While many bands aspire to transport the listener into a world outside their own, Midlake are one of few capable of actually doing so. Sounding part throwback to ‘70’s folk-rock, partly the creation of Radiohead-esque, non-linear structures, the true genius of The Trials of Van Occupanther, the band’s second album, is the way it marries soaring harmonies, impossibly tight performances and an overarching warmth in its own pastoral universe, eclipsing any notion of pure homage.

Answering questions in-between tour dates, Eric Pulido, Midlake’s lead guitarist, believes Van Occupanther’s successes derive from both these influences and the overall packaging of the record: “That era of music was very influential on us, and still is, so we were aware that the album had that vibe. Record artwork has always been intriguing to us as well, and the 70s era has some very cool artwork indeed. We wanted to achieve warmth in the imagery that connected with the music of the album, like many we'd seen from the 70s.”

For many, writer included, the album was the musical highlight of 2006. For a band whose previous album, Bamnan and Slivercork, hardly made a blip on the radar, the success was a welcome surprise: “Well, the success of the album has surpassed our expectations. And the fact that people are continually being introduced to the album even now has been great to see. We hope that the growth will continue and people will be looking forward to our next release.”

There seems to be little to worry about in this regard, although Midlake are still actively promoting Van Occupanther [currently on the tail end of a US tour], the enthusiasm of their fans in spreading the good word has been one of the key elements in their success. These fans have reared from all circles, including industry, fellow musicians, punters and a few celebrities. While Eric is happy that the band has friends in high places, their loyalty lies with those who supported them before the hype.

“Although there have been some famous people popping up recently that are into the album the ones that mean the most are those that were there from the beginning. Both Bella Union label head, Simon Raymonde, and actor, Jason Lee, have been into the band since the first album. The fact that they continue to support us is a testament and compliment.”Another of those who had championed the band pre-Van Occupanther included Wayne Coyne, whose fondness of their album led The Flaming Lips to offer Midlake the support slot during their 2006 European tour.

“Supporting the Flaming Lips around the time the album was releasing was a huge opportunity for us. Not to mention, they were some amazing people and just an over all encouragement. Their fans were always very receptive to the band and I think the tour catapulted subsequent things. The best moment [of last year] had to be opening for them in Paris and the crowd cheering for an encore. It was really cool to be an opener and be cheered to come back out and play another tune.”

For the uninitiated Midlake’s famous fans and Flaming Lips support-status may paint the wrong impression, the five-piece from Denton, Texas are not some overnight sensation. Forming in 1999 the band originated as a jazz act, something which plays into their intricate, harmony-laden arrangements and musical virtuosity. “It's an influence that's embedded in the band. You can't really escape it, you just try to use the knowledge and influence in a proper way,” Eric explains. However, the group grew disillusioned with the improvisation and jam based jazz approach, and Tim Smith, the band’s singer and songwriter, looked to try his hand at pop songwriting. After releasing their first EP, Milkmaid Grand Army, they were signed to indie stalwart, Bella Union, a relationship Midlake have been exceedingly happy with

 “The name says it best, it’s a 'beautiful union'. We've really built a rare and wonderful relationship with the people at Bella Union. The label head, Simon Raymonde, has been everything from a musician to a manager for us and remains to be a close friend.”

While the band’s first long player received some critical praise, the album did not hint at the fanfare that was to follow. Still Bamnan, the keyboard based, psychedelic pop precursor to Van Occupanther, holds a place dear to the band’s, and Eric’s, heart: “Personally, I have a fond feeling about it. It was right and honest for that time and was the best we could do.”

While artistic honesty is a particularly nebulous concept, the down-to-earth persona of Midlake reflects their desire for artistic goals rather than commercial ambition, something that belies their rapid-fire success: “We can't get in that mindset [of searching for success], or we would just be setting ourselves up for a feeling of failure. You can't bet on the music industry. All we can do is strive to make a better album, and if at the end of the day we can achieve that, then we have succeeded.”

And what of this striving for a better album, Eric says that, while in the early stages, the album will continue the character-driven, rustic setting that dominated Van Occupanther, branching out into “darker territory”.

“The working title is 'The Courage of Others'. There will be characters I think that people can connect with, but they remain to reach their fruition. As far as the instrumentation is concerned, we're pretty open to whatever sounds right in the context of the song. Don't be surprised to see some new instruments making their way into the recording room. Once we start recording, these songs will begin to develop more and we'll all see the direction even clearer. It's a relatively clean slate at the moment. We will start setting up the studio and will begin recording in August.”

One of the surprising aspects of the 70’s glaze that saturated Van Occupanther was its creation on digital, not analogue, technology, Eric says this trend will be continued on its follow-up: “These days, its hard to not be digital, at least for the most part anyways. We did record to tape some on the last album, but it was a beast. We have a whole new system this time around (RADAR 24) and it will be digital.”

For the Midlake devoted, the news that the band will be expanding and moulding the sound they pioneered on Van Occupanther is tantalising. But listening back to last year’s release it’s hard to know how they could possibly better what was as close to a perfect album as you’re likely to hear.