Rasta4Eyes, a ska-tinged six piece, will be playing alongside legendary figures such as Billy Bragg and punk survivors The Damned.

The festival call-up comes just weeks after the band released their debut album, Boss Sounds of the Boom and Bust. Its title may refer to the current gloomy economic climate but, musically, these are heady times for Rasta4Eyes.

Singer Billy McKelvie, 20, said: "We played our first gigs in November playing at two pubs over two nights and by January we'd played a whole host of pub gigs around the St Helens and Wigan area to raise funds needed to record our debut EP - which we did in February.

"We went into the studio with Tim Gray, who has worked with MTV on their mash-ups, at BigTone Studios in Manchester. We recorded four songs which we were planning to self-release as an EP called The Day After Yesterday. But within a week of having the tracks up on myspace, we had been offered loads of gigs and approached by a record label - Do the Dog Music."

The resulting album is available from gigs, online at their record company's website and from selected London record shops.

The band made their Manchester debut in early March and just weeks later were signed up to appear at the Strummer Camp Festival. An annual fundraising concert in tribute to the late Clash singer, it is held on May 22, 23 and 24 at Manchester Rugby Club. Headliners include legendary punk acts Billy Bragg, The Damned, and Canadian folk-punk band the Mahones.

Billy added: "We have a very busy few months ahead playing loads of gigs before we go back into the studio over the summer. We are also playing at a festival in London in July and are planning a tour towards the end of the year, hoping to tour in Europe in the next couple of years.

"It is an exciting time for us."

Strummer Camp Festival is Manchester Rugby Club in Cheadle Hulme. Tickets are available online at www.strummercamp.co.uk

* For more information on the band and their upcoming gigs visit www.myspace.com/rastafoureyesuk