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"We were previously called the Great Outdoors but there was another band with the same name and we were thinking about changing it so Hail Animator was born in September 2008.

"Our single Working Just as Hard is about to be released and we're getting good feedback from live performances.

"We are just hoping to play as many gigs and festivals as possible to get more exposure. We are a progressive indie band some of our songs are hook-based with catchy melodies and a few are slow-burning with a more progressive feel.

"We've all finished degrees at Leeds College of Music where we met. We are not from Leeds but LCM got us all together and we now all live in Leeds. And three of us share a house which really gives us time to write.

"If it wasn't for LCM I wouldn't have come to Leeds and we wouldn't have got together. LCM is one of the most recognised places nationally to study music.The city gets a lot of musicians and we build up a rapport and help each other out.

"Like lots of bands, we all started playing in a garage but by getting more music education and knowledge at LCM we can make even better music. Stephen and Rich did Music Performance, Adam and I did Music Production... so we can add production effects and processes, it's a good mix for a band.

"Our aim is to get signed and get a deal, the single is coming out as a download on several sites and we are also getting an EP together to take to gigs.

"Of course we are looking to get on Radio 1 and 6 Music but there is a huge backlog as everybody is trying the same thing so we'd love TV and radio but we'll just concentrate on the Leeds scene and getting gigs.

"Despite downturn there's a lot of people still want live music. Leeds is big on drum'n'bass and dance but also a space for indie like us. Whatever you want to hear it is out there in Leeds.

"We've got quite a few diverse tastes in the band Fleet Foxes, Incubus, Kings of Leon and even Blur.

"When we start a song Richard comes up with the melodies and chord progressions then we come together as a band and mould it into a song. It is definitely a group process.

Entering Bright Young Things was, for us, the start, it's an excellent competition, through it we got to work with a studio and get recording time. There was also a real buzz around the BYT live gigs they were fantastic."

Hail Animator's single Working Just as Hard is available to download from Sunday 1 March 2009.