IT IS A POTENT cocktail of hard-hitting psychedelic rock and pretty 60s pop – but Jupiter Sound have carved out a unique sound that is doing them no harm whatsoever.

The Fife four-piece formed only a few months ago but have been making waves with a handful of eye-catching support slots.

They have picked up a bit of a following already and earlier this month they announced they would be playing at the Kendal Calling festival in the summer.

What's more is they have youth on their side. All four band members – Alfie Ramage, Niamh Corkey, Joseph Jamieson and Lennon Donaldson – are just 18 but they display a maturity, both on and off stage, that will only bolster their efforts to experiment and push the boundaries.

"We couldn't be happier with the reaction we've gotten since we first started out," reflects Alfie – one of the band's singers and guitar players.

"It took six months of preparation before we felt ready to play our first gig. We wanted to play as if we'd been playing together for years, I think we did a good job.

"Things have started to move at an incredible pace for us since then; we couldn't be more grateful to the people who have supported us by coming to our shows and getting involved with us online.

"When we were offered the slot at Kendal, we couldn't believe it. A friend contacted me saying that he'd sent a video of us playing to his friend Nick Frazer, who picks the bands that play Tim Peaks. After watching it he decided wanted us to come down and play.

"We are extremely excited, a lot of our friends and supporters have already bought tickets to come and see us. We can't wait."

It was perhaps clear from the beginning that Jupiter Strange were going to offer something a little 'out there'. The sheer range of styles and influences which each of the four bring to the table is a fountain of ammunition for experimentation.

Niamh – who shares vocals and plays both the guitar and the keys – cites the magnificent Sam Cooke as her personal hero and comes from an Irish folk music background.

Unsurprisingly, drummer Lennon is influenced by the likes of Dave Grohl and John Bonham, while bass player and synthesiser Joseph was inspired by the likes of Pink Floyd and the Dandy Warhols. The result is expansive, catchy and dreamy rock with a hard-hitting rhythm section.

Psych-rock, to me, means combining experimental styles and techniques, some old some new, with the individual creativity that each band member brings, and I think that's why we have quite a unique sound."

Looking back on the first few days of Jupiter Strange, it is odd to see that something so considered and thoughtful had come together as a bit of a happy accident.

Alfie and Joseph had been part of the ill-fated Plastic Macs for around two years before the band split amid rising tensions. They had been an admirer of Lennon's hefty drumming, having caught him play in Dunfermline and soon linked up with Lennon's friend Niamh, who had been a fan of the Plastic Macs.

There began a few months of solid rehearsals and the blending of those varied backgrounds.

Alfie recalls: "When we started the band, we knew we wanted to sound different, but I don't think we really expected to sound the way we do now.

"The four of us are all quite unique in our styles, with my raspy voice and eclectic guitar playing, Niamh's great ear for harmonies and incredible vocal range, Lennon's furious drumming and whatever the hell Joseph does on those synthesisers...I think when you bring all of those things together, it results in something quite interesting and unique."

The recipe is not quite finished, however, with the band likely to continue tweaking and tinkering every so often.

Indeed, it appears that Jupiter Strange will forever be an unfinished project, with at least some subtle changes taking hold each time the band write.

With worldwide connectivity in mind, the band are content in the fact they do not need to follow industry trends in order to find a fan base.

There will always be people who want to hear something new and experimental, I think; otherwise the world would be a very boring place."

They can commit to their psychedelic sound, safe in the knowledge that there will always be a market out there some place. And the prospect of experimenting for years to come is an exciting one for the talented four-piece.

Alfie says: "I think that with the internet making music so much more accessible, genres such as psychedelic rock are gaining more and more popularity.

"I'm not sure that there's ever been a huge market for psychedelic music since the late 60s; however, its influence can be seen in so many bands over loads of different genres such as Led Zeppelin in the 70s, The Stone Roses in the 80s and Tame Impala, more recently.

"There will always be people who want to hear something new and experimental, I think; otherwise the world would be a very boring place. Psych-rock, to me, means combining experimental styles and techniques, some old some new, with the individual creativity that each band member brings, and I think that's why we have quite a unique sound."

He adds: "I don't think we'll ever be satisfied with how we sound, if I'm honest. If you're satisfied, then what motivation do you have to continue being creative? I have so many ideas and I'm only one quarter of the band. I'm excited to see what the four of us can come up with in the future."

With the prospects of a very busy summer on the horizon, Jupiter Strange will be gearing up with a handful of gigs and their debut releases. The quartet will be heading into the studio this month to record two singles, and have a few things bubbling away in the background that they are not quite ready to reveal.

But it's clear there is a bright future in wait for the youngsters who can certainly expect a lot more to gravitate towards them and their unique psych-rock stylings.

Alfie adds: "We are all extremely excited to get into the studio; we have so much material written already, and it's been really tough deciding what to record. I won't give away too much, I'll just say that it's probably going to get weird…"

  • Catch Jupiter Strange supporting The Roques at Room 2 in Glasgow on March 21.