With sharp suits and even sharper tunes, Delphic are going from strength to strength. TIM HUGHES reports

THEIR brand of electronic indie-rock has marked them out as individualists, but so has their smart attire.

No scruffs, the Manchester-based club-rockers are more likely to be seen in fine suits than skinny jeans.

“We like good tailoring,” says guitarist James Cook.

“We are not a punk band and have never kidded ourselves that we’re trying to be anything that has an alternative youth aesthetic. We want to walk around looking smart.

“It may sound cheesy to others but we have just bought three identical suits – we like the idea of looking the same. We grew up with The Beatles and love the idea of looking like we are from the same unit.”

It is, says James all part of the band’s approach to music. “We like to look pristine and that fits with our perfectionism as a band.

“We don’t like to hear things which are obviously wrong and pass them by. “So if anything seems slightly wrong we have to hone it. It’s a case of ‘this has to be right’.”

It was almost four years ago that we first heard of Delphic – a then-trio of James, Rick Boardman and Matt Cocksedge, whose blend of dance beats and indie-rock was showcased to thrilling effect on their debut single Counterpoint and album Acolyte – with its stand-out tracks Doubt and Halcyon. They went on to take the runners up prize in the BRITS Critic Choice Awards and came third in the BBC Sound of 2010 Poll.

Now boosted by drummer Dan Hadley and Stu Coleman, (formerly of The Music, on bass) they are about to release their second album, Collections.

The record, produced by Tim Goldsworthy (Massive Attack, LCD Soundsystem) in Bristol, and Ben Allen (Bombay Bicycle Club, Animal Collective) in a converted shipping container in Atlanta, Georgia, sees them evolving their sound with more electronica, hip hop and house. Its imminent release follows a great 12 months for the band – who found their tune Good Life chosen as one of five official Olympic tracks for London 2012.

“The new drummer adds a new dynamic as does Dan. We are a dance-orientated band so it’s great to have a rhythm section immersed in that.

“We feel so privileged to have one of the tightest rhythm sections in the country.”

The Olympic link remains a source of pride for James.

“I’d never seen the country in such a state,” he says. “In 2011 we had a summer of riots and the Arab Spring and thought ‘what’s the world coming to’. Then the Jubilee and the Olympics happened and this cynical nation became proud to be British. There was a magical atmosphere and to be part of that was such a great achievement.”

The band are busy preparing for their latest tour – a roadtrip which will bring them to Oxford’s O2 Academy. And, as you might expect, it involves more than just grabbing their instruments and throwing a few clothes in a suitcases.

“We are not the sort of band that grabs guitars and a few amps and jangles out a few tunes in a rehearsal room. We are quite methodical as we mix our set together. It’s a laborious task but we love it.

“We are geeks,” he adds. Things happened suddenly for Delphic, but James said there was a definite point when he realised they had made it as a band, when the crowds at gigs and festival fields began to stretch further – higher.

“One of the most surreal moments was playing a gig in Australia. The crowd was getting bigger all the time and at one point there were people in the audience stacked four people high on each other’s shoulders. They were like human totem poles.”

He adds: “One of my proudest moments, however, was playing Glastonbury. I used to go there when I was younger and even missed my geography GCSE one year to go, so it meant so much to go as a band and play the John Peel Stage. It was one of those moments.”

The music and dapper suits have obviously made them popular with the ladies. Though James is not one to dwell on the fact. “I’ve been told we’ve also got a big gay following,” he says. “And sometimes we get a lot of scallies – young lads who don’t look anything like us – at our gigs. “So I’m a bit confused. But if there are ladies interested, I’d like them to make themselves known to us!”

Delphic play the O2 Academy Oxford on February 18.
Tickets are £15 including booking fee from ticketweb.co.uk