WE Are Scientists are not, in fact, qualified biologists, chemists or physicists. But they do like science.

"I think generally speaking animals do not possess the correct anatomy, the very delicate vocal cords we have", ruminates bassist Chris Cain, thoughtfully.

"That is probably the primary reason why they can't talk, but it could also be partly psychological.

"However, it's surely only a matter of time before dogs are surgically supplied with the necessary equipment to form human speech."
We are discussing life's greatest questions, and Cain has a fair degree of experience in such subjects.

We Are Scientists – the band he formed in 2000 with guitarist Keith Murray and drummer Michael Tapper, after the trio had graduated from the Claremont Colleges in California – are defiantly eccentric.

Their website, wearscientists.com, contains an advice section (subtitle: 'You ask, we lie') where fans can ask the band all manner of odd questions.

A random selection includes "Who would win in a battle, King Kong or Napoleon (with army)?" or "Do you like girls with mullets?", and answers include graphs detailing how good each band member is at paddleball, and how much they like chicken depending on the time of day.

So it's possibly unsurprising that when given the opportunity to ask any person, living or dead, any question, Cain takes it very seriously – kind of.

"That's like getting a wish from a genie, I don't wanna blow it!", he says, umming and ahhing over his answer.

"I'm gonna bend the rules a bit and ask a dog to clue me in to exactly what and how much is going on its head.

"It'd be interesting to see if we pulled back the curtains whether their brains were borderline robotic, or do they have the anthropomorphised feelings that we attribute to them?"

We Are Scientists are a fun band. Their witty, dance-edged rock, likened by Cain as "a frat party peopled by nerds", has won them a devoted fanbase in the UK.

Second album With Love And Squalor spawned two songs, The Great Escape and Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt, which have become indie disco favourites.

They're also rather popular with video game soundtrackers for the likes of Burnout Revenge and True Crime: New York City – "Our music's really good for driving fast and shooting people", Cain jokes.

Third album Brain Thrust Mastery was released in March, and new single Chick Lit emerged this month.

The band are currently touring the UK, playing a mixture of traditional venues with a smattering of "half-an-hour acoustic sets" in record shops. They come to Leeds Metropolitan University next Wednesday.

"It's a not necessarily entirely accurate old bit of received wisdom that the further north in Britain you go the better crowds you get, but it's generally true", Cain says.

"Eighty per cent of the time anyway. I feel like the fans up north are a bit rowdier and quicker to let loose, but maybe I'm glorifying intoxication and they're simply drunker!"

Two days after the Met gig they play Glastonbury for the first time.
"That's gonna be a major comedown after Leeds", Cain jokes. "I think it's a pretty good bill.

"I'm excited about seeing Jay-Z, it's a rare opportunity. And Kings of Leon are headlining our day, they're a great band.

Cain is somewhat perplexed by the supposed lack of interest in this year's festival.

"The ticket sales thing is a little odd", he muses. "I don't know whether it's down to general economic woes or what. But it's a shame."
For Cain, there's a simple formula for a great gig.

"The shows which are the most memorable are when the audience are wound up and it's really, really hot.

"People get soaked in sweat and caution gets thrown to the wind a little bit.

"The hottest ever was at the Forum in Tunbridge Wells, an old public toilet in the middle of a park.

"The ventilation was non-existence. When it finished there was dew clinging to the cymbals."

Trailing the globe playing rock shows isn't for everyone, however. Those cymbals belonged to Tapper, who quit We Are Scientists in August last year, half way through the recording of their latest album.

"That was largely just because he wasn't excited about us going on tour for two years to promote the record", Cain explains.

The same can't be said for their obsessive followers.

"All are charmingly weird!", Cain laughs. "I feel bad for continually referring to this particular girl, because she's really nice.

"She's from Portland, and when we met her she gave us these kinda voodoo dolls that she had sewn, each of them in our likenesses, in superhero clothes!"

We Are Scientists play at Leeds Met University on June 25. Tickets are available in advance from Jumbo and Crash Records or from www.lunatickets.co.uk
www.myspace.com/wearescientists