FRANKIE & The Heartstrings will release their debut album on Monday, three days after the Sunderland band play Fibbers in York on their 11-date headline tour.

Released on the PopSex/Wichita Recordings label, the album takes its title from the single Hunger, first issued last December as a one-off limited-edition seven-inch vinyl record on Rough Trade and now re-emerging in a new recording.

“The original idea for ‘Hunger’ was drawn from the meaning of the word in the 1890s’ novel Hunger by Knut Hamsun,” reveals singer Frankie Francis. “It’s not ‘hunger’ as in ‘I want some chips’ but a desire to be creative. It’s a term that invokes all our inspirations, be it musically, literary or physically, for the cause. We’ve overcome many sacrifices on our own individual journeys and gather a bigger passion for the cause each day.”

Putting the flesh on those bones, former pub landlord Frankie says: “Sunderland is quite a punk rock town and the ethic is to make the record you want, rather than being encouraged by a producer to follow a trend, so we’re not going to go in or out of fashion.

“We reference other things like books and films – we’re big fans of Charles Bukowski – but we’re also influenced as much by Sunderland as we are by Orange Juice or Pulp.

“If you come from Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, you almost feel obliged to follow those cities’ musical styles, but In Sunderland you don’t get a gig or exhibition on unless you do it all yourself.

“Sunderland is seen as Newcastle’s ugly sister and because of that, we strive for it more. I’m very proud of Sunderland and what it’s taught me: to get your off backside!”

Initially Frankie’s band made recordings in diverse locations, a friend’s garage, a loft, an isolation booth, even in lavatories. “It was a total DIY budget, but then Edwyn Collins came to a gig with his wife Grace and son, and he said he loved the sound of the band and would capture it at his studio – the one with all the amplifiers that belonged to Joe Meek [the cult Sixties’ producer],” says Frankie.

Collins, the former leader of Orange Juice, is continuing his remarkable recovery from two cerebral haemorrhages, aided by his long hours in his studio in London, where producing Frankie’s band gave him such pleasure.

“It’s been amazing and magnificent to work with the wonders of Sunderland,” says Edwyn of their time together in the studio and on tour.

Frankie is similarly chuffed: “We first went down there to record the single Ungrateful with him just before the summer, maybe May, last year and it was such an enjoyable process that he said, ‘How about finishing here?’.

“We thought, ‘Well, yes, of course… the chance to work with a legend like Edwyn.

“His concern was to get the best sound out of the songs, so he’d ask us about each song and what we wanted from it, but he’d never look to change it.”

• Frankie & The Heartstrings play Fibbers, York, tonight, supported by Cloud Nothings, Property Of Dave and Percy.