Why do you think the student vote so important?
Students need to vote, partly because if they do so in significant numbers then the politicians will want to do what is necessary to win their vote. Students have been a significant force for social change throughout recent history and it has never been more important. The future of the students themselves is in danger - if you are struggling to pay tuition fees it's because when I was a student we were not successful in stopping the introduction of fees. If that is ever to be reversed, then students are going to have to shout loudly and be heard. A general election is a major opportunity to ask difficult questions and get straight answers on the record. Then you can see who has your best interests at heart.
Why have you chosen to back Vote For Students?
Playing at universities is one of the most fun things we do - we have always had huge support from students all around the UK. Student loans bought most of our early equipment. I really do think students have the ability to change things from the bottom up, rather than relying on others to do so from the top down.
Did you go to university, what did you study and how was it?
I got a BA in Geography at University College London (UCL) and a PGCE from the Institute of Education. I worked in the bar at Birkbeck College for a couple of years while I was at UCL. I loved London and I still live there. Tim from the band was also studying at UCL, and we managed to persuade our singer Tom to give up his degree course in Edinburgh to come to London.
How did it prepare you for your current career?
I went to a lot of gigs in London - both at the University of London Union and at the many pubs and bigger venues around town. I also took some drum lessons in the back room of a drum shop while I was living there. Studying also enabled two of my bandmates to live in London too, so we could work on music together. We also met our manager there - a fellow student.
What can we expect from your upcoming shows?
We've got a tour of forests in England in the summer, where I guess we'll be playing some of the new songs. Plus a few shows around the UK, Europe and USA from May. We're taking it relatively easy this summer, so we can have some time at home - we've been on the road for much of the last six years and it's time for a bit of a rest.
Tell us about your new EP?
We recorded a few songs while we were touring the world over the last 18 months, so we are releasing an EP called Night Train, because we often took the train around Europe - a much better way to travel. It's out in May.
How did you feel when Hopes and Fears and Under the Iron Sea were voted in the top 20 best British albums ever alongside The Beatles, Radiohead and Oasis?
Very grateful to our fans who had voted in their thousands. Lists like this one are always a good talking point, but to feel valued for our albums is what we always wanted, so it was very cool to be up there.
Tell us about your work with Amnesty.
I've been campaigning for a guy called Troy Davis by wearing t-shirts on TV, tweeting, blogging, diverting questions in interviews and writing newspaper articles.
Troy is an African-American on death row in the American state of Georgia. He has been convicted of the murder of Mark MacPhail, an off-duty Police Officer who was shot after he ran to the aid of a homeless man who was being beaten up.
I went to visit Troy in prison last October, along with a couple of people from Amnesty International and the long-time anti-death penalty campaigner and MP for Orkney and Shetland Alistair Carmichael.
There is a very strong case proving Troy's innocence, but it’s proving to be very difficult to get the evidence heard in court.
He was literally saved from execution by the final hearing he was entitled to, when the Supreme Court ruled for the first time in 50 years that a new hearing must be held. It is an unprecedented hearing so it is by no means a formality and we will be campaigning on his behalf around it. It will likely be happening soon, so I would encourage everyone to keep an eye out for it and to join your local Amnesty group. Most universities have an active group.
Martina, Troy's sister, maintains that it is public attention that has kept him alive to this point. This brings me back to the point about student power. If enough people are watching, it is very difficult for people in power to do the wrong thing. If they feel no-one is watching, they can do whatever they like. It took me a long time to find my voice and speak up but now I wish I had started sooner.
Whatever it is you believe in, find the person who shares your view and try to get them elected. If no-one does, how about standing yourself. Find out more details and sign up to email alerts on the Amnesty website or Troy Davis’ campaign website.