GROWING up is tough enough but when the folly of your youth is penned, played and preserved for posterity it makes for bitter-sweet listening.

And Synko, a five-strong group from Furness who have been together since their early teens, know all about that.

"We wrote our first song when we were 15.

Sometimes I listen to the stuff we wrote back then and cringe, but its all good fun isn't it ?" said Synko keyboard player John Kay.

"When you listen to the old stuff it is like listening to the story of yourself growing up - particularly songs like Green Grass and Forever Young, which is about striving to maintain youth.

Hopefully, now we have matured as a band.

Things have changed a little bit.

There is a social and political awareness in our lyrics and there are other cultural influences there too."

Following the release of Thorny Subjects in 2001, Synko have recorded a new three-track CD Crustacean Fixation and the group have officially come of age.

From school days spent together in their hometown of Barrow, Synko have wandered out into the world collecting diverse inspiration and experiences.

The group - Frazer Burley, lead guitar; Carol Hodge, vocals; John Kay, keyboards and sax; Ross Quin, drums; Nathan Burley, bass guitar - have begun to pursue careers from drama to forensics while meeting up regularly in Barrow to rehearse.

Despite the geographical distance between them they are still firmly together as a group.

"I couldn't speak for the others but I can't really imagine a time when we are not still playing together.

I don't know where it comes from but basically I have got a drive - it is about loving music.

It is the most important thing to me."

Synko draw their influences from a broad church, which includes second wave Ska, Rock, Indie, US and Brit Punk.

But the bottom line seems to be the kind of individuality they preach in track two of the new CD titled Cheap Alternative.

"It is about how in every walk of life there are cliques, generic groupings and we were reacting to that.

An ode to true individuality," said John.

The Furness five are now planning to perform a series of live gigs in the region - look out for details in the Gig Guide.