged off suggestions by some that their harmony-fuelled pop lacked serious substance.

"There are a few people in Brighton who have been saying that we have sold out with our music, but we don’t pay any attention to it," he said.

Not shy of talking up their abilities, he's quite happy to pronounce themselves as the most exciting band in Britain.

It’s a sentiment the group's drummer Paul Garred doubtless shares, yet they appear to have stopped short of the line between confidence and arrogance.

But how do they feel they have been bearing up under the spotlight?

"I think we're doing well now, as people we are all very grounded in our down time. It's really important to have all your friends around so you are normal," explained Paul, sitting at home working on new songs by his piano.

The amiable 21 year-old first picked up his sticks at the age of nine to impress the ladies. But he quickly realised he had a genuine passion for it. In his teens he played in a punk outfit for five years which was a whole lot of fun but never quite made the grade.

While at Brit School he encountered bandmates Luke and Hugh and all were quick to conjure up ideas for some killer material. The resulting album, Inside In/Inside Out, features strong Sixties echoes as well as more unexpected territory with a nod to the raggae-tinged tones of the Clash and even a dash of the Strokes.

"When I first sat down in the garden with Luke and decided to form the band, we said that we wanted to make music people could dance to. I am no dancer myself, but love to see others doing so and our fans have been great."

So far they have made major inroads in the charts and also received plenty of TV and radio coverage.

Their hard-grafting tours are not always the most harmonious times, but they won plenty of fans with their last visit to Kent earlier this year.

"The gig at the Forum in Tunbridge Wells was definitely one of the more mental gigs, it was like a sweat box in there and really kicking off!

"Being on the tourbus is not always the best place to be with 12 other guys when things don’t go quite right. We obviously aim to play well, but we do have bad days."

To top it off they have even recorded a limited edition vinyl acoustic version at the holy grail of music, Abbey Road Studios.

"That was blinding, it was one of those moments when you think what the hell am I doing here," added Luke, who has been kept well-occupied fending off media curiosity about his split from celebrity girlfriend Katie Melua.

With all the hysteria surrounding the band it surely won’t be long before another starlet is spotted on his arm. With the right look and a great sound, few will argue that 2006 belongs to the Kooks infectious melodies.

The Kooks play Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall on August 19.