THEY’VE been hailed as the future by Radio One, were one of the first names announced for this year’s Isle of Wight Festival and will release their debut album in the summer, but before that indie-rockers The Amazons are coming back to Southampton.

The Reading lads, who’ve appeared at nearly every venue in the city from Lennon’s to the Guildhall, are headlining at The Joiners on Thursday.

Before heading to London to premiere their latest single Black Magic on Radio One with MistaJam, frontman Matt Thomson told us how the success of their previous release, with it’s addictive middle guitar riff, had taken them by surprise.

“We genuinely never expected Little Something to be picked up so much as it’s a real heavy song and doesn’t really have a chorus, but the reaction from everyone and what it’s led to has been incredible.

“Opening Radio One’s Future Festival, heading to Europe for shows and now playing Southampton on the first date of our biggest UK tour so far is more that we could have hoped for.

“Isle of Wight is another bonus. This year’s headliners Arcade Fire are one of our favourite bands and we’re really excited for our stage. Last year we were part of the Jacks Rocks This Feeling line-up where they plough you with free Jack Daniels and Coke after the show so we had a great time!

“Our debut album has been wrapped up for a couple of months now. It’ll be good to get it out, probably over the summer, tour it and then, for us at least, begin to move on to the next thing.

“Each new song we’re currently releasing shows a new side to the band and the ones that aren’t singles will be super different, more intimate, less rocky, but for now everyone is just going to have to wait and see.

Lead singer-guitarist Matt, bassist Elliot Briggs, guitarist Chris Alderton and drummer Joe Emmett are fiercely proud of their Berkshire roots and are determined to promote their home town as Matt explained.

“It was over two years ago that Oscar, the lead singer of Sundara Karma, and me vowed to put Reading music back on the map, to help show that there’s even more to the town than the festival.

“We started putting on our own club night, doing shows together and forging an identity. Now it’s an amazing time; after all, when has there been more than one band from Reading on a major label and on the Radio One play list?

“We’re in the internet age now –you don’t need to be from London or Manchester to make a name for yourselves in music. It should be the same everywhere. I know you’ve some great bands in Southampton, we’ve played with a lot of them.

All the band are avid Reading FC fans and Matt still has fond memories of good times at The Madejski watching a player who is now one of our own.

“Shane Long is probably the best striker I ever saw at Reading, he was such a solid frontman. In 2010-11, the season before he left us, we reached the play-offs and every game was the Shane Long show. He was always on fire, 21 goals in 48 appearances, somehow they managed to keep him going through all sorts of injuries.”

The Amazons’ first UK tour date at The Joiners on Thursday is sold out, but they return for The Isle of Wight Festival June 8-11. Latest single Black Magic is out now.

RICHARD DERBYSHIRE