FRONTMAN Lewis Hawkins is still relishing the opportunity of working with his band Sound of The Suburbs, after 12 years as a solo act. The five man line-up are known for their energetic ska and reggae covers and in recent years have supported acts such as Toots and The Maytals and From The Jam.

Of late, the local band have decided to branch out with some unexpected cover versions.

“It’s great playing ska but there are just too many other great songs of the punk, new wave and mod genres to just leave them unheard as a cover band, as we are.

“Unusual tunes are good, for instance we cover Harder They Come by Jimmy Cliff but the Rancid version and have recently introduced Lithium by Nirvana but Little Roy’s reggae version,” says Lewis.

Sound of The Suburbs has a string of live dates planned for this summer including a night at Poole venue, Mr Kyp’s.

The band can next be heard on The Specialized Album that is released on April 9.

This album features covers of classic Specials tracks with the proceeds going to the Teenage Cancer Trust.