However, with a new album and a fresh sense of belief, the band has come full circle.

Re-inspired by their punk rock routes, The Futureheads will release their third album, This Is Not The World, in May – which promises 12 short, sharp shocks of classic Futureheads with killer hooks and choruses.

"We wanted to make a more direct, more cerebral, album," explains bass player David Craig – aka Jaff.

"The first album was a lot more post punk than punk – it was very angular and stop-starty and all over the place.

"The second record we tried to make a bit of a thinky record, the lyrics were a bit more abstract and the songs were slower.

"This is record is much more up and down – punk rock.

"The obvious influences of bands like The Clash are there – it sounds like us, just a lot more direct."

The album was recorded in three weeks in the summer with producer Youth at his studio Space Mountain in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Andalusia.

The studio was about as far away atmospherically as you can get from the bleak Scarborough farm in which they recorded its predecessor.

"I think that type of environment rubs off," Jaff explains.

"The second record we made in the bleak winter in Scarborough and on the coast, always cold always damp and dreary and we made a record you
listen to indoors in the dark with headphones on.

"This record we've made with the idea of playing live a lot more and consequently it's a lot more exciting and happy sounding.

"It definitely is still The Futureheads and definitely a step in the right direction for us."

The Futureheads formed in 2000 in Sunderland. The initial line-up featured bassist and vocalist Jaff and guitarists and vocalists Barry Hyde and Ross Millard. Drummer David Hyde replaced Peter Brewis in 2001.

After a series of successful singles the band signed to Fantastic Plastic before releasing their self-titled debut on 679 Recordings in 2004.

During 2005 the band played the Glastonbury Festival and released a cover of the Kate Bush song Hounds Of Love, which broke into the top 10.

The following year the band released their second album News and Tributes.

However, by the end of 2006 the band's relationship with their label broke down – leading them to question whether they should continue – before deciding to leave 679.

"We didn't like where it was going. We decided we didn't want to work with the label so decided to leave," explains Jaff.

Undeterred by the split The Futureheads continued writing and launched their own label Nul Records.

Free of major label shackles, Jaff explained the band have relished being their own bosses and owning the copyright to their songs.

Forthcoming single, The Beginning Of The Twist, out next month, is classic Futureheads, blending punk influenced spiky guitar riffs and vocal harmonies.

Jaff says: "It's quite ambiguous.

"We're really excited that we've had as much radio play as for Hounds Of Love at this point.

"We're really optimistic about how the single and the album will be received."

Other songs on the band's forthcoming album include Walking Backwards, Radio Heart – about a girl with a radio for a heart, a song which Jaff describes as "a bit of punk-tango".

The Futureheads' Northampton gig was the first date of their UK tour to sell out – before it was moved to a larger venue.

Despite this Jaff admits he's just happy the band has made an album which he thinks is relevant to the times.

"I'm just pleased that three albums down we've made a record that the kids are still relating to, it's a young-sounding record," he explains.

"The second album was a little more mature but on this album we've gone back to our punk rock roots and made a record that teenagers can relate to.

"I just want to remain valid, and not become one of those bands that becomes outdated but keeps going."