However, The Serious Hat Band have discovered touring is not the only thing which can be detrimental to a musician's mental health - what about sharing a studio with 1,500 cats?

This Monday the Serious Hats are taking to the stage at the Roadhouse, Covent Garden, to promote their latest album Don't Rush Me - not that it needs much help.

"We've been going about five years," says guitarist/vocalist Ed Dewson. "And so far we've notched up more 20,000 CD sales. The secret is we do everything ourselves, including our own management, which is very unusual for a band."

The band, originally from Ipswich, but now live in London.

"I sort of started the band," Ed says. "I met the bass player down at the job centre - he told them he was a bass player, I told them I was a guitarist and they introduced us. It was a bit like being down at a dating agency."

With Barrie "Bagsy" Trower on bass and Mikey on drums the band soon built up a large following.

"My main influences are bands like Crowded House and the Barenaked Ladies and we have been told we do tend to sound like them.

Thompson

"Another influence is Richard Thompson who I think is great guitar player and songwriter. I think he recently won an award for best songwriter from Q magazine."

Now the band are being hailed as one of the hardest working acts on the circuit.

"We do about 250 gigs a year; sometimes we pull in five or six gigs a week. And touring is a great laugh - we get to travel the country, meet some fantastic people and get paid for doing what we love."

But what about the 1,500 cats?

"That was our marketing man Rick. He phoned up this company to order 1,500 top hats but they misheard him and sent 1,500 top cats.

"Luckily they are not real but cute stuffed toys. Unfortunately we have had to store them in our recording studio.

"Every time we want to record something we have to start shifting boxes of stuffed cats around!"

The band's latest album, Don't Rush Me, is a 10 track affair weighing in at just under 40 minutes long. It is certainly well worth getting hold of and we have five copies to give away.

All you have to do is answer this question: What is The Serious Hat Band's bass player's nickname?

Send your answers to The Hat Band Competition, Surrey Comet, Unecol House, 819 London Road, North Cheam SM3 9BN.

Usual Comet rules apply and the editor's decision is final.

q The Serious Hat Band will be playing at The Roadhouse, Covent Garden, on Monday, July 17.

For more information on The Serious Band or to order the album check out their website www.hatband.co.uk

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