The Academy

The Academy want to inject some good, old-fashioned rock'n'roll zeal into the musical climate.

Singer and guitarist Tom Howells, bass player Dave Wong, guitarist Justin Chau and drummer Paul McLean got together, as Howells says, 'because no one else was making the kind of music we liked in Hong Kong. We're here to give this town a musical enema.'

Howells and Wong have already enjoyed success with their previous band Kid Zero: recording with Robert Plant and winning Billboard's Asian Critic's Choice Award in 1997.

'This is something new though,' Howells says. 'We want to get moving again and get people excited with our sound.'

Coupling 1960s garage and 70s vintage rock with new wave and avant garde, The Academy's expansive musical vision is given space to traverse several different kinds of rock terrain.

'Our influences are rooted in classic rock - Led Zeppelin and Guns N' Roses - although we sound nothing like those bands,' Howells says. Sound-wise, the band might be better placed somewhere between Sonic Youth, The Velvet Underground and Franz Ferdinand.

Already confirmed for next month's Rockit Festival - and having got themselves roles in an independent film (they say they can't reveal details yet - the band are clearly hitting the right chord with the right audiences.

It's no surprise. Live, they're a formidable outfit. The steady rhythms of McLean and Wong balancing Howells' vocal vitriol. All the while, twin guitars whip the songs into a sonic frenzy, creating a maelstrom of sound.

'We thrive on live shows,' says Howells. 'Leading up to Rockit, we're just going to turn up and play wherever we can.'

In between, The Academy will release their debut EP, And the Masses Shall Respect It, recorded at Mark 1 Studios in Jordan, under the tutelage of studio owner and producer Koya. Ten months in the making (they had to recruit a new drummer after founding member Robert Padavick departed), the group are pleased with the result. 'It's got a great live feel to it,' says Howells. 'It's raw and fun and really f***ing good! At this stage, we just want people to hear it, so we're going to put it online free for downloading.'

As far as the future, the band is looking overseas. 'What's the point of being the best indie band in Hong Kong? It's a bit like being the least retarded kid on the special bus,' Howells says.

'We'll be looking to record our new stuff towards the end of the year and release it at the beginning of next. Then we can start looking for shows in Japan, Britain and the US.'

And the Masses Shall Respect It will be released on Monday. To download, go to www.zero-productions.com/theacademy.