Things are pretty exciting in the world of Charlie Straight. Last year they played their first UK shows, received glowing write-ups and bagged a huge gig supporting Red Hot Chili Peppers. This year will see them returning to British shores again to play The Great Escape for us so we thought we'd get to know them a little better before then.

1. As a band from outside of the UK, how did you come across the Britpop genre?

J: Well, probably as everyone else - through friends, magazines etc... What does Britpop mean anyway?
A: I must have been about 15 when I first heard The Scientist by Coldplay at my cousin's. It was so powerful - I identified with it so much I couldn't believe it. Then I started listening to more Radiohead, Doves and Oasis, later some Beck, Arctic Monkeys and other stuff that doesn't really qualify as britpop. Johnny (bass) inspired me a lot by giving me loads of good music, he was the initial taste-maker for me personally.
M: Honestly I don't know at all how to exactly define britpop. When we set up the band we didn't think about which genre we want play. We were just playing music as it came naturally from us. It's been reflecting the music we listen to and yes, we listen to lot of British bands.
P: I just love this kind of music and it's very inspiring for me.

2. You worked with Marketa Irglova on your latest track "I Sleep Alone', we love both the song and the video, what was it like working with her and how did you find filming in Iceland, cold?

M: Iceland is really an extraordinary place and I think it surely influenced our creative spirit. Also the studio was very inspiring - lot of space, plenty of various musical instruments to choose from and the feeling that Bjork was having lunch on the same seat as I was a few weeks ago affected positively the whole recording process. Marketa is a very kind and charismatic person and I liked her musical ideas and feelings. And yes, it was REALLY cold!
A: Markéta has got so much intuition you get the feeling you don't even have to speak when she's around and she will understand you. I admire her for her openness to our crazy ideas, it takes some effort to work with four boys in the studio, you know. When we filmed it, we were unbelievably cold. We used the rented car as an improvised backstage-sauna. I crashed the car the morning of our flight home, I was so stressed we'd miss the plane. Fortunately, it wasn't very badly damaged. I drove the back of it into an old trabant (look it up to see what a trabant looks like, good for making guitar picks). I've kept asking Marketa on Skype ever since if anyone turned up and wanted money or anything, but she said it had been abandoned there like that for ages.
J: It was cool. The studio was great...they have a great cook. And we found a hidden natural hot spring, that was cool too.

3. If you could work with anyone else in the world, who would it be and why?

A: Alright, here comes my dream-producers-and-artists list. If any of you guys below read this, please do get in touch with us, honestly: Beck, Natasha Khan, Damon Albarn, Philippe Zdar (Phoenix), David Kosten (Everything Everything), Dave Fridmann, Flood, people around Coldplay and MGMT, Alan Moulder and finally my very favourite Bjorn Yttling.
J: We would love to work with Beck. I'd really like to know what he would think about our music.

4. We are very excited to have you playing this year's Great Escape, who are your top three bands that you are most looking forward to seeing at the festival this year?

A: Everything Everything, King Krule and someone recommended BRODKA to me as a must, so I think I'll check her out too.
J: I'll definitely check out Iggy Azalea, Mac DeMarco and CHVRCHES, if I should name only three. But there's much more I'm looking forward to, and probably also a lot of good stuff I have never heard of and will discover at TGE.
P: Iggy Azalea and Jacco Gardner.