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Sam has been living in Leeds for the last five years since going to Leeds University where he studied Management and Philosophy. He has recently left his job to concentrate full-time on musical projects.

The Hair's latest single, Half Cut is out on free download.

Sam Robson says: "Band events are focused on the dates on tour with the Kaisers . It has been said that Kaiser Chiefs are opening the Academy... but sneakily it will be us - The Hair will be the first band on.

"I'm a little bit nervous about the opening night, hoping that the stage doesn't collapse or dreaming about the bass drum falling on my head and I've not got any pants on - that sort of thing.

"The audience at the Academy will include people from all over the place who've bought tickets to see the Chiefs at a relatively small gig, and there'll be people from Leeds who don't take close interest in local bands. It makes for a great chance to introduce ourselves. That's the best thing about the tour, we can make a good impression live.

"A significant factor in our sound is that me, Neil and Lee have been good friends since we were kids and yet we all have different tastes in music. Because we get on so well, no one personal influence comes through stronger than any other.

"We appeared at the Leeds Festival in 2006 on the unsigned stage and then we were on the main stage in 2007 but only because we appeared in a competition-winning video. Hopefully we will be on the festival stage one day in more than just video form.

"On the tour we will be playing a lot of new stuff because we've had a break over the summer and have written some new stuff. We've been working non-stop for the last couple of years, at times it has been insane. Mind you most people won't have heard the old stuff so we won't be jettisoning it all.

"Things in Leeds are different now, when the Kaiser Chiefs and the other group of bands came along people saw a Leeds 'scene'. It has downsized a little now but there are still some good bands, but maybe it doesn't have the weight it did."

"Labels aren't signing bands like they did - they are not sure what to do. I think the best way through is to the live audience."

Sam Robson