Ask Sydney outfit The Sunpilots about the quote on their bio describing them as ‘Australia’s Best Kept Secret’, and they’ll just smirk. Frontman Raj Siva-Rajah responds quite wearily. “It’s very hard for people to know who you are if your band is a secret. Why be a band if you don’t want anybody to know who you are?”

If The Sunpilots really are Australia’s best kept rock secret, they won’t stay that way for long. Tracks like Spotlight In The Sun and You’re Gonna Be A Star have crept up from MySpace onto the radio and music video shows, giving the band’s profile a strong boost. Not only attracting attention within Australia, The Sunpilots have pricked up ears in the United Kingdom and America. Raj admits he doesn’t even know quite how their music had got over the seven seas. “The US have got all these big University radio stations and they have indie charts. Someone told us that they were playing our songs. In Canada we were up the top.”

After a long history of playing shows, The Sunpilots have finally put out their debut album Living Receiver. It was released around the country earlier this month. It’s an album that brings the rock sensibilities of the Western world together with Raj’s Sri Lankan heritage. “As I’ve grown older, I’ve learnt to embrace my roots,” he enthuses. “Throughout the album, especially in Medicated Shell, you hear it with the power solo of the sitar. The album is if though east meets west.” The album’s title is intriguing, but it’s not something that the band agonised over for long. “I was watching Donnie Darko and they talk about ‘the living receiver’. I just thought, hey that’s it. That’s an awesome name.”

With the album on shelves, the band is in the thick of a national tour. After being “locked in the studio for so long, getting on the road is just what The Sunpilots needed,” confirms Raj. “We’re a band that needs to see the faces of our fans. Playing live is something we do best.”

It’s not all king size beds and five star hotels on the tour circuit, though. “Most of the time the four of us bunk in one room,” Raj laughs. “Some of the band members are notorious for bad smells and loud snoring in the night. So, sometimes saving up the extra cash is a good idea when it comes to regarding all of our sanity. Sometimes two of us might want to party whilst the other two want us to sleep. Now we just go out and get an extra room!”

Living Receiver is out now. The Sunpilots still have a handful of dates left on their national rounds. Check them out at the following shows.

Fri 22 Aug – Fremasons Hotel, Geraldton, WA

Sat 23 Aug – The Rocket Room, Perth

Thur 28 Aug – Carriers Arms Hotel, Wodonga, VIC

Fri 29 Aug – The Greyhound Hotel, St Kilda, Melbourne

Sat 30 Aug – Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong

Thur 11 Sept – Irish Murphy’s, Launceston, TAS

Fri 12 Sept – Brisbane Hotel, Hobart

Sat 13 – Sept Spurs Saloon, Devonport, TAS