ESCAPING hum-drum environments has worked wonders for countless bands down the years, from Manchester heroes the Happy Mondays to original kings of excess, the Rolling Stones.

It seems Glasgow’s Cosmic Rough Riders are no exception in finding fresh inspiration by laying down their latest album in the sun-soaked plains of southern Spain.

Though they have scored four chirpy top 40 singles to date, the upper reaches of the charts have remained elusive. With any luck this is all about to change in the wake of signing up to major label Warner Music.

Their sound still has plenty of trademark warmth to it, but is less saccharine than previous efforts, demonstrating a greater maturity.

But as bass player James Clifford explained, their creative energies for The Stars Look Different Down Here album almost went to waste: "I’d like to say we were sunning ourselves in Spain, but spent most of the time in a residential studio.

"We recorded most of the album in a couple of weeks only to discover on Christmas Day that the tapes had been lost. We had to do it all again and it’s the best we’ve done yet."

Their new stripped down approach suits them well, yet they have been careful to retain the strong harmonies which have been perhaps the strongest feature of their music.

The band formed in the late 1990s amid a buzzing Glasgow scene which saw them play with members of Travis and Franz Ferdinand in other groups before they were famous.

Singer Stephen Fleming’s throat infection has unfortunately forced the band to scrap several gigs including their scheduled return to the Tunbridge Wells Forum, but will still be playing shows in London and Brighton.

"Some people have given us some stick for signing to a big label but we will take that, we just want to get out on the road and play live which is what we are best at."

* Cosmic Rough Riders play Brighton Pressure Point on Sunday, June 11 and London Metro on Wednesday, June 14. For details see www.cosmicroughriders.com