IF YOU love old skool reggae and ska, the Junction on Mutley Plain is the place to be tonight, when the Simmertones roll up.

Last year was a great one for the band with many highlights. For starters they released their EP Every Thing's Coming Up Ska featuring Ocean Colour Scene and Paul Weller guitarist Steve Cradock on three of the tracks.

"In July last year, we held a launch party for the EP to a crowd of over 500 fans in a Torquay club," says band member Del Anning. "Steve Cradock joined us on stage. It was a superb night."

The EP was particularly well received by a couple of Radio 2 DJs, Alex Lesters and Gideon Coe, who both gave self-penned track Bring Your Lovin' To Me an airing, while BBC 6's Hughie Morgan and Steve Lamaqc also gave it a spin on their shows.

"Another highlight for us last year was working with the actor Phil Daniels," continues Del. "Phil came to one of our gigs where we asked him if he would do a voiceover for a promo video for the EP.

"He agreed to help us but in return asked if we would record a song that he had written.

"This was very exciting for us when you think that the last song he featured on was Blur's Parklife!"

This year has got off to a flying start with rehearsals throwing up new material for another EP of tunes which will hopefully see the light of day later this year, featuring some more special guests.

Meanwhile all the radio airplay they've been receiving means they have got to take themselves even more seriously.

Del says: "We have now had to officially register our own label which we've called Windrush Recordings.

"We named it after HMS Windrush that brought over the first immigrants from Jamaica in the 1950s. It was these folk, with a little help from Chris Blackwell, of Island Records, who first brought ska music to these shores."