The chances are you musical urchins probably haven’t heard anything by Cut Off Your Hands; and that’s not me flexing my muso muscle; that’s according to their singer Nick Johnston. He says: “We really haven’t released anything so there is no reason for anyone to know any of our stuff.”

That could all be about to change in 2008.

Fresh from headlining February’s Levi's One To Watch tour, Cut Off Your Hands headed straight into the studio to record their debut album with producer de rigueur, Mr Bernard Butler.

After out-growing their musical roots in New Zealand, Cut Off Your Hands moved to the grey utopia of London; and from here, they are plotting their Do-It-Yourself stealth attack on the UK and beyond.

“ New Zealand is a great place to grow up but once you get to 18 you start to get itchy feet,” says Johnston .

“ London will always be relevant, but we feel outside (the music scene) as we’re foreigners, how many bands do you know from New Zealand?

“It seems as though every band in London has management, a booking agent, a PR, and is looking to be signed and grace the issue of the latest whatever magazine.

“We come from a background where we did it all ourselves.”

Cut Off Your Hands’ DIY approach has worked brilliantly so far. The high school buddies from Auckland formed a band at the start of 2006 and gigged their way around New Zealand and Australia.

Watching them bent over the instruments at London’s Barfly with frontman Johnston’s élan and energetic dance moves; they really do behave like a band that is fanatical about their own music.

“When we started out, our prime motivation was to connect with and involve the audience,” says Johnston.

“Our inspiration came from a live scene, hardcore and post-hardcore shows where as soon as you walk into the venue you're more than a spectator, you're made to feel a part of the whole crew.

“Bands like At The Drive In, The Blood Brothers, Fugazi and a lot of the San Diego punk scene also inspired us and we always thought the only way we needed to do it was from an underground route.