COLCHESTER'S Animal Noise are rounding off another spectacular summer with a gig much closer to home.

In fact for drummer Jack it's literally round the corner.

He says: "I think it's one of the few occasions where I can actually walk to the place, if I didn't have to carry my kit obviously.

"Actually we're all looking forward to it. Playing your hometown is always very special and it will be good to see lots of friends and family there."

Jack's talking about this weekend's Sound of Colchester mini music festival, which is taking place on Abbey Field on Bank Holiday Sunday from noon.

And when he says how much he's looking forward to the festival, that's pretty high praise considering where the three-piece started their summer, performing in London's Hyde Park.

"We only got our new booking agent in the spring," he adds, "so to be honest we were not expecting much really. Then they called us to say we were playing Hyde Park and we couldn't believe it. Such a massive festival with loads of bands we love and they looked after us really well with our own backstage area. It was pretty amazing."

As well as Jack, Animal Noise are singer and guitarist Josh and bass player Birdy.

Birdy and and Jack have been playing in local bands for about 16 years after meeting on the Colchester Institute’s access to music course, and the pair met Josh through mutual friends.

They gigged together for five years before releasing their debut album, Run Loose, in 2012, to huge acclaim, and it wasn’t long before Tom Robinson, of BBC 6, Music was calling them up to do a session.

It was during the recording they were persuaded to release the barnstorming single, Baddow, and then things went a little crazy with a whole week of airplay on Radio One, getting aired on shows such as Greg James, Huw Stephens, Sara Cox and Scot Mills, not to forget a slot at 2013’s T in the Park.

This year has seen another release, the Sink or Swim EP, with their latest track, How Can You Love Me, coming out last week alongside a very cool video made by Robert Watts Photography.

"We think Robert has done a stunning job on the video," Jack says. "He came up with the idea of this girl that we all ignore and we got our friend Gabriella Eva Stratton to come along and help us out."

As well as the popular three-piece, also performing at this weekend's Sound of Colchester Festival, among others, will be Monster Florence, Polly Haynes and Egyptian Blue.

There will also be a Second Stage: Party Tent that will include sets by such DJs as Ben Howard, Sam Leppard and Lwrnce & Connmac

The Sound of Colchester takes place from noon to 10pm this Sunday, August 28. Tickets are available from Attitude Inc on Eld Lane or from fatsoma.com