SOMETIMES a band comes along who exceed expectations to the extent that you just have to break the rules.

So for this week only we have eschewed our usual question-and-answer style to give you an in-depth introduction to the phenomenon that is known round these parts as Islands Lost At Sea.

IT seems that Bolton's cogniscenti are getting sick of the numerous Fratellishambles wannabe bands that litter the gutter at 2am like sartorially blessed kebab wrappers, but without the excess fat. "Surely there's more to life than drums, guitars, bass and caterwaulling," we hear you say. "Surely not everyone is in love with The Stone Roses," you wail. "We want to hear some kazoo."

Well maybe not the latter. You don't yet know that you want to hear the kazoo used live on stage by the trio who are set to change the way you think about music. But you will. Believe us, kids. You will.

"We've kind of had to adopt an attitude of not being ashamed of anything we do," says Adam Farmer, Islands Lost At Sea's bassist, and half of the team behing the fast-becoming-legendary club night Badvibes. "Now we kind of relish the moments when we set up a double bass, guitars and a CD walkman instead of a drummer, and watch people's faces drop when some weird techno beats kick in and Dan starts trying to sing like Prince."

Just eight months after their inception, Adam, along with his bandmates Dan and, ahem, Bodge, was sending out demo CDs. Manchester indie label Akoustik Anarhy picked up on the band, and offered them the chance to release a double A-side 7-inch single, that they will be recording at the end of this month. But it is their live shows that have earned the band their hometown reputation, featuring audience participation to a hitherto almost-unknown level.

"We basically just like to have fun when we're playing live," says Adam. "We get people coming up to us after gigs all the time saying how refreshing it is to see people trying something different instead of following trends.

"Our music isn't a reaction against three chord indie bands, we just haven't given ourselves any limits," he continues. "If we feel like making a banging dance track or a weird experimental track or a three chord indie track, we just do it instead of wondering whether people will like it or if it will get us a record deal. I think the whole point of the band is just to try new things. They might not be new to other people, but they're new to us."

Anyone who has had a chance to hear the eight track album sampler created by the boys earlier this year will agree that Islands Lost At Sea constitute a refreshing change to the other identikit bands troubling the charts. Their influences are pretty much the definition of eclectic, as demonstrated by Adam's club night where you can hear everything from the very latest indie (yes, that word again) to obscure electronica, soul, underground hip hop and grunge.

"I guess the whole ethos of the band is to make music that makes us happy and is fun to create and play in front of an audience," says Adam. "We tend to just neglect songs that aren't instantly clicking with all of us and concentrate on the songs we have the most fun making.

"Usually we will have a piece of music that we're working on and someone will say something like, Let's have a bit of trumpet on that, but make the trumpet noise with your mouth,' or, How about we use Bodge's arthritic thumb as a kick drum and his zipper as the cymbals.'"

Islands Lost At Sea play "Islands Night" at the Dog and Partridge, Manor Street, with Flatpaktmind and Say Jansfield on Saturday, September 23. Admission £3.