youlikewelike.com:

Who? Four passionate young musicians from South Wales bringing their lyrically esoteric and optimistic songs to the world.

Why? Influenced by, and taking musical reference from, the likes of Biffy Clyro, Kings Of Leon and Alexisonfire, I Am Hope combine strong hooks together with infectious melodies and intense, engaging lyrics. Intelligent, entertaining stuff from the Welsh boys.

When? 29 June: Cardiff Barfly to celebrate the EP release, and then 7 July: Uplands Tavern for The Ped & Joe Show.

Where? MySpace + iTunes for the download of the debut release on 29 June, and then on the road shortly after. Check listings.

Where did you wake up this morning?

We all woke up in the same bed,as we find it helps with our creativeness and bonding.

And the first thing on your mind?
World musical dominance...followed very closely by Cheryl Cole.

Describe your sound ...
It’s difficult to pigeon hole. It has influences from experimental rock groups such as Biffy Clyro and Death Cab for Cutie, but has a unique performance and production feel. The use of two main vocalists switching lead roles, interleaving melodies and huge drums set it apart from similar rock sounds. A fan once described it as 'intelligently catchy pop rock', which we think is pretty close.

Your greatest creative influence has been what or whom?
Despite having different tastes and influences there’s still a handful of people that we agree have had an influence on our music. Heros such as Daryl Palumbo and Simon Neil have definately had a big effect on how we structure our songs.

Commercial success or critical credibility?
Commercial credibility. The two are not impossible to achieve together, because we believe we've got a pretty commercial sound already, though not in a Keane sort of way. If it came down to it, as long as we could survive off what we were playing and still draw a crowd while selling records, it would have to be critical credibility.

What’s the state of the nation right now?
The same state its always been in: shit, mainly, because the powerful and wealthy who run the country have been too greedy and have realised they are not invincible after all. In turn the consequences of this has fallen into our laps in the form of recession. We're not very political as a band, though it’s obvious this country is suffering due to someone's poor decision-making.

What can we expect from you over the next 12 months?
We’re in the process of organising a few tours with some very exciting bands, so keep an eye out for dates shortly. The debut release will be available on iTunes 29 June, or directly from our Myspace. There’s going to be an EP release show in Cardiff barfly for us, and we'll be main support for the Xcerts, also on 29 June.