Since the rise of Arcade Fire in 2005, Canada’s music scene has gradually grown in stature.

This week alone Brighton plays host to three Canadian bands: psych-rockers Black Mountain on Wednesday, The New Pornographers on Thursday and Women tonight.

That said, Women hold themselves apart from their fellow Canucks – largely because of the geography where they grew up.

“We are from Calgary and extremely detached from the rest of the country,” says guitarist and vocalist Patrick Flegel. “There is a really strong music scene in Canada, which is very eclectic, but they don’t tour much.

“In Calgary we are landlocked, and very far away from other cities. There’s a really vibrant arts and music community though – people ought to look into it!”

The four-piece is made up of long-time school friends Patrick, drummer Michael Wallace and guitarist Christopher Reimer, with Patrick’s brother Matthew on bass – the member who Patrick jokingly refers to as “the one I hate the most”.

“When you’re living in a small city there are less distractions,” he says. “Especially when you’re growing up far from downtown, you have to come up with things to do. There was lots of bike-riding, shooting fireworks at each other and basement guitar shredding.”

In 2008 the band unleashed their self-titled debut album onto the world. One Canadian newspaper has described their sound as “sunny Beach Boys pop dragged into a dark alley and gleefully mutilated” – a description which amuses Patrick.

“I don’t really listen to the Beach Boys, but we do listen to a lot of pop music,” he says. “The melodic bits were inspired by [American 1960s soul duo] Eddie And Ernie, The Everly Brothers and Roy Orbison.

“It’s a combination of that and the other things I enjoy, like obscure underground music and groups like [Edinburgh post punks] The Fire Engines who have no talent whatever, but you can achieve some kind of catharsis when you listen to their music. Pop songs with other, darker elements.”

Women have just released the follow-up to their debut on the indie label Jagjaguwar. Public Strain sees the band reunite with old friend, Canadian musician and artist Chad VanGaalen, as producer.

As well as its debauched take on pop, what set apart the original Women album apart from the crowd was its lo-fi sound – captured using ghetto-blasters and vintage tape machines.

“This album is more consistent,” says Patrick. “We were using the same gear, but last time we were going to weird locations to record and experimenting a bit more.

“This time we did most of the recording in the same place. There was a huge cavernous concrete room in the basement where we got some pretty strange drum sounds down, and an isolation booth upstairs.

“We didn’t try to make the sound more interesting by going to a train station to record, like we did last time!”

For now the band is on the road, and set to remain so until at least February or March, continuing a gruelling schedule which saw them perform 180 shows in the year 2008-2009.

“Ideally we would love to be able to write and record all the time,” says Patrick. “Being on the road isn’t good for doing that, but it is the most fun you can possibly have. Being from a small place like Calgary, going somewhere else blows your mind!”

Support from Idiot Glee and Cold Pumas.

* Starts 7.30pm, tickets £9/£7.50, call Resident on 01273 606312 or Rounder Records on 01273 325440