Tim Hughes meets an Oxford band busy reviving the adrenaline-soaked sound of the sixties.

Unsuspecting gig-goers wandering into the Jericho Tavern tonight could be forgiven for thinking they had stepped into a timewarp.

The rehabilitated Oxford venue, which in its glory days hosted the likes of Radiohead, Supergrass and Ride, will resound to a sound more reminiscent of the summer of love' than contemporary Oxford.

With their chiming guitars, crisp vocals and bouncy melodies, The Anydays fuse the cooler sound of the sixties, with the edge of 1990s Britpop.

And for the band's bassist, Niall Jeger, tonight's gig marks something of a homecoming.

"I used to come up to the Jericho Tavern when I was a kid," he says. "I saw Supergrass, The Wedding Present, Ride, and all these other amazing bands, so to be playing here is pretty special."

The gig sees Niall, guitarist and singer Drew Atkins, and drummer Alex Bridges on a bit of a roll. Earlier this year, the band played a dozen low-key gigs in Oxford in the space of three weeks, honing their craft before going into the London's Toerag Studios, where White Stripes recorded Elephant, to record their debut single Monday Morning (on Super Tone Records).

The single, which will be handed out at tonight's show, is already going ballistic - with BBC Radio Oxford becoming particular fans. Musical missionary Tim Bearder used it to close his cult Saturday evening local music programme The Download, and Sybil Roscoe is regularly playing it on her breakfast show.

"Playing all those gigs meant we got a great sound going," says Niall. "We became really tight, and people really got into it.

"Playing live is just so much better than standing around rehearsing. After those gigs we didn't need to worry about trying to remember the songs - we just played off the emotions. That's why they sound good - and it really paid off when we recorded the single at Toerag. The studio only uses 1960s recording equipment and still has the EMI desk from Abbey Road, which The Beatles used for Revolver.

"They use old valve technology and we recorded the tracks in mono on tape-to-tape, which really suits our sound. The whole experience was like we'd been in a time machine."

Despite having strong Oxford roots, and playing a sound which is as English as fish and chips, Niall actually got into music in the unlikely setting of the American West.

"I borrowed a guitar when I lived in Texas. We were living somewhere between Dallas and Houston, as my dad was working at a university there. I got a taste of dodgy American rock and then got into some cooler music when we moved back. I was listening to indie music, but it was bands like The Kinks, The Stones, and The Beatles who really influenced me - and still do. I love that '60s sound."

So what can curious music-lovers expect from tonight's show?

"We play great, fast songs, with short bursts of energy," explains Niall. "It's all very rhythmic with strong harmonies.

"We write good original tunes while tipping our hats to the '60s Mod sound and bands like the La's, but take it to the next level. It's all about the songs and the sound, as well the look and the attitude. People get the real deal. For a three-piece, you get a full-on sound and a lively show - which we'll be treating not as a gig, but as a party."

The show takes place tonight at the Jericho Tavern in Walton Street. Doors open at 8pm. Tickets are £4. The single Monday Morning is available from Polar Bear Records, in Cowley Road.