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Hailing from Camden, Tribes are among the bands who have been tipped to make a real impact in 2012. Their debut album Baby was released earlier this month and the band are hitting the road with Two Door Cinema Club and Azealia Banks later this month. Q spoke to lead singer Johnny Lloyd about billboards, Noel Gallagher and "drunken sing-alongs".

How the devil are you?
"Yeah great, been busy the last couple of weeks, doing a lot of press for our debut album Baby, it's been quite full on but yeah it's all been good."

Why the decision to call the album Baby?
"It's an idea we've always messed around with. We couldn't really believe no one had called it that before, it's such a common word in rock'n'roll and we wanted to give it a classic title. Of course, it's our baby as well."

Was the recording process like giving birth then?
"We wrote it this time last year and recorded it all on tape and it was good fun. It was all really harmonious with us and the producer so was easy for us to get it down. We're just really excited about people hearing it. I think it'll throw off the grunge taglines and connotations that everyone uses. We're really proud of it."

You recently erected a billboard in your home borough of Camden featuring hundreds of names on it. Who were they?
"Everyone we know in Camden, and others we don't know, [people] just sent us an email, mates and fans or whatnot. I don't know half the people. There were a couple of odd names like our mate Jamie Junkle and Animal."

Do you feel you have a special relationship with Camden?
"Yeah, we live here and it's a big part of us. All our friends are here and if we didn't get the support from the people who live here none of this would have happened in the first place. We've got a lot of respect for it and try and play here as much as we can."

Did growing-up there have an influence on your sound?
"It's quite heavily metal here, we're probably the softest band around to be honest. I think Camden's more the rock side and East London is the electronic. We go and see our mates play in pubs and stuff as well, there's a real sense of community. It's quite throwback but it's classic drinking music, pub rock, and it's still totally alive here. Songs like We Were Children were made for people to jump around and get drunk to."

In a time where people are saying that guitar bands are wilting, what contemporary groups are exciting you?
"The last Horrors album is really good, in terms of contemporary bands. I think music is really exciting at the moment. I got to hear a sneaky snippet of that Lana Del Rey album and I thought it was good. The Maccabees have done an amazing thing on their new record, and the fact that it's their third album is amazing. The guitar music thing is just a cliché of the January press isn't it? It may be dead in the mainstream but it's far from dead here, now. There are bands like Whales In Cubicles that are great but they don't get recognised. They could easily be doing what we're doing now."

Do you think it's going to get harder for bands in the future?
"There's less money around so there's less risks to be taken. I think as long as there's a fan base there then labels will be interested, you just have to continually be progressing.

What did you learn from your festival dates last year?
"When we first started playing them there were no sound checks or anything like that so you had to just turn up and be up for it really, but some of our best shows last year were festival dates. Our show at Reading was definitely a turning point for Tribes. The fact there were so many people there and everyone was singing along and all that sort of thing. As far as festivals go, it's about making sure that as soon as you step off the bus that you're ready for it."

Are you looking forward to any festivals in particular this summer?
"We're really looking forward to Reading And Leeds again definitely, just trying to get on bigger stages really. I think in terms of festivals we pretty much played everywhere last year, apart from Glastonbury, but that's an aim we have for the next couple of years. It's really nice because it breaks up the touring, and you get about a week between each show during the summer. We're going to use that time to write our second album."

On your website it says "There's no point being in a band if it's not life changing"...
"What I mean is there's no point being in a band if it has no effect on peoples lives, it doesn't have to be life changing, just to have an effect on someone. I think the music has to have a purpose. We're not as brash as to say that, I wish we were, but we're not Noel Gallagher!"
Joe Bishop@joe_bish

For more head to Tribesband.com.

11:06 AM | 25/01/2012