For a long time, Ireland's music industry has been swamped by the boy and girl band factor. Creating the new Boyzone, B*Witched and Westlife has been all that record label executives could think of.

But times are changing - more and more young bands who write their own songs and can play their own instruments are breaking through. And leading the charge at the minute are JJ72 - three laconic teenager from Dublin who are already in the middle of their second headline tour in the UK. Mark Greaney, Hilary Woods and Fergal Matthews have only just begun getting serious about their music but already they are the darlings of the airwaves and magazine racks.

I caught up with Mark, vocalist, guitarist and main songwriter to discover why the JJ72 star continues to shine so brightly. "I suppose we didn't approach things the way other bands do," Mark said. "I've been playing music since I was small. I played the violin from the age of seven. And when I heard Nirvana I just had to learn guitar. It was easy after learning to play the violin and I started writing my own songs almost immediately.

"Myself and Fergal went to school together. We didn't really know each other, though. But he'd been playing drums and he knew I played guitar and one day he came over to me and asked me if I wanted to form a band. We were playing together for about a year before Hilary joined. She lives down the road from me in Clontarf. "So we've been together for a year as we are, which isn't really that long."

"Last year we did our Leaving Certs and we all did quite well. But we really wanted to see what we could do with the band. So we made a demo and sent it off to different places."

Almost immediately, JJ72 were being hailed as a band with astonishing guitar tunes, made even more gripping by Mark's outstanding vocals. "Marc Radcliffe in Radio One played the demo a lot on air," Mark explained in a matter-of-fact manner. "And then Select Magazine heard the demo and did and interview with us - we got a page in that before we were signed."

After achieving this almost unheard of notoriety as an unsigned band, JJ72 eventually joined a record label, deciding to keep it local by signing to Dublin label Lakota. "Lakota is licensed by Sony so it's a good deal for us. As far as getting noticed went I think we were lucky. But we really believed in what we were doing. We didn't go about things the way other bands do.

"We skipped getting managers first or things like that. We made the demo, sent it off and it got picked up on straight away. For a band to be successful, you have to be totally aware of everything first so there's no point in getting a manager until you know what you're aiming for. "At the same time, we never really had any great masterplan. But the way we've operated so far seems to be working."

The band's debut single October Swimmer started the ball rolling and their latest release, ‘Snow’ has cemented JJ72's reputation as one of the hottest acts around. They have just finished recording their as yet untitled debut album. This is due to appear in the early summer and is already being awaited with baited breath by fans and critics alike. But whether or not we like it is immaterial to Mark.

"The foundation of this band is to really believe in what we're doing,' he said. "When the album comes out people are either going to get it or not - that's the nature of our songs. And frankly I don't care whether they do. But it will be nice if the music effects other people.

"The album will have 12 songs on it, beginning at day one when I started writing to the present day. "I've been writing music and lyrics for about six years. So the album is based on simplicity - simple lyrics and simple tunes that are about stuff that happened in the past and the way things are. "It might seem naive to some people and to others it won't make sense but it's a pretty personal take on life. "It's a defiant album - I wouldn't say angsty because that is too derogatory a term.

"The album won't make any political statement. It is introspective, concerning black and white situations and it will either communicate with you or it won't. I know that the songs will touch some people. "But I don't want people to expect too much. It is only our first album and I'm sure by the time we get to record our second we will have gone off in a different direction.

Having said that, it is very good. "The album is due out in the summer and we'll be releasing another single before that. When it comes out we'll be playing all the all the major festivals in Britain and we're hopefully going to Europe in the summer as well.

"We're doing a lot of touring so that we can be heard by as many people as possible." The heavyweight festivals of Glastonbury and Reading are included in this equation, which Mark finds amusing. "The funny thing is that I've never even been to a festival, let alone played at one. I think it's a great way of experiencing your first festival - by being the person on the stage."

JJ72's next Irish date will be at Dublin Castle on April 30 where they will support The Charlatans as part of the Heineken Green Energy festival. But Mark is keen to point out that the life of JJ72 is not necessarily an easy one.

"Touring can be a bit depressing, especially when you're moving from hotel to hotel to hotel but I suppose it is part and parcel of what any guitar band has to do. "We have to work very hard because we play our own instruments and write our own songs - when you move into the boy and girl band area it's completely different.

"Although we have a record deal we don't earn millions of pounds and so we aren't staying in swanky hotels. Sometimes we do get a bit homesick." There's one question that Mark just won't answer - where the band's unusual name comes from. "That just comes from something I had in my mind before the band were even together. It means something to me but it would seem completely childish to everyone reading this. So I'm not telling."

The only plan JJ72 have is to keep believing in what they're doing. And Mark, optimistic as ever, is preparing himself for a bit of a backlash, believing their good fortune can't last forever.

"The obvious thing is to sell our records -we're in it for that reason," he said. "But we want to keep on enjoying doing this and it has to be said that we really are embarking on quite an adventure. "Everything has been so positive so far that in a couple of months time I expect people will be kicking us. I know things are going to get confrontational but to be honest, I'm almost looking forward to it. "But we'll keep on going for the right reasons and I expect we'll be able to win people over. Of course, our main aim is to be on Top of The Pops," he laughed. "Who knows? We could be fed up with this in six months time. But then again, I don't think so."

*JJ72 play Dublin Castle with the Charlatans on April 30 as part of the Heineken Green Energy weekend.