Which Wombat has the bigger brain?

ACCORDING to The Wombats, the band have one thing in common with their slightly furrier namesakes: "brain size".

The band, who play the Corn Exchange on Tuesday, settled on the slightly strange name after forming in 2003.

"To tell you the truth we didn't even know what a wombat was," says drummer Dan Haggis. "We'd go around calling each other a silly wombat, though."

"Actually there were several other animals in the running," adds bassist/ vocalist Tord Øverland-Knudsen. "Goats, a rhinoceros . . . The day of the first show, the promoter asked us for our name. We said we didn't have one yet. He said, 'Just give me anything,' and Dan offered, 'The Wombats.'"

Following periods in various unsuccessful metal and folk bands, The Wombats came together after meeting while studying at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts. The Norwegian Tord was joined by Liverpudlians Haggis and Matthew "Murph" Murphy (guitars/vocals) to complete the trio. The band's attention was quickly diverted away from their studies as they began perfecting their indie pop sound, created as a result of influences ranging from Kraftwerk to Johnny Cash.

Current album, The Wombats Proudly Present, A Guide To Love, Loss and Desperation, charted at No 11 in the UK, firmly cementing the band's arrival in the British indie pop scene, a moment which Haggis says he'll never forget.

"We're obviously really proud of it. To be able to walk into a shop and actually see it there in front on you in its full glory, with all the artwork and bonus DVDs and stuff is amazing."

Despite consistently being described as indie pop, The Wombats don't like to be pigeon-holed. "I see us more as a folk band," says Murph. "I don't feel like an indie band. For us to do an album of folk songs with a banjo in it and slide guitar would be completely normal, just like doing straight, fast, energetic stuff. It all seems to be in the same ballpark to me. We don't have any distinctions as to what is this and what is that."

Instead, Haggis describes the band's sound as "The Monkees on speed".

Regardless of genre, the band have had plenty of critical acclaim, having had almost every Radio One show in existence playing Let's Dance To Joy Division on loop, with Jo Wiley naming it her track of the week and Zane Lowe hailing it as the hottest track in the world.

The Wombat's whirlwind success eventually culmin-ated in winning an NME award earlier this year.

Claiming the gong for Best Dancefloor Filler, they saw off stiff competition from heavy hitters including My Chemical Romance and Bloc Party.

Needless to say, the award was collected in typical Wombats form by Murph, who delivered a brief acceptance speech: "Thanks to everyone's dancing shoes boogying on down. I kind of want to ring my mum and tell her that I'm sitting next to Muse. Cheers."

Despite significantly fewer number ones (none, as it happens), the fact that the band write their own songs and are based in Liverpool has led to various Beatles comparisons. The band laugh them off. "It's silly. Let's see if we get seven albums out first," Haggis chuckles.

"The Beatles have kind of affected everywhere haven't they? It seems like every band that comes out of Liverpool has this quirky ear for melody or whatever.

"I can't see why we are any different, but I don't know if we feel as though we're part of this magical Liverpool fairy dust that is a catchy song."

Although the band are Beatles fans and met at an institute founded by Sir Paul McCartney, The Wombats are somewhat unlikely supporters of Heather Mills.

With a packed schedule, which will see them co-headline the Radio One stage at the Carling Weekend, perform at the Glastonbury and Isle of Wight festivals and return to Scotland for T In The Park, there's no letting up for the band.

And with a further 17 festivals booked on the continent, it looks as if The Wombats have set their sights on world domination.

"We never had a set goal," Dan protests. "We like to live one day at a time. We want to keep on doing music full time, though. We don't want to be a flash in the pan."

• The Wombats, Edinburgh Corn Exchange, Newmarket Road, Tuesday, 7.30pm, £12, 0131-443 0404