There`s no real way to tell when A Genuine Freakshow came into existence, as the group are fairly unsure themselves.

It has been agreed, for the time being, that the official Reading based seven-piece line up was born in 2008. It`s no coincidence that this was the period where they found their artistic equilibrium, with the self-release of their single Holding Hearts (that earned a coveted spot on Best of 2008 with BBC 6 Music`s Tom Robinson).AD - Hi guys, hows your day going so far?

Good thanks, I`m about to eat a bagel and I`m very excited about it.

AD - Firstly, congratulations on your great debut album release `Oftentimes`, thought it was great and with a little hint of Keane in there I thought, I hope you don`t mind me saying. For people out there who don`t know much about A Genuine Freakshow, can you tell us how you got started?

Well I can`t say Keane are a direct influence to be honest, but who knows, maybe that cheeky Tom Chaplin guy is practiced in the dark arts of mind thievery and thought control.

We began after Tim (Sutcliffe, vocals/guitar) and I, met via an incident involving some spare Radiohead tickets at university. It started out as a duo and has now kind of snowballed into a seven-piece. We did try to add another member last year but our manager drew the line at seven. For now at least…

AD - So your debut album has been out for around 6 months now, are you still buzzing from the release?

Yes, very much so, but we are more than ready to move on to the next project. For us it feels like this album has been around forever, so by the time it reached the public domain we were already thinking about the next album.

AD - How did you go about choosing the tracks you wanted for this release? Was it quite straight forward?

The tracks for Oftentimes virtually picked themselves. We did drop one track, “Jacob”, as it just didn`t fit anywhere; but we ended up releasing a live recording of it as a b-side on the “I Can Feel His Heartbeats” single on iTunes.

The only other issue of contention was the second half of “She`s Got A Shooter”. We play it live, but it lacked a certain energy when we tried to record it. We decided to leave it off the record and keep it as something people can only hear if they come to a show.

AD - What was it like working with a producer, as well as producing the album yourself?

I`m not going to lie to you, it wasn`t the most pleasant of experiences. We got about half-way through and decided we were not happy with how it was sounding. So we wiped the slate clean and upped sticks from Kent back to Berkshire and re-recorded it with our long-time producer Jordan Fish. I don`t know why, but it just seems to work with him in a way that it doesn`t with anyone else. I think it`s his vulgarity; it seems to bring out the best in us for some reason.

AD - Through May you`ve been doing your first serious amount of straight touring since November last year. Has it felt good being back on the circuit? What do you miss from being back home?

I felt a bit rusty at first to be honest, but seem to be getting back into the swing of things now. The things I miss most are home-cooked meals, a comfy bed, and Joey the dog.

AD - In the last year, has there been a particularly outstanding show you`ve done that you think you`ll remember for years to come? Any you wish you`d of stayed at home in bed for?

My favourite show was probably our slot at 2000 Trees festival last summer. A sunny day, a jug full of festival cider, a packed venue and a lovely crowd - what more could you ask for? I also fell in to the drum kit on stage which is high on my list of personal achievements.

I think we all wished we`d stayed in bed for a show we did in Fife last November. It was quite literally in the middle of nowhere and the number of audience members was fairly reflective of that! During soundcheck we also came close to having our first seven-way brawl. Never again.

AD - So it`s only been 6 months since the release of your album and I`m sure your still enjoying performing the tracks, but have you got new material your working on at the moment?

We do indeed. We`ve just returned from a week away on the Devon/Cornwall border where we spent half the time writing new songs and half the time hitting golf balls into a bucket. So it was a fairly productive adventure and the plan is to do it another couple of times before we even think about recording anything. We`ve been playing a few of the new songs during our current tour to try and gauge some kind of reaction and it all seems very positive so far.

AD - Can we expect to see you at any festivals this summer?

We are currently booked for Solfest, Lodestar, Outside:Inside, Live Stock, Summer Breeze, Doghouse Goes To Paris Gates. Hopefully we can squeeze in a couple more by the time summer gets here.AD - You`re often associated with Cats and Cats and Cats; whom you`ve played with a few times. Would you say the two bands have a special relationship?

They are the Sheba to our Cesar.

AD - What`s the plan from now then? What can we expect from A Genuine Freakshow?

Well first I`m going to eat my bagel because it`s getting cold. After that, you can probably expect one more single this year and then we might disappear for a few months while we finish writing the next album.

AD - Finally, what`s your favourite act in a freakshow?

Probably the popcorn stand. Sweet, not salted.

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