A WARRINGTON indie rock band look set to make their breakthrough with their biggest headline gig on Saturday, July 9.

The night at Manchester's Club Academy will also see the five-piece launch their debut release, Dream's Sake.

Fort Myers, who are all students of Birchwood High School and Birchwood College, are following in Viola Beach's footsteps after self-funding their EP.

Gareth Edwards, lead guitarist, from Woolston, said: "We really wanted to create something we could be proud of as it’s our first release.

"So we recorded everything ourselves and did all the hard work and funded it all entirely off our own backs."

Gareth, Oliver Thomas, Dan Turton, Elizabeth Yarwood and Gráinne Curzon formed Fort Myers as a way to keep making music together after their classes ended at Birchwood College.

All five of them have been learning instruments since they were eight or nine and they bonded over their shared love of Fleetwood Mac.

Their more recent influences are Catfish and the Bottlemen, Florence and the Machine and Two Door Cinema Club.

Grainne, rhythm guitarist from Gorse Covert, added: "For me it was because my dad had always played guitar and I wanted to follow in his footsteps so he started teaching me when I was eight.

"I first learned Wonderwall, I’ve always loved Oasis."

The band's dream is to play a major festival and say it is on stage where they thrive.

Bassist Dan, from Woolston, said: "I think the best part of it is just seeing the fans interacting with us when we’re up on stage.

"There was one time when we were supporting a band at Manchester Academy 3 and Wolves had just hammered Widnes at home so a load of our fans came straight from the game.

"They were all singing the words to our tunes back to us and the atmosphere was immense."

The quintet also want to breathe new life into Warrington's music scene.

Gareth, 19, added: "I think the music scene on the whole has been on the decline in recent years and Warrington has suffered especially as the scene in the town used to be pretty vibrant.

"It would be great to see more unsigned nights around and just more of a buzz about the town regarding bands and artists.

"That's something we really want to try and work towards hopefully.

"We want to put on some of our own nights and encourage young bands to come out of the woodwork and get their name out."

- Fort Myers headline Club Academy in Manchester on July 9. Visit fatso.ma/iSg

DAVID MORGAN