Since The Strays last spoke to The Local Answer it’s fair to say they’ve been busy.

One of the most popular bands to come out of Cheltenham in recent years, the group performs virtually non-stop, as lead singer Stella Sonic explains.

She said: “We have been racking up the gigs as usual, one highlight being our support slot at the Louisiana Bristol for Canadian Psychobilly rockers The Creepshow, along with The Hawkmen.

“That was pretty awesome. Met some great people that night. Other than that we have been busy getting signed and releasing our debut album of course! Oh, and arranging our autumn tour!”

The band, which is made up of Stella on vocals, guitarist Sam Cordrey, drummer Gary Chamberlain and Kris Jakab-Hall on bass, signed to renowned rockabilly label Western Star Records earlier this year.

“We had heard of Alan Wilson at Western Star basically because he is a rockabilly and psychobilly legend,” continued Stella.

“We were really keen to try and work with him somehow so we bugged him until he agreed to have us record the album at his studio.

“We chatted tentatively about signing to his label, although he works mainly with more traditional rockabilly bands on his roster, and our sound is a lot more modern.

“But as the album took shape and sounded great, it was evident both parties really worked well together, so we signed to his label Western Star Records for an album deal. We were made up. We call ourselves the Western Star ‘Wildcards’.”

Whilst The Strays have released singles and EPs in the past, their new album – ‘Drop Out Zone’ – is their first full-length record.

The experience of recording it with seasoned producer Alan Wilson was something the band loved.

“We couldn’t wait,” said Stella. “We booked a cottage for the band for the whole week of recording – we had recently watched ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and wanted that immersive band experience!

“Everything went really smoothly, Alan was great and we even had time to write and record an extra song – Christmas single guys, watch out for it!”

The album, which is named after one of the featured tracks, was released on CD and digital platforms in July.

Stella says the process of writing and recording the record took around six months, and the overriding theme of the album is to celebrate individuality.

“We had a couple of songs written last year that we played live alongside our EP tracks, but it wasn’t until we booked to record at Western Star and realised that we needed 12 songs that we thought we’d better get writing!

“The album is based upon themes of being outside of mainstream society and doing things your own way. In essence ‘The Drop Out Zone’ is a place for those weird and wonderful people who don’t quite fit in with convention.”

For anyone who hasn’t heard The Strays before, their sound can be admittedly hard to pin down.

Taking inspiration from a number of bands and artists, Stella says they are often described as “No Doubt meets Imelda May”, with her vocals coupled with a mix of rock, punk and pop creating a unique sound.

“I think Darrel Higham and Imelda May were the initial catalyst for our sound,” explained Stella. “I’d never had an interest in rockabilly or any old rock ‘n’ roll until then.

“Her voice and the songs were so refreshing, and we started to take inspiration from her other modern/vintage rock like The Black Keys, Jack White and our own individual tastes – which are very eclectic.

“Our new sound has a little more punch and attitude than previous releases. I’m influenced heavily by what I’m listening to at any given time, so a whole host of bands influenced certain songs on the album, like Green Day, Reverend Horton Heat, Holy Moly and the Crackers, B52s, Rancid. There is even a riff in one of our songs that was inspired by Spinal Tap!”

With the release of a new album of course comes a tour, with The Strays set to embark on their biggest yet in the coming months.

The band is set to travel the length and breadth of the country, from Brighton to Middlesbrough and plenty in between, including dates here in Gloucestershire.

“It’s a big one! 22 dates between September and November,” said Stella.

“Gaz has been tirelessly hounding venues up and down the UK to get gigs wherever we can. We are excited about them all, we’ve never really played up north or in the east of the UK before so really hoping to get some people to those shows.

“I think the scariest one will be playing the Robin 2 in Bilston – at 700 capacity, that’s a large venue for us! But we are in talks with some great support acts, and we are keen to make every date a success so will pull out all the stops!”

Before the tour begins, The Strays will be launching their album at The Frog and Fiddle on Friday 9th August.

Stella added: “There are still some tickets left but not many, and we fully expect this to sell out! There is a link for tickets on the event on our Facebook page.”

For more information on The Strays, including details of their tour and album, visit https://www.facebook.com/TheStraysLive/