But the name only seems strange until it becomes familiar - and it is becoming increasingly so. The three-piece from Kilmarnock in Ayrshire, Scotland, currently hold a unique position in British music as the only band to convincingly straddle both hard rock and pop. In many ways, they are a proper, old-fashioned rock band: hairy, heavily tattooed (in Neil’s case), and partial to mild on-stage headbanging. They have a gang of rabid fans - Team Biffy - who follow them around.

They have both coverage in the hard-rock press and Radio 1 A-listed singles; their fourth album, Puzzle, has sold 110,000. Their songs pack a punch, but are full of light, shade and sophistication; in person they are articulate, even gentle. “We’re lucky to even be able to make music,” says Neil. The band is completely out of step with the Scottish music scene, which is characterised largely by folk, experimental strands of indie and Franz Ferdinand wannabes.

They released their debut album, Blackened Sky, in 2002 on Beggars Banquet. Two more dense, complex yet feisty albums followed, selling in increasing but only just respectable amounts. Knowing they needed a bigger budget to do justice to their fourth album, the band moved to a major label - but found themselves “at the mercy of” the resultant negotiations between Beggars Banquet and 14th Floor, a subsidiary of Warners, which dragged on for more than a year.

In the meantime, Neil and a friend, JP Reid of fellow Ayrshire band Sucioperro, decided to make “the most fun music we could possibly make to remind ourselves why we do this”. As Marmaduke Duke, they recorded an album of 18 songs in three sections: one heavy rock, one entirely acoustic, one just two bass guitars. The record sold out its 4,000 copy pressing; a second album of “disco funk” is as yet unreleased. Neil needed the distraction.