IGLU & Hartly might be all over British radio at the moment with debut single In This City, and indeed residing in Notting Hill for the next six months.

But frontman Jarvis Anderson is seemingly yet to get his bearings.
"We did go to round a few different areas a couple of months ago", he ponders, when asked if the band have ventured outside of London yet.

"Is Brighton up north? No? I don't really have a good grip on the geography yet", he laughs.

"We played in Sheffield, Nottingham. We were playing on small stages, it was cool to be one on one with people and get to know them.

"Every place we went everybody was super-friendly, although sometimes a little rowdy!

"We played with The Wombats in Manchester and there were people throwing bottles, it was half boos and half screaming!"

The band started life in the college town of Boulder, USA, where Anderson attended the University of Colorado with guitarist Simon Katz and fellow vocalist/keyboardist Sam Martin.

"We met six years ago in college, and hung out as buddies", Anderson recalls.

"I'd previously been making beats and producing, but I didn't ever really envision having a band.

"I met Sam when he was rapping at a party, and I was like 'wow, cool', it was pretty dope. So we tossed school out of the window!

"Then we got Simon in and he was doing these cool Phil Collins-throwback guitar riffs which I really liked."

But how did the trio come to choose such an unusual name?

"Iglu & Hartly was the name of a ship", Anderson explains. "We took a history class in college. The ship sailed to Hawaii to get pineapples, but got cinnamon instead. It was cheaper and easier to store or something.

"So it's a metaphor: you go searching for something but maybe get something better instead. We didn't set out to be in Iglu & Hartly, y'know?"

However, with the music's "energy" overtaking them, the band couldn't wait to finish their university courses and moved to Echo Park, Los Angeles, to begin their rock'n'roll adventure.

"We made the decision to move out to LA, and our singer left the band at that point", Anderson says. "So I thought I had to become a good singer. I found my voice.

"I'm originally from Chicago, as is our drummer (Luis Rosiles]. We needed one so I called him up and said 'hey, come out!'

"Then he showed up at the airport, I couldn't believe it! So we had six people in this little house in LA, where we lived, had our recording studio, and our party house."

The band come to Leeds for the first time on September 25, playing the Brudenell Social Club three days after the release of debut album & Then Boom.

In This City's ludicrously infectious "synth-soul" melodies have already ensured radio ubiquity, and by the time you read this the single should be near the top of the charts.

"It's about moving to LA, going through different things…our parents were like 'great!'", Anderson laughs.

"It's controlling your surroundings, once you've attained that confidence it's a euphoric moment. The hook came right out of my mouth, really naturally.

"It's an inspirational song, and I hope people listen to it and find that honesty for dominating whatever they want in their life."

The last band to explode off the LA club scene and into the hearts of the British people was the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Anderson can see connections with his band.

"I think that there's got to be some reason why people keep linking us
to the Peppers", he says. "It's more the attitude than the physical way of going about it.

"We're not on a world mission – just doing what we love. Those guys seem to be the same."

Both bands have been strongly influenced by the city of angels.

"When you say you're moving to Los Angeles, everyone's like 'oh God! that's stupid'", Anderson laughs.

"But it's so beautiful. I think one of the things about it is there's so many people there following their actual dream. There's not a lot of cities you can actually do that, just go and do it!

How about his new home, in London?
"I feel the same way about it, I've not really spent enough time here yet. The people are warm and accepting, and really inquisitive about the purpose of the band, why we're there."

That purpose, of course, is to become a major success in the UK. Anderson must be a busy man?

"Nah, busy is a negative word, I'm just doing stuff!"

And with that he breaks into yet another bout of infectious laughter.

For more on the band visit www.igluandhartly.com