Q without U

The story of Glaswegian quartet Q without U is one that has been unfolding gradually since the band's formation in 2003, but these are undoubtedly exciting times for the band.

Recent single One Piece Puzzle is an exuberant nugget of new wave indie that contains all the quirky energy of Ballboy or Jeepster-era Snow Patrol, and they've just completed a Scottish tour that included a date with Kiwi duo The Brunettes. "They were probably the nicest band we've ever played with," Q without U frontman Tam tells The Skinny. "They actually got us a bit pissed before we went on, as we were all playing some bizarre New Zealand drinking game. I'm not sure, with hindsight, if that was because they liked us or if they wanted us to go up and be a shambles!"

This recent gathering of pace is set to continue into the New Year, with a few additional gigs planned down south and more new songs in the offing. "We're swaying between releasing an EP/mini-album and a full-length album, but either way there'll be something out around February," says Tam.

Although the band have been around for a few years, there hasn't been a great deal of recorded material made available on general release as yet, but if you rummage hard you might find copies of their 2004 EP You Say Pop (Like It's A Dirty Word) and 2006 single Slow Clap. Embracing the wonders of MySpace, however, there have been plenty of MP3s made available, yet Tam is evidently a romantic when it comes to finding ways to release the music: "We like the old school idea of not having singles featuring on any other release, which makes them more collectable, and we like to stick 'limited edition run' on things when in fact its just we're too skint to get any more pressed up!"

As Q without U's sound has been likened to everyone from the Super Furries to Duran Duran, the conversation soon comes around to wondering where the band place themselves in rock's great canon. "I can see the Super Furries thing in terms of the electronic/synth element we've got, whilst we've always had a really strong pop ethic to the way we write. I'd say we're a dash of Clor, two tablespoons of Seafood and a light drizzle of Idlewild."

Though the band are fast establishing an identity of their own, they've nevertheless ruffled a few feathers amongst fans of the now defunct US band Q and Not U who have taken umbrage to the close similarity of the two bands' monikers. "I had a hilarious email exchange with this 12-year-old kid from Houston who was threatening to put a hex on me if we didn't change our name. Our name actually came from a line in The Simpsons. When Ned Flanders' wife, Maude, had just died, Marge asked him how he was, to which he replied, 'Oh Marge, I'm like a Q without a U', which I thought was a cool name for a band. Little did I know it would nearly get us sued by the DIY bastions of the free world. They sent us a letter threatening to sue us if we didn't change our name a few years back, which we promptly ignored. Fuck 'em, we're keeping it!"

With an attitude like that and their clear independent spirit, Q without U are sure to go from strength to strength on their own terms.