ALTERNATIVE rock band A Way With Words have only been together a year but will be opening the Wychwood Festival at the end of the month.

The four-piece was asked to open on the main stage on May 30 after organisers of the annual music festival at Cheltenham Racecourse came to a gig in the town.

The band, who have not even released their first EP, are due to perform on the same stage as some of the UK’s most loved acts, including the Boomtown Rats, The Levellers, the Stranglers, Reef and Newton Faulkner.

A Way With Words drummer, Matt Morris, said the band were delighted with how far they had already come.

The 24-year-old said: “We were so shocked because we have been doing well here and it was amazing when they asked us to come on the BBC Introducing stage, so when they said they wanted us to open on Friday night on the main stage it was just incredible.

“It’s just an amazing opportunity and we’re all really excited about it. Nervous but excited.”

The band came together about a year ago after Matt introduced his friends Antony Willis, James Rowland, and Kristian Mansfield.

Although Anthony and Matt had some experience of making music back in school the group were generally new to the scene.

Inspired by the work of Red Hot Chilli Peppers and the Offspring, A Way With Words split their rehearsal time between a basement in an Old Town house and Gatehouse Studios in Kembrey Park.

Matt said: “We’ve been together just over a year.

“I met Christian and James at Hreod Parkway and then I met Anthony when I went to Kingsdown School.

“The first six months was really getting to grips with gigging and finding our sound and getting known around Swindon and in the area.”

Despite already being such a big hit, A Way With Words don’t rely solely on their music.

Matt said: “We’ve all got full time jobs so rehearsing and gigs have to work around that.

“We need the money to be able to pay for all the equipment and everything.”

Most of their work was written and recorded by the band’s frontman Anthony, and the group are looking to release their first six-track EP, Now or Never, later this month.

l To find out more about the band, or have a listen to their music, visit www.soundcloud.com/a-way-with-words-1 or visit the band’s Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/pages/A-Way-With-Words/527346570637494.