Andy Crofts — Paul Weller's keyboard player — brings his band The Moons to Blackburn on June 2, Liverpool on June 3 and Manchester on June 16. We caught up with him.

TELL US ABOUT THE MOONS....

The Moons are myself, drummer Ben Gordelier, guitarist and backing vocalist James Edward Bagshaw, bassist Adam Leeds and keyboardist Tom Warmsley and we’re based in Northhampton.

We’ve just recorded our second album and we’re about to go on tour.

We’re still at a small level really but our music is translated bigger. All the hard years of working really hard has started to pay off.

WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN TO COME TO BLACKBURN?

Few reasons; we’re doing our first real tour, so we need as many dates as possible, we’ve never played Blackburn and we love playing new places.

We’re still trying to break out there and we need to earn our fans. We’re really looking forward to the gig.

We do well in certain areas but we don't know what we’ll be like in the rest of the country.

We’re not nervous as band, but I am quite nervous personally.

For years of struggling in different bands it’s natural for me to feel a bit apprehensive. But I think The Moons are different. I’m just paranoid.

TELL US ABOUT THE NEW ALBUM 'TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED'....

We recorded in Paul Weller’s studio which was like a dream come true, there’s all his old gear and I worked with Paul so I felt relaxed in there.

Edwyn’s was the same in many ways. We got to play on all these old guitars and keyboards and use a 1960’s recording desk. For music fans that is just fantastic.

They were so much better than going into a new clinical studio that has no history, and feels more like a waiting room than a studio.

Edwyn was there every day, and Paul sang on one of the songs with us, so he’ll be on the album.

It’s not a duet, it’s not that cheesy, but like a dual harmony on a song called Something Soon.

The whole album is recorded now we’re just getting it mixed.

The Lightning Seeds' Ian Broudie is producing the first single, it’s quite possibly a double a side.

HAVE YOU ALWAYS KNOWN MUSIC WOULD BE YOUR LIFE?

I always knew I wanted to do something musical, films, arts something creative.

My nan bought me my first guitar, I wasn’t really taught at first I was just kind of able to do it.

House Of The Rising Sun was the first song I learned to play. The day I left school I had an acoustic guitar I realised then straight away.

When I was little I had soul music drilled into me, and rock and roll, I had good taste from a very young age thanks to my parents and it’s stuck.

YOU HAVE SOME CELEBRITY FOLLOWERS NOW - WHO ARE THEY?

We’ve got a lot of good people supporting us which does really help to get people’s attention.

But I’d say it’s because our music is good.

The Zombies have left us some lovely comments, Ian Broudie obviously, let me try and list a few more....

It’s mainly people we’re fans of are becoming fans of us which is pretty amazing.

• THE MOONS — Live Lounge, Blackburn, Thursday, June 2. Support from Moral Panic and The Smitten Ones. Tickets £3 on the door; Shipping Forecast, Liverpool, Friday, June 3, Ruby Lounge, Manchester, Thursday, June 16.