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"What next? We'll prat around and see what happens, probably Wembley!", quips Rob Gibbs, lead guitarist of rising Birmingham indie-electronic band Suddenly, Phantoms!. I catch up with him as the band finish one of their most high-profile gigs to date, supporting Irish rock starlets Fight Like Apes at the Birmingham Barfly. Gibbs' off-stage demeanour is markedly more relaxed than his on-stage persona. During tonight?s gig, a broken guitar strap caused some problems, and instead of replacing it he decided to jump into the crowd and writhe on the floor amongst the fans to finish his solo. This energetic performance is matched by lead singer Andy De Whalley, who also forays into the crowd. Their chaotic sets have resulted in a rapid rise for the band, who now regularly headline shows on the Birmingham local music scene only a year after forming. They have also achieved success nationally, reaching the final of Jack Daniels Unsigned competition, and their track 'Companion' has been featured on Steve Lamacq's Radio 1 show. Their ascent seems to have affected the band little, with Gibbs confiding that for tonight's show they were "hungover, not showered and tired. The excitement and hyperactivity soon took over though". I asked how the band had formed back in February 2008.

"Well me [Gibbs] and Andy met in the changing rooms at school in Year 8 in a headlock. He was being beaten up, I was laughing! That's when I knew we'd get along. Taft [bassist, James Taft] was the only one who would practise Sundays and we found Joe [Morgan, drummer] through online dating. Except strictly musical. And straight."

After this unique formation, Suddenly, Phantoms! recorded their first EP, 'Beard', in August 2008. Gibbs says that the writing process has changed since those early days. "I wrote all the songs for the first EP, but since then it's been much more communal. I tend to start the riff and then it's an open forum. To get four people's perceptions is much more interesting". The resulting sound is a change for latest EP 'Now Burn The Place'. The tracks are tighter and there is a definite electronic influence, especially on anthemic song 'We Are Ibiza (Obsession)' and experimental track 'Lazarus Phenomenon'. Gibbs acknowledges these influences.

"We wanted to be more adventurous on this EP than the last one. We started off hyperbolic and overblown!" This is met with laughter, before Gibbs adds, "We're now stripping the tracks down so people find them more accessible; the joy is really in the writing and playing at gigs. Electronica is a broad spectrum these days, but we try to emulate music that has synths and sampling by using guitars and drums".

Gibbs also cites Radiohead's Thom Yorke as a major inspiration, something alluded to in 'I Only Dance On Yorketide', the show opener. I couldn't resist asking Gibbs about 'Yorketide'. "For us, it's a religious festival on 7th October, the birth of one of Northampton's greatest sons! He's a big influence, and I'm a big fan of Radiohead". This influence is manifested in the experimental nature of the new EP, something Gibbs admits had mixed results. "With 'Now Burn The Place', there are five songs. Three are good, you know, quite mint, and two are quite, well, Werther's Original. But that was part of the experiment."

With the latest EP being received well, the future is looking bright for the Phantoms, as they prepare to make a big move to London to try and progress their career. Gibbs seems convinced the Birmingham scene doesn?t get the credit it deserves. "Yeah, we're emigrating down to London, we'll be whizzing around the Northern Line in no time. Birmingham has a great underground music scene, with bands like Sunset Cinema Club and Your Biggest Fanclub. But there's no A+R, which means there are outstanding acts that are unsigned. We're moving to London for the real opportunities". Frustration is also evident in De Whalley's lyrics, with some of them focusing on the apparent stale hometown experience or lack of recognition. In their most successful track, 'Companion', he repeats "I'm not counting/ slowly dying/ slowly dying", whilst in 'We Are Ibiza (Obsession)', he starts with the refrain "We're all looking for, we're all looking for that pat on the back".

With the relocation to London imminent, I asked how useful the internet had been at accumulating a fanbase for the move, given the meteoric rise of bands starting out on social networking sites. "It's a mixture. Every band is on MySpace, and so you're lost in a sea of anonymity really. But you can find some excellent contacts through networking, so it's a valuable tool. The more traditional methods have brought better treasures. If you go and hand out CDs and be sociable, there are people out there who will help you."

This method must have worked, because the band have recording sessions lined up this summer with producer Jim Abbiss of Editors fame. After that, Gibbs hopes that they will tour the UK with the new material to add to their growing fan base. I give him one last chance to plug the band. "If you?ve got an internet computer, come and have a chat with us on MySpace or Facebook, and show up to one of our gigs!" If Suddenly, Phantoms! next EP develops the success of their latest release, it may well be worth doing so.

Suddenly, Phantoms! latest EP 'Now Burn The Place?' is available now. You can stream tracks by visiting their Myspace.

They also look set to tour the UK this autumn.