Brighton Rocks: Maths Class

British seaside towns; an inspiration and idle curiosity for generations of writers, poets and musicians, and occasional misery for families stuck in nightmarish bank holiday traffic on winding rain lashed windswept roads. From Philip Larkin to Morrissey, arty types have long been flocking to Victorian promenades to soak up the kitsch cosmetic glamour, take a ride on the dodgems, have a fumble behind the waltzers and get candyfloss in the hair. It’s fitting therefore, that as Gigwise salivates at the prospect of reclining on sun soaked deckchairs over the next few months that one of the south coast’s brightest and most exciting bands is from the place that’s fast becoming the Newport of the noughties, Brighton.

The latest bright young things to tumble out of the city that’s brought us Blood Red Shoes, The Electric Soft Parade, British Sea Power and The Maccabees are Maths Class, an electro indie quintet who specialise in pacy no-wave punk and breathlessly melodic rock with a side helping of oddball metal. The band played Brighton’s The Great Escape Festival this weekend, having only formed just over a year ago in their adopted home. Along with their contemporaries and friends Foals, Maths Class are being tipped for great things. To date, the band has neither a release nor record deal to their name, but whisper it quietly; there’s something adrift in the Brighton air, and we’re not talking about the aroma of hotdogs and toffee apples.

Before the event Maths Class frontman Tim Sketchely explained how the weekend’s gig in Brighton will be the culmination of a year’s worth of work for the quintet. “Well on Saturday, weather permitting,” Tim says in guttural northern tones, “we’ll be playing on top of a bus on Brighton beach and it’s going to be on your radio as far as I know.” Despite his voice not betraying a twinge of fear, the gig will be a further step in the band’s rise over the past twelve months.

“We went to The Great Escape last year, only a few months after the band formed, and we had an amazing time seeing everyone play. We all thought in a year’s time it would be great to play the festival ourselves so it was all in the back of our minds.” The band, who formed at university in Brighton, were added to the line up a short while before it took place. “So much has happened since last year,” Tim offers. “It’s unbelievable in a way to be playing it so soon.”

Maths Class consist of singer and synth player Tim, synth player Piers Cowburn, guitarist Andy Davies, bassist Alex Damms and drummer Rick Tipton. The band formed when Tim moved to Brighton from his native Harrogate to start a music course. Fellow Yorkshireman Piers followed to further his own music career, and the enterprising duo met Andy, Alex and Rick on the Brighton circuit. But despite acknowledging the strong musical output emanating from the city, Tim's mindful to distance Maths Class from being part of a clique. “The Brighton scene is one of the most diverse in the country,” he explains. “So I’m not sure if you can group it together and say there’s a particular sound. Foals we’re really into, and they’ve become good mates of ours. They’re probably the most similar in sound to us, but there’s lots of bands here we admire.”