A new pop/rock act have their sights set on success, starting with a gig at Barfly in Camden. Ashley James tells SIBA MATTI about the pursuit of fame and fortune

OUR borough has spawned an impressive array of musical talent, from Elton John, who performed his first gig in Northwood, to Rolling Stones' guitarist Ronnie Wood, who spent his youth in Yiewsley, and Ruislip's pop trio, Scouting For Girls.

Post Me To The Stars, a fresh-faced foursome who grew up in and around Uxbridge, hope to add their names to the list.

Formed less than a year ago, drummer Ashley James, 22, and bassist Duncan Ash, 24 enlisted the help of guitarist Nick Perry, 21, and singer/songwriter, Shane Roche, 25.

"We have all had a passion for music from a young age, and Duncan and I toured Europe with our former group, Archaic Decadence," says Ashley, who is currently working towards an engineering apprenticeship.

"We knew Nick from another band on the music scene and recruited Shane, who is from Ireland, after putting an advert on the Gumtree website.

"We all met up for a drink before heading to the studio, then Shane came back to my place for a bit of a sing-along.

"Off the cuff, he came up with the lyrics, 'Send me to sleep[2026] post me to the stars', which we thought would make a great band name, and the rest is history."

The group, who compare their sound with pop/punk act Fall

Out Boy, cite a diverse range of influences, from Angels and Airwaves to Muse, and from The Beatles to The Beach Boys.

"I would say we have quite a unique sound that varies from song to song," explains Ashley, who lives in Hayes and was a pupil at Bishopshalt School.

"It's probably best described as pop/hardcore, but we have quite a few 'power anthems' as well."

The foursome made the shrewd decision to focus on penning songs and spending time in their West Drayton studio, putting gigs on the back burner.

"Send Me To Sleep was the first song we wrote together and it has a very powerful chorus, which we are really proud of," says Ashley.

"The lyrics could apply to many situations but they always remind me of my late father, Steven Hart, who died in May. When I listen to the song, I always think about what it would be like to see him again.

"One of our slower songs, So Special, was written by Nick after he suffered a bad break-up, and it is really beautiful with a lot of emotion behind it."

With three recordings under their belts and an EP due to be cut this summer, the boys are now preparing to impress with a gig at the heart of London's music scene, the aforementioned Barfly.

"We have just done a few local gigs at pubs, including The Crown and Treaty in Uxbridge and The Nag's Head in High Wycombe, and we are absolutely ecstatic to be performing at the Barfly," said Ashley.

"We will be playing eight original songs, including Send Me To Sleep and So Special, and have been working like crazy to make sure it all comes together."

As for the future of Post Me To The Stars, Ashley says: "We know the music industry is terrifically difficult to break into but we are hoping that these gigs will get us noticed.

"Our ultimate ambition would be to headline festivals like Download, Isle of White or Glastonbury, and if we work hard enough, who knows, maybe that might just happen." * Post Me To The Stars are at Barfly, 49 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AN, next Wednesday, from 7pm. Tickets are £6.

They are also booked to appear at Compass Theatre in Glebe Road, Ickenham, on September 11.

For more information, see postmetothestars@googlemail.com.