A select Myspace upload from Spectrals’ Louis Jones sparked his musical career. Now the Heckmondwike lad is about to release his debut album with a major British label ...

YOU could easily confuse Spectrals frontman Louis Jones’ laid back attitude as indifference.

The Heckmondwike lad has just signed for Wichita Recordings, home of top indie bands The Cribs, Los Campesinos and Bloc Party.

Yet despite his rise from Myspace enthusiast to major British label he maintains an air of northern nonchalance about his achievements to date.

But beneath his undemonstrative tones, his passion and determination to create great music cannot be mistaken.

Having been pursued by Wichita for more than a year he is now set to live his dream of releasing an album and touring the UK.

The former Heckmondwike Grammar School pupil, said his rise to bona fide recording artist had been sparked after a track he uploaded on MySpace was snapped up by American label Captured Tracks.

He said: “I started in 2009, there wasn’t any plan, I’d been in bands but we didn’t really have our hearts set on anything other than just play a little bit and get drunk with your mates. Then I was at uni and all my friends had moved on and I was stuck around here and I had free time.

“I went to record some stuff and I put it on Myspace just so my mates could look at it, not thinking I’d get any response.

“Within an hour I had a message from Mike at Captured Tracks saying he wanted to release a song and could I get him a B side.

“So I thought, I’ll have to go record another song, and it went from there. Then I got other US labels asking for a song to release.”

Louis said the stroke of luck was initially overwhelming but said he was determined to take his chance.

He said: “Once they’d released the 7 inch things I thought I would never have to do, like playing shows and doing interviews, came about.

“I’ve always loved writing songs but it was weird, I couldn’t really understand where the buzz was coming from, but I really wanted to use it to get to the stage where I could have an album out, and now that’s happening.

“It was overwhelming but I’ve always wanted to do it so I went for it more than some bands might have.

“I dropped out of university, I put a lot of money into it but it’s all come good lately so it’s been worth it.

“The fact that I’ve got to do an album means more to me than I can really tell you.

“And the fact that I might get to do that again after I finish this is a huge deal to me.”

Louis’ story is all the more impressive as the multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter has no professional music training.

Despite this he recorded all the instruments on the album bar the drums, which are done by his younger brother Will.

And with the album Bad Penny set to be released on October 17 he said he was keen for people to hear it and get on the road.

He said: “The record was finished in January so I’ve been just waiting for all this to get sorted out.

“I’m excited that people are going to hear it soon.

“All the songs are about love, I’m talking about one relation-ship that’s been going for quite a number of years.

“The phrase Bad Penny is one that I used. It’s that feeling that the Bad Penny always comes back. I’m always coming back to the same feeling, the same place that I was at.

“It’s 11 songs and it’s almost like a tribute to that feeling.

“I might not be quite in the same place now, feeling heartbroken, but that’s where it comes from.”

Spectrals play Manchester’s The Ritz on November 10 and Constellations Festival in Leeds on November 12.