Hey Sholay are a band of wrist-banded young strummers whose inherent cheekiness and startling originality is fast blasting riffs of notoriety into our indie music milieu. In mere recent weeks they’ve been whisked into the Maida Vale studios for the BBC Introducing Sessions…which can often ultimately result in people being catapulted, guitar-first, onto Jonathan Ross’ sofa. 

Their unique, undulating style is understated, rhythmic and ethereal, a far cry from the clanging defiance of who some would consider their contemporaries, like the Kaiser Chiefs or Arctic Monkeys.

We dug them out, stubbled and glinty-eyed, in an ancient London pub between busking sessions. While aging alcoholics spluttered on Guinness in oaken booths, we talked Pink Floyd, Serbian music festivals, and putting butter in washing machines.

There’s a kaleidoscopic element to your songs (we’re thinking of Wishbone in particular). What inspires that?
I dunno, LSD? Haha. I’m not sure what we’re inspired by. There’s a quote that says you should never play what you like, try to be different. I suppose we’re a mix of different bands, we take inspiration from lots of different places.

What’s the plan for this year?
The album comes out at the end of summer, and we’ve got tours coming up. And we’re going to run a CD that’s embedded in a block of cement! People can either buy it and just keep it as an ornament, or break it open and listen to it.

What have you been up to in London?
Well we were busking on London Bridge earlier, made about £10.30. We’re gonna go and check out Alibi in Dalston later too. Can we crash on your floor?

It depends. What’s the worst thing you’ve done at someone’s house?
Turned up! Or cleaned up after. I once emptied a bag of compost on someone’s floor. I found cream cakes and wiped them all over the door handles. Another one was putting a knob of butter in the washing machine so when they washed their clothes the next day they were all buttery.

Do you stay in touch with your hometowns of Sheffield and Leeds, and the whole scene there?
We’re still aware of what’s going on but we’re not part of any scene – we like it that way. We don’t go out of our way to avoid it but we don’t go out of our way to have our own identity either. Every band strives to be individual though.

What other bands would you most like to play live with?
Pink Floyd, The Beetles…definitely Sargent Pepper’s sort of era. Aphex Twin would be amazing. I’d love to just do a chilled out, 24 hour set with Brian Eno, just jamming. And 70’s Bowie!

If you could play anywhere in the world, where would it be?
We already have played the best place in the world; Exitfest in Serbia. The people in Serbia are beautiful. It was like 50 degrees and we were sizzling. Also there’ s an amazing salt mine in Poland with a church in it and they have festivals there, that’d be amazing.

Hey Sholay’s digital single Burning is out 11/06/12, followed by debut album ((O)) in September 2012

Words by Dylan B Jones