WITH three members of the Winter clan occupying key roles in the band, The Fallout Trust is very much a family affair.

Having just signed to EMI subsidiary, At Large Records, this engaging six-piece have been beavering away on their debut album, In Case Of The Flood, at their recently discovered base in Hackney.

Christened Q Quarters, the underground hideaway is packed full of unusual rooms which are just perfect for forging a slice of indie brilliance.

Emerging from their urban cave, singer Joe Winter explained their close bond.

"To me our name is about things that are unconditional. You can fall out with your family, but they are still your family. That’s how we operate - we can say things to each other that people who don’t have that familiarity would not be able to."

Though he conceded that they may not be getting the EMI star treatment like Robbie Williams, there’s little they have to complain about.

Perhaps the only exception is a lack of heating at the studio. Its dank, windowless vibe with echoing rooms was selected in tribute to Joe and his old schoolmate guitarist Guy Connelly’s visit to the infamous Hansa studios in Berlin which sparked their inspiration for forming the band.

"Guy was feeling just as disillusioned as I was with our university courses and so we went to Berlin to clear out the mind tubes. I took a mini disc player with a dual output and we just walked and cycled our way round the city listening to David Bowie and Lou Reed," added the 26 year-old.

Returning to Blighty feeling rejuvenated, they put the group’s wheels in motion and have barely stopped writing new material since.

Theirs is a brand of music which is beguilingly hard to pin down - a fact that counts well in their favour. Reference points range from Talking Heads to the Beatles and they’re not so far away from the mainstream that they aren’t capable of making big strides in 2006.

Their first headlining UK tour will allow Joe to drop in on his brother Andy in Kent. There’s a a real buzz surrounding the opening date at Tunbridge Wells Forum.

"It should be really good as first nights of tours usually are. It’s exciting to be doing our first headliner and are holing ourselves up in rehearsals now. Kent’s the garden of England so we’ll be looking forward to doing some gardening there!"

* The Fallout Trust play Tunbridge Wells Forum on Thursday, January 26. Tickets £5. Box office 08712 777101.