People don't come to Something for Kate shows to stage-dive or get pissed. They just listen, the band's singer-guitarist, Paul Dempsey, tells FERGUS MAGUIRE

The success came as a surprise to everyone, it seems, except the band.

"We've always had a loyal following and we've been selling a lot of records over the years, so we knew the new album would do well. Our songs are our songs, regardless of whether they're charting, but it's good to finally be recognised," says Dempsey. "It got a little tiring being called 'the next big thing' for five years."

Drummer Clint Hyndman, says the band's success all comes down to touring.

"We travelled flat-out all over the country for two years straight. Our audiences have slowly built up from 20 or 30 people. It's all about being a live band - you can't rely on airplay," says Hundman.

Despite having a top-10 album, Dempsey expect the band will continue at its own pace and win over audiences gradually.

Although the new album may not be as immediately accessible as the band's first effort, it is a more challenging and rewarding work, he says.

"We expect our fans to meet us halfway. We want them to feel like they're a part of something. Our music is a shared experience."

Something for Kate have never been the sort of band to make throwaway, ear-candy pop, he says.

"We're not like Blink 182. You don't sit down with one of their albums to listen for deeper meanings. And that's fine, but that's not where we're coming from. We've always wanted to communicate with our audiences.

"People don't come to our shows to stage-dive or get pissed. They often just stand and listen. We used to wonder whether people were enjoying themselves at all, but we realised they were actually becoming lost in the moment."

With their dark, brooding lyrics and emphasis on emotional content, you'd imagine Something for Kate would appeal to teenagers - one Kate track appears on the soundtrack of teen drama Dawson's Creek. But Dempsey says most of the audience are 20-somethings and the "teen band" tag comes from the number or all-ages shows they've played in the past.

Bassist Stephanie Ashworth expects the involvement with Dawson's Creek will lead to accusations that the band is selling out.

"We want our music beard by as many people as possible. Why create something and then be elitist about who can listen to it? We're totally against saying that our music is only worthy for people who go somewhere like the Punter's Club."