Pre-Kaiser Chiefs and Pigeon Detectives, this was the hottest band in Leeds and they already have two appearances under their belt at the city’s biggest music event.

For one reason or another The Music have been off the scene for the past two years, but they are returning with a bang and a busy gigging schedule that also sees them on home ground at the Metropolitan University on Wednesday, May 14 and then at Leeds Town Hall on July 2.

They are currently in the middle of their Four Cities set of dates, the concept of which involves returning to play the same cities in consecutive months, but each time returning to a bigger venue.

The dates, which kicked off on March 4 at London’s Barfly, have all so far sold out within minutes of going on sale to show that the band still have a loyal set of fans.

The Music signed a new deal with Yes Please! Recordings/Polydor in 2007 and spent the rest of the year recording their third album with producers Flood (The Killers, U2, Nine Inch Nails) and Paul Hartnoll from Orbital. It will be called Strength In Numbers and is out on June 16 with a single of the same name released a week earlier.

They will be playing tracks from the album along with old favourites like Take the Long Road and Walk It, The Truth is No Words and Freedom Fighters when appearing on the Radio One/NME Stage at the Leeds Festival on Friday, August 22.

Another Leeds band, Hadouken, have also been added to the line-up for the August Bank Holiday music extravaganza at Bramham Park on the same day and same stage as The Music. Championed by the NME and sure to be a huge pull in their hometown, they are one of the leading lights of the modern nu-rave scene and look set to go from outsiders to real contenders with debut album Music For An Accelerated Culture out in May.