大象传媒

The band was formed in the early noughties - brothers Dan (guitar/vocals) and Steve Hopkinson (bass/vocals) and Ollie Pearce (drums/glockenspiel) knew each other from high school in Harleston in Norfolk.

They were joined by Sean Havers (guitar/trumpet/glockenspiel) who hails from Mendham in Suffolk. His family farm provides them with rehearsal space in a large shed called The Mill.

Dan said while Sigur Ros are an obvious influence, they're also into more obscure stuff:听 "There's a band called Oceansize, who're my favourite band. There are other bands who we love like Radiohead, Elbow, Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky, but I don't think we sound like them."

Into Flight have got two EPs available via their MySpace page. The 3-track Small Good Thing was followed in 2008 by the Heart & Head EP. The latter contains the two tracks you can hear on this page, as well as the epic A Scream For Silence which clocks in at over 10 minutes long.

Into Flight

This recalls the heady days of 1970s prog rock, but rather than offering songs full of different 'sections' a la Yes, Genesis or Van der Graaf Generator, Into Flight tend to stay in the same groove - building the sound up and down.

The sound wouldn't be out of place on the 4AD label - sometimes resembling the early nineties indie sound of Slowdive or Pale Saints.

Awaiting big results

The band say things are about to get really serious, but they're waiting for Sean to finish his physics degree at Imperial College, London in the summer of 2009.

Dan said: "It can be frustrating. At the minute we're just writing, we've only got a few months to wait, and then we can take the world by storm!"

I'm the Leeder of the gang

Dan is keeping busy by working at Leeders Farm recording studio in Norfolk - the one owned by Dan Hawkins of Stone Gods/The Darkness.

"We recorded Heart & Head there [costing around 拢2,500] and I asked if I could come back and help out and see how it all runs," said Dan Hopkinson. "While I was there they said a job's come up and I got it.

Dan Hawkins & Nick Brine at Leeders Farm

"I'm an assistant, which may mean little jobs like making coffee and setting up microphones, but I get to watch great producers and learn off them.

"Nick Brine, who's the manager of the place, has worked with Oasis and Stone Roses. Dan Hawkins has done some producing and he's great.

"If I can record our own band in the studio it would be part of my learning process, so hopefully it would be cheaper!"

Live is Light

Lest you get the wrong impression, Dan said they're definitely a live band rather than being pale creatures spending their lives in dark studios:

"We just haven't gigged much in the past couple of years. Before that we were - in London most weeks for four or five months. We'd be playing places like the Bull & Gate and the Buffalo Bar.

"But you get to the point where you're playing to 10-20 people, you might get your petrol money covered but it doesn't feel like it's going anywhere.

"I don't think it's the right way to go really. You've got to promote yourself in a different way because not enough people hear when you're just playing gigs."

Gigging will however, return in earnest when student Sean has graduated.

Vacancy filled with Vanilla

Into Flight are recruiting a new keyboard player, but in the meantime, the post is being filled temporarily by a near neighbour - Vanilla Kick's singer Calum Duncan.

Dan said they go back: "He plays synths, guitars and does backing vocals. We're great friends and he's just perfect, but we are looking for a permanent replacement.

"We all live really close to each other and having two good bands from the middle of nowhere is quite funny!

"We're not really part of a 'Waveney Valley Scene' - we quite like the rural isolation, but we need to be getting out to London, Manchester, Leeds before we become part of any scene.

"We're going to be recording an album in the summer of 2009 and then hopefully getting a few tours."