Any new band which has fans banging on the front of the stage for more bodes well, especially when it's a band about to make its debut in Brighton.

Meet The Duhks, a Canadian fivepiece from Winnipeg, Manitoba, who are touring the UK for the first time to promote their second album.

Described as "kick-ass rock/folk fusion," their music ranges from a heady mix of Irish fiddle tunes to gospel, with the band also bringing their own interpretations of material from songwriters as diverse as Leonard Cohen, Paul Brady and Sting.

The main difference between their new self-titled CD The Duhks and the first album is the addition of drummer Scott Senior. Known for pounding dance rhythms on a handmade cajon drum straight out of Havana, he brings a new edge, complementing the rising soulful vocals of singer Jessica Havey, who's own performance has been likened to a punk rock-era Gladys Knight.

Covered in tattoos and raised in a musical family influenced by the Canadian folk scene, Havey was singing, dancing and acting by the age of six. Citing Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Raitt and Gladys Knight among her influences, it wasn't long before her rebellious rocker side saw her reject roles in the likes of Godspell to concentrate on music outside the theatrical norm.

"One teacher said I was a mezzosoprano but I chose to sing growly.

I wanted to belt and scream, not to stand and sing all pretty and soft," she recalls. The rest of The Duhks comprises Leonard Podolak (banjo), Tania Elizabeth (fiddle) and Jordan McConnell (guitar). Commenting on the new album, Havey says: "It's like we have found our sound and we're a lot more confident. It's the same energy and concept but it's more polished and developed. The influences are the same but it's a little bit poppier."

The tracks Death Came A Knockin' and True Religion have definite gospel overtones, while Mists Of Down Below offers a view on life written from the perspective of a duck. "It's interesting and actually makes a lot of sense if you listen to the words," says Havey.

The last track, Love Is The Seventh Wave, will be the second single to be released off the album and is due out shortly. The band will be back in the studio in February and plan to release their third album in August next year.

Havey says: "We're thrilled about coming to the UK. The reception in the States has been amazing and we're very curious to see what it'll be like in Brighton. I hope it's just as crazy as the States."

Starts 9pm, tickets cost £7. Call 01273 647100.