IT was over a game of bowling on the Nintendo Wii that The Tamalas got together.

Founding members Jon Lord and Matt Everson met at Woolston High School but fell out of touch until their paths crossed again at a barbecue in Padgate in 2008.

They soon made up for lost time after putting down their Wii-motes and finishing their burgers.

The pair formed a four-piece band that was met with success but the fickle nature of the music industry was not quite to their liking.

Jon said: "We were doing alright. We had a couple of different management deals.

"There were a lot of journeys to London and meetings with people who were telling us what our hairstyle should be like.

"But it wasn’t really for us and it got to the stage where we just ‘parked’ it."

The Tamalas' hiatus finished towards end of last year when Matt started to write a few new songs.

Jon, of School Road, added: "We put a few ideas together and then we got the lads back together and started rehearsing again. Before we knew it gigs were coming in."

Jon told Weekend he is particularly looking forward to the Warrington Festival concert at Bank Park on September 17 as he is friends with the headliner, Starsailor.

The Tamalas also recently played with the band's singer James Walsh for one of his solo gigs in Chester.

Jon, 31, said: "I grew up listening to Love Is Here. I thought it was an amazing album – and then I found out Starsailor's drummer Ben drank in Friars Court so I used to always go and mither him.

"Fifteen years later, they’re borrowing my gear to go on tour. It’s great because I get to see the behind the scenes side of what they do and the amount of graft that goes into that."

The Tamalas will be playing some of their first new songs in six years at the festival.

Their four-track EP, which was recorded at Tuff Gong studio in Longford Street, is due out in early October.

Jon also used to organise music nights in Warrington at the likes of WA1, White Hart, Postern Gate, Friars Gate and FX.

But with less venues for bands to play at these days he reckons events like Warrington Festival and the town's Music Festival are becoming 'vitally important'.

"This is one of the only platforms that is available for people to play together and show what talent the town has got," he added.

"It’s really good to see all the bands pulling together. Years ago Warrington was the most egotistical music town in the north west.

"It was band wars and now it seems that attitude has shifted – everyone wants to get on and play together."