CLEAN Bandit were once branded the poshest band in pop because they were chiefly made up of Cambridge graduates.

(The original band members Jack Patterson, Grace Chatto and Neil Amin-Smith met while studying at Jesus College, Cambridge. Neil quit the band last October).

But it is a label that clearly irks the band’s bass and keyboard player, Jack Patterson.

Jack is chatting to me during a rehearsal break ahead of their new tour which includes a date at Bournemouth’s O2 Academy next week.

“I don’t know why people think that - it’s a weird thing to say. Just because I went to Cambridge doesn’t mean to say I’m posh!

“But the media love winding people up and giving them little labels, but you just have to take it with a pinch of salt. I always try to explain to people what we’re actually really like that that’s the best you can do.”

As an undergraduate, Jack studied architecture so clearly a music career had not been the original plan?

“It was a gradual process. For a very long time we definitely weren’t serious and just did it for fun.

“The turning point came when we made the video Mozart’s House. We released it and it took us to a much wider audience than ever before.”

But music has always been a big part of his life. Jack’s dad was a DJ and his mother played the French horn for the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

“I started playing instruments from age of six,” he says.

“The usual piano, violin, clarinet. Growing up I played in a big band for years which had a bigger impact on my understanding of pop writing than I actually realised at the time. I kind of fell into writing music - it was not something I planned to do.”

The newest member of the band is Luke Patterson, Jack’s brother.

“Luke had started a degree, but the band took off so he focused on music instead so he put it on hold.”

Although none of them might have a degree in music, they are still top of the class in the music business.

The grammy award winning British electronic group has enjoyed sell-out UK and US tours, performing alongside the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra for Radio 1, landed TV appearances on programmes such as the BBC Music Awards and featured on the Band Aid 30 single.

Jack who lives with his girlfriend in north London, says although he doesn’t mind being on the road, he says he hadn’t appreciated just how much travelling would be involved.

“No one tells you that you will be almost constantly on the move and away from home a lot.

“You need to be able to pack and unpack very quickly so there’s isn’t always a suitcase in your room the whole time.

“But being on the road is a lot easier than people might think.

“We’ve been doing it for so long now that you learn the etiquette and mechanisms for getting through it.

“Up until the start of the tour, there’s loads to do and it can be quite stressful, but once you are on the bus then there’s not really much more you can do apart from turn up and play so you can pass responsibility onto the tour

manager! It’s like being on a school trip.”

So is he looking forward to playing Bournemouth which falls on Halloween night, Tuesday, October 31?

“I don’t know if we are going to do anything to tie in with Halloween yet, we’re going to have to do some brain storming but everything is sounding really good.

“Luke is obsessed with set lists, but I don’t really mind what we play. We’re putting some new music into the set which we’re all really excited about.”

Although Jack might not always enjoy being away from home, he clearly still enjoys performing live.

“It is the best thing, it’s quite addictive actually being in front of people, it’s such a good feeling. We are really good mates so it just turns

into the best party every time. You also get to visit some really interesting places like Japan - it was good to see that part of the world. I also love producing and making music videos.

“As for the future - ideally I would like to find a way to keep making music but maybe moving around a little bit less that would be ideal.

“Long term I would like to make more films that aren’t music based, and making music that isn’t pop, that’s the broad plan - but for now we are just going to keep scratching it out.”