GUITARIST Stephen Davidson is a sucker for the underdog.

It’s because the vocalist and rhythm guitarist of London-based Tellison sees his band as just that.

The indie rockers have been together for ten years and compared to everything from Sugar to The Pixies and Get Up Kids but have never managed to hit the heady heights they strive for.

Even still it hasn’t stopped them touring with the likes of Biffy Clyro, Mumford and Sons and Noah and The Whale, and releasing two albums, of which their sophomore LP ‘The Wages of Fear’ made Kerrang’s top 50 Albums of the Year in 2011.

But without a record label the four-piece have to fit touring around their full-time jobs and their in-development third album touches on the realities of a band fighting for exposure in the music industry.

Davidson said, “The new album is somewhere sonically between our two albums. It is less orchestral, less bombastic than The Wages of Fear (2011) but lyrically better than the first album. It looks at failure – and failing to take up opportunities. We live in a popular culture focused on obtaining goals and no-one talks about what happens when you miss them.

“We have done what we were told and run the right risks but it has never taken off for us the way people hoped and expected it would. I’m a sucker for the underdog. I like bands that don’t play the same furrow as everyone else.” Tellison are Stephen, Peter Phillips (lead guitar/vocals), Andy Tickell (bass/vocals) and Henry Danowski (drums).

They will be back on the road this month – supporting Kevin Devine on his latest UK headline tour – heading to Audio in Glasgow on 3 August.

It will be their first full tour since 2012 when they promoted The Wages of Fear and fans can expect a few new tracks in the mix.

The Glasgow gig will be a homecoming of sorts for Davidson having grown up in Edinburgh.

He said, “I get more nervous playing in Scotland than anywhere else because I come from Scotland and want people to like us. It’s great playing there as the people really care about live music and it shows at the venues.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve been out on the road and we’re looking forward to it.”