MANCHESTER Orchestra might take their name from loving the home city of The Smiths, and they may have been formed in Atlanta, Georgia, but the fivesome have got a Scottish side too.

They have opened shows for Biffy Clyro, hit the road with Aberdeen rockers The Xcerts and are good pals with Frightened Rabbit, to the extent that Manchester singer Andy Hull and Frightened Rabbit main man Scott Hutchison are now planning to make music together.

"Scott from Frightened Rabbit called me up and said he really liked my solo project (Right Away, Great Captain!), and we just started texting back and forth," says Andy.

"Then we got the idea to do a split single and we started throwing some ideas around.

"We actually recorded stuff before we'd even met, and I think that although Frightened Rabbit and Manchester are different beasts sonically, we're hoping we'll do a record together sometime."

That all lies ahead, though. For now Andy's busy with the day job, given that Manchester Orchestra have just released their fourth album, Cope, and will play a sold out show at SWG3 on Saturday night.

Cope came on the heels of 2011's Simple Math, a record that was not only the band's most successful album to date, but also their most complex, being a concept album about a 20-something questioning many things in his life.

For Cope, the band have gone in the other direction, with a furious, noisy album that's closer in tone to their thumping live gigs.

"I think after making something as expansive and detailed as Simple Mess, we definitely wanted to get back to our roots," explains Andy, who formed the band back in 2004.

"We didn't feel we'd made a record that showed the loud side of the band, so we were aiming for that, and also to make that was completely different, not just to what we've done before but also to what else is out there musically at the moment."

The band's fans across the UK will get a chance to hear firsthand the new album.

Andy adds: "We just started coming to the UK early and put on good shows, and people kept coming back."

"That's really rewarding to know people have been with you for years, and they're not just going to leave you after the next single.

"I think a band like Biffy are a great example of remaining dedicated to your craft and building a relationship with your fans."

n Manchester Orchestra, Saturday, SWG3, sold out, 7pm.