A self-confessed Beastie Boys fanatic, Steve's lyrical approach, as well as focusing on the finer details in life, is also crammed with pop-cultural referencing – The Bono hat-debacle gets a name-check here as does Elton John: Friend and councillor to the stars. But with WTTC another theme is taken on - the aging process – although Steve hasn't started giving out about kids playing on his manicured lawn just yet.

"No-one likes to hear a band whinging about getting older, least of all me. I hate that shit," he says. "I'm not worried or concerned about getting older though, just acutely aware of it! But it's one of a few lyrical themes running through the album. So that would permeate my lyrics hugely I guess.

"I over exaggerate situations, and I over complicate things, sometimes just to get a reaction from myself which hopefully might prompt some sort of stupid lyric into existence. But yeah, Bono did get his hat back, so that's a relief. Celebrity culture is a freakshow. I wrote that Elton John thing ('Elton John can't even save me now') after seeing all those pathetic little pop tarts with habits running to ol' Elton for reassurance, and possibly more. Don't print that." (sorry Steve).

Over the years GAMAK¹s work ethic could never be faulted - they've toured the length and breadth of the country countless times, playing everywhere from the smallest most ill-equipped venues right up to the larger more established establishments both as headliners and support acts as well as playing overseas in the UK and Germany and on the festival circuit here. They've had numerous memorable nights playing with many of their hero's, a key factor in the bands ongoing development.

"Electric Picnic was one to remember, Sunday morning mass-time slot, yet people came and packed out the tent to see us. To be honest, the gig itself is a bit of a blur to us, we were pretty dumbfounded by the reaction. Playing with some of our musical heroes such as Dinosaur Jr and Deftones was a dream come through. Doing a UK tour with The Undertones was an amazing experience as well. We're a live band, and we enjoy being in a band most when we're out playing gigs. Recording is great and all, but it takes like two weeks at most. Playing live is where it really happens. We've tightened up as a result of playing a lot maybe, because you kind of need to be tight enough when there's just two of you, there's always only one other person to blame."

With Welcome to the Cusp, Steve and Keith have stepped into the wilderness by deciding to release the record themselves, uncharted territory for the duo, and a tough experience by their own admission, but one which they ultimately hope will be amply rewarded. It's perhaps too early to say whether they are rolling the dice with the stakes higher then ever before, but when considering everything they've invested in this album, coupled with the upward trajectory they've been on since releasing their debut back in 2004, success they hope is just around the corner.

"It's been tough but rewarding so far," says Steve of their decision to fly solo. "There are endless amounts of e-mails and phone calls needing to be taken care of, but y'know, that's the deal. In terms of the immediate future, we hope that everybody has no option other than to accept that Giveamanakick exist. After that, they can make up their own minds whether or not they're into it. But they'd better be into it, cos world domination has always been the long-term GAMAK plan, world domination baby."

Don't bet against it. Welcome to the Cusp is released nationwide on Friday, May 2. Giveamanakick play Cyprus Avenue on Friday, April 18.

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