Meteor Award Winners, The Blizzards have a growing fan base, due in no small part to their 2004 debut single, 'First Girl to Leave Town', which went to number 11 in the Irish charts.

The band's profile has grown nationally since, especially with the release of their number four platinum selling album, 'A Public Display of Affection' with well-known songs such as 'Trouble', 'Fantasy' and 'Miss Fantasia Preaches' becoming instant chart hits.

Their new album 'The Domino Affect' will be released this Friday, 12 September.

Lisa Regan talks to one of Ireland's hardest working bands in the lavish surrounds of The g Hotel about their summer, the new album and tour plans

So how was your summer; you played Oxygen again didn't you?

Yeah, summer was good. It was our fourth year playing at Oxygen. This year, the weather was brilliant.

It was a cold year for us, so we really weren't expecting the reaction we got; it was unreal being on the main stage. We wouldn't expect to be given the main stage unless the band had progressed. If we were just doing the same thing year in year out, we wouldn't expect to be there.

You mention that the past year was a 'cold year'; was the year centred around producing your new album 'The Domino Affect'?

Totally! I (Niall) come up with most of the main ideas and concepts for songs and they either get taken up or turned down by the lads. If they don't like them, then we just move on.

You have played at every type of venue since your inception in 2004, so which do you prefer, the intimate gig or the festival stage?

They are totally different! If you take a festival, people aren't necessarily coming to see you, whereas at your own show they come to see you.

We have always loved playing the Róisín Dubh; there is a great energy there. The acoustics are good and, generally, there is a good vibe in the place and you are well looked after. You know when you are playing in a decent venue, the majority of the people that go there are interested in music. The test of a good venue is how sticky the floor is. If it's not sticky, it won't be a good show!!!

The Domino Affect is out on Friday 12 September. Can you tell us a bit about it?

There are in total ten tracks with one bonus track. We went to 13 then brought it back to ten. There are, of course, some radio friendly tracks and every song on it is fairly honest.

The songs on this are full of intent. A lot of the stuff that is around now is actually just shite, like songs that follow the line of 'sometimes its good, sometimes its bad'; we just don't want our songs to be like that. Our records are just more honest. The album's name came about really because I suppose people are not really making their own choices anymore.