Inspired by a news article on France's leftist future after Sarkozy was voted president, Future of the Left plunged into indie's darkest depths three years ago after their former bands McLusky and Jarcrew split up. Last year the band released its first singles, Fingers Become Thumbs and The Lord Hates a Coward – songs that came to define The Future of the Left.

Curse is laden with cryptic, faux-mystical utterances, more akin to the Bible's Revelations than a typical pop song. Mashed-up lyrics are sung in shouty, frantic, aggressive style and the distorted guitar breaks into a thick tsunami with screeching vocals and thumping drums in adeadenemyalwayssmellsgood.

The majority of the lyrics are unbound by lyrical meaning. Andy Faulkous (vocals/ guitar) says: "Playing with language is so much fun – there are too many bands that feel they need to stick to a strict narrative."

"Sometimes songs just appear and somehow – as if it were magic – the subject almost lands on you." Asked if it was like speaking in tongues, he says: "Yes, that's almost exactly how it happens."

Falkous adds: "I can uncreep you – when we put the first few songs together it did seem religious, with The Lord Hates a Coward and Fingers Become Thumbs, but rather than the album having that theme it's more an atmosphere really – an atmosphere that comes across with the the use of words rather than someone going 'religion, isn't it weird?'

"Trying to discuss religion in a rock song would be to belittle it. I have a respect for religion borne of years of growing up with it but I have also a deep fear and disrespect for religion based on years of living with it, yes – I grew up in a family that was half Catholic, half Protestant and my father was a Buddhist so I've seen it all in terms of religion and, frankly, I don't want to see any more."

Falkous points to Manchasm - a jagged, punchy number with synths and shouting, as his favourite album track: "a, just because it took so long to write and b, because it's one of the top songs I have ever written."

He describes Adeadenemyalwayslooksgood as "a big, thick ironic Rage Against the Machine song," whose title, he adds, dates back to Roman times.

"Most of those references are just in there for my own entertainment but they are in there. I'm not just being creepy, I'm being other things as well," he laughs.

Despite having just returned from the Leeds/Reading Festival and being heralded by NME as 'ace', Falkous remains cynical about the NME-diagnosed indie scene.

"It was a surprise. I haven't read the NME for years. I used to buy it religiously for years with the Melody Maker on a Wednesday morning but I stopped when I was about 24.

I was all prepared to be absolutely ignored by the mainstream press but, be reassured that at this stage it has made absolutely not made a blind bit of difference to our record sales."

Future of the Left are currently working on their second album, for which much of the material already prepared, "We're halfway there – a friend of mine said it is like a cross between us, Manowar and Queen," he says. "This is great, because Queen are one of my favourite bands. I love Queen. I absolutely adore bands with gigantic personalities who aren't scared to be ridiculous and Queen were exactly that. Sheer Heart attack, is – for me – one of the best five albums of all time."

"The more ridiculous the Queen song and the more licence they have to roam around and do whatever the hell they like, then the better the band is. If you could relate them to somebody I'd be deeply worried about them."

The harsh, terrifying tones of Future of the Left's aggressive, ballsy singing couldn't be further from Falkous' pleasant, amiable demeanour: "That's a common misconception," he says.

"I remember doing interviews with McLusky in Germany and the Germans really loved our second record but I could tell that they were visibly disappointed that I wasn't chopping their heads off with a spoon."

"I think there's far too many bands who reserve all that danger, loathing and anti-social behaviour for the lifestyle, as opposed to going on stage, but for us, as a band, it's really is all about music.

"Outside of our music, outside of our shows, we are essentially very boring people," he laughs.

The Future of the Left play at the Harley this Saturday, tickets £14.

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