But not all come back to haunt you.

So it was with The Music, the Leeds million-sellers back in Sheffield tonight having restored faith in themselves.

"We did a couple of gigs in 2007 and after one gig in Sheffield we said either we make this good or we split the band and get jobs," recalls vocalist Robert Harvey.

"None of us wanted to split, so we sat down and decided we were going to work at it. It meant too much to us."

The crunch came after internal dissatisfaction with Welcome To The North, swift sequel to their self-titled 2002 debut album.

"One of the main problems is you grow a lot mentally between the ages of 18 and 24, even if you're in an office job. That's a strain, but we did it touring."

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With their inventive blend of swirling grooves, swooping beats and ponderous rock having thrust them into the global spotlight within a year of leaving school, it all became too much. The band found themselves trying to recoup individual identities.

"The American thing was the most difficult. To be able to mean something to that many people is obviously enticing. It's a dream to a lot of groups so we went for it, but at the time we didn't know the songs (on Welcome) weren't good enough or how tired we were.

"I'd lost touch with who I was. With all the paranoia the negatives had overtaken my mind and I needed a rest to remember who I was. One of the main reasons I think we were misunderstood a lot is we didn't really know what we were. We had to change things."

Rested and reacquainted with their aspirations Rob, Adam Nutter (guitar), Stuart Coleman (bass) and Phil Jordan (drums) took time to prepare Strength In Numbers, the June 16 Flood and Phil Hartnoll (ex Orbital)-produced album fired by experience and realisation.

"The album was definitely born out of darkness. It's been a long time and we've been through a lot in that period.

"There's a thirst, a hunger there again. It's about bringing people together and making them feel good, standing strong, being comfortable with yourself and realising there is something to look forward to. We know we can't save the world but we can do our little bit to make people feel part of it."

Look out for local support band Exit Calm, the Sheffield foursome invited by Emily Eavis to play Glastonbury.

Their debut album, to be produced by Matt Terry (The Enemy), will be released early 2009 with single We're On Our Own arriving October. Meanwhile Control movie producer Todd Eckert is seeking to use EC tracks in new film Black Pearl, directed by Mark 'Luke Skywalker' Hamill.


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