UNLESS you've been living on a space station for the last year, there's little chance you won't have heard at least one of The Feeling's singles.

Having been the most played band on our airwaves last year, it's evident the radio-friendly Sussex outfit are on a roll.

Inspired by the likes of 10cc, The Bluetones and Elton John, their debut album Twelve Stops and Home has hung around the upper charts for what seems like an age. To gauge their ever-increasing grasp on the affections of the pop market you need look no further than their increasingly swamped touring schedule.

The defiantly middle of the band is set to take on a host of big gigs including a headlining slot in the county at Port Lypmne's Kent Music Festival. That’s something their bassist, Richard Jones is far from complaining about as they are determined to keep the momentum with the music.

"For the last six months people have been asking how we feel about the success we’ve had and because we’ve just been constantly on the road it has been hard to say.

"But we have had time to take stock of events now and it’s amazing to have done so well, I feel very lucky, especially as 99 percent of bands never make it," explained the founder member of the group, who recently married fellow chart star Sophie Ellis Bextor.

During the course of our conversation he attempted to rescue his antique harmonium keyboard from damage accidentally inflicted on it by the couple’s youngster, Sonny.

The three-year-old already seems to be following in his footsteps of his parents who appear to be quite at ease with the pace of events around them.

"Sonny already likes banging his drum and he is surrounded by musicians," said Richard.

"He sees us on TV, his godfather is our singer Dan and he recently met Mika who is a good friend of ours, so it’s all been pretty strange upbringing for him!"

It appears that dad is bearing up well under the demands of family life. Both he and Sophie have been working on new material which has meant employing a nanny, yet they are conscious of trying to spend as much time together as possible.

You can’t help but wonder just how is it being Mr Ellis-Bextor and whether she approves of his music?

"I feel like a ridiculously lucky man as Sophie is such an amazing woman. I had known her from touring with her and when we got together and that was about a month before The Feeling started. I remember playing her Fill My Little World and was nervous that she wouldn’t like it, but her reaction was great!"

His winning way with a melody was instilled at an early age and was fortunate to grow up in a household of music-lovers in the family home in Forest Row, near Horsham. Aged just three he stumbled across a copy of The Beatles classic Revolver album which he has continually returned to.

"I really do like it round here, ever since I was young there were always some interesting characters wondering round. No-one knows how but our village is the centre of cults for Europe with Mormon and Scientologists headquarters all within a five mile radius.

"It’s really quite weird. Our road is also supposed to have been built on a lay line and all of the people living here are either artists or musicians, so maybe my music comes from that!"

Making a decision to take music studies seriously his initial batch of songs were forged after encountering Feeling frontman Dan Gillespie at the Brit School in Croydon. Taking their name from a Parisian bar, they got stuck into writing a raft of tunes which would eventually form the basis for their acclaimed debut.

But that was not before enduring their "Hamburg period" for several years honing their material playing cheesy cover songs to drunken Brits at ski resorts in the Alps. Island Records were quick to seize on their potential and their investment was swiftly rewarded as momentum surrounding five-piece gathered pace.

Their two top 10s, Fill My Little World and Never Be Lonely have both been nominated for awards. But the pressure to move their sound on to the next level is always on and they have been beavering away producing the next clutch of pop nuggets.

"We are going to the wilds of Wiltshire to record the next album and have just found some house to record in. You don’t really need to be in a studio these days- our first recordings were made on a PC for around £300, which is a lot less than it costs to hire a studio!

"I do like being in the studio as it’s a real challenge, but we are also excited about the live shows we are doing. It should be really good coming to Kent as growing up in the South I travelled all round there. I enjoy seeing other bands so will be looking forward to checking out Ghosts who are playing with us at Port Lympne."

* The Feeling headline the Kent Music Festival on Friday, June 29 and are supported by the Ordinary Boys and Ghosts. Tickets £25. Box office 01303 234108 or www.kentmusicfestival.co.uk. Jools Holland plays on Sunday, July 1 with support from Lulu. Tickets £30.