An Underground station, the Post Office Tower, the London Eye...Turin Brakes like playing in some unusual spots. While they are perfectly capable of filling huge venues, there is nothing the duo like more than returning to their roots and playing somewhere weird for a select bunch of fans.

Which is why, on May 31, Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian will be playing for just a handful of people in an Oxford pub.

The gig, to promote new album JackInABox, takes place upstairs at the Jericho Tavern -- once the haunt of Radiohead, Supergrass and Ride -- which has recently opened after a major refit as a live music venue.

It follows a series of gigs in bizarre venues -- including an impromptu spot for startled Tube passengers at Canary Wharf -- and comes before an acoustic set in a pod of the London Eye on June 21, to promote Fairtrade and raise the profile of Africa before the G8 summit.

"We are always getting up to ridiculous things," says Olly, speaking from the kitchen of his South London home. "Because we are a duo and have the ability to play unplugged, we can find ourselves playing in tree houses and on cliff edges.

"Every time we play somewhere unusual, we think 'that's the last time we'll do that', and then someone comes along and says 'why don't you play in an aeroplane'. We'll be playing on the moon next!

"But it's really good doing these very intimate shows," he adds. "It's quite a challenge for two people to create a huge sound and these gigs give us a chance to play the mellower tracks from the album."

But why play such small venues? "The aim is to spark off tiny, little fires," Olly explains. "We do the big tour in June but that won't be the same. Little dates like this will be interesting to see what makes us tick!"

Brakes fans of old, who were switched on to the duo by their luscious debut album, The Optimist, will be delighted to learn that JackInABox is a return to form, after the bigger production of their still-wonderful follow-up Ether Song.

The first single, Fishing for a Dream, is out on Source Records and betrays the pair's knack for crafting beautiful songs, laced with perfect pop harmonies and spine-tingling melodies.

"The album is much more upbeat and has a 'summery' sound," says Olly. "It is a pleasurable -- and simple -- listening experience."

He adds: "We learnt so much from Ether Song and enjoyed the experience but we are so much more at home making music that sounds like it is from two humble beings -- rather than a whole committee."

The Oxford gig will be one of the first since the birth of Olly's daughter Ruby, on April 22. It also gives him a short break from changing nappies.

"It's been ages since we've played in Oxford," he says. "We have done some really nice shows there, and it's still close enough to London to attract our home crowd."

Tickets are very limited, but you may be lucky enough to pick one up from Virgin Megastores, Cornmarket Street, Oxford; Polar Bear, Cowley Road, or Rapture in Witney.