The five lads that make up alternative rock band Young Guns will embark on a UK tour this May with an opening gig at Guildford's Boileroom on Friday (May 29).

The run of headline shows coincides with the launch of their new album Ones and Zeros, due out on Monday June 8 and the first released via new label, Virgin EMI.

Having played at Reading Festival last summer and no stranger to the Guildford independent music venue Gustav Wood (vocals), John Taylor (guitar), Fraser Taylor (guitar), Simon Mitchell (bass) and Ben Jolliffe (drums) are looking forward to showcasing their new music.

Have you been to the Boileroom before and if so what do you like the most about the place?

We have, but not for a few years now. It's a venue that's pretty close to where we live, so it'll always remind us of the early days of the band but also all the shows we used to go to in the past. I love the fact that it's independently run, and always cares for the local scene and keeping that scene alive by hosting up-and-coming talent. It's also great to see bigger bands come back to the Boileroom. It's testament to the fact that great memories can be made at the Boileroom.

The Boileroom is a very intimate venue. Do you prefer those to bigger venues?

We enjoy the smaller, intimate rooms - like the Boileroom, as they create an experience different to that of a bigger show. There's nothing more exciting than playing a hot, sweaty and action packed show when you get to play smaller rooms. It's a unique feeling, and a energy that defines these kind of shows, that we all love. We grew up in a local scene, where seeing local punk and hardcore bands was the thing to do every weekend, so these kind of shows is second nature to us. Having said that, we also love playing the bigger rooms for all completely different reasons.

Alongside your upcoming tour, do you have any festival appearances lined up for the summer?

We do. We have a few commitments overseas straight after this run, but as soon as we come back we are set to play 2000 Trees, Y NOT festival and T in the Park. It'll be the first time playing these festivals, so we're super pumped to be playing them for the first time.

What can fans expect at your Guildford gig?

A brand new set, a mixture of songs from our first two records and some new tracks from Ones and Zeros which will be exciting. We've road tested some of these new songs on the road these past few months and we're getting a lot of enjoyment playing these so hopefully the crowd will feel the same! Rest assured we will be playing some songs we haven't played for a while, so that will be cool too. It's a small, sweaty Young Guns show, and if any one has seen us in the past at these kind of shows, they'll know how much we love playing them.

For people who are not familiar with you guys, how would you describe your music?

We pride ourselves on writing big melodic songs with catchy hooks and big riffs. Our new stuff has more focus on solid rhythms and defined beats, but ultimately you have to come to a show and decode for yourself. Hopefully, there's something for everybody at our live show.

What's the best and worst thing about being on the road during a tour?

We find ourselves having a career involving doing something that we love to do every day. We get to travel the world, playing our music to a crowd, that in itself is a constant reminder of how cool our job is. That said, being on the road most of the year means you will inevitably miss out on lots of things - they could be events, or people you miss from home. Anything you care about, you're gonna miss but we're all in a very lucky position where we have lots of people supporting and backing what we do.

Can you give us an insight to what your new album will be like?

For us, it's a collection of better-written songs. We feel the time we've had to write a record, has given us moments of reflection and chances to correct parts that we weren't happy with. We introduced new musical elements, concentrated on rhythm a whole lot more, and thought about making sure every part on this record has a purpose. I'm hoping there will be moments that surprise a lot of people, but ultimately these are the best song's we've ever written and I hope people see that we've pushed ourselves on this record.

Does the album have a different sound to the other albums and are there any tracks that you are excited about exposing on stage?

There'll be parts on the record where people will recognize that we've pushed the boundaries a little more and may surprise them, and there's parts where people will hear the natural evolution of our sound. Yes, parts of the album are a little different to what we have done in the past but it's still Young Guns, and it's not going to be a drastic departure to our previous record. We've released a few tracks so far that has hopefully given fans a taste of the record but there are lots more tracks I'm excited for people to hear. We've brought it down on some part's of the record where we have a laid back, darker tone to songs like 'Die on Time', to songs like our title track 'Ones and Zeros' which I can imagine being the perfect festival song. There's variation in this record, so hopefully there's something for everybody.

Tour dates:

Friday 29 May - Guildford, Boileroom

Saturday 30 May - Chester, Live Rooms

Sunday 31 May - Carlisle, Brickyard

Monday 1 June - Peterborough, Cresset

Wednesday 3 June - Wolverhampton, Wulfrun Hall

Thursday 4 June - Cardiff, Y Plas

Friday 5 June - Manchester, Academy 2

Saturday 6 June - Norwich, Waterfront

Monday 8 Jun - London, Scala

Tuesday 9 June - Glasgow, Garage

Wednesday 10 June - Sheffield, Plug