STILLIA frontman Jack Bennett has put the band's continuing rise down to hard graft and sacrifices they are making to achieve their dreams.

The four-piece band from Sutton are looking ahead to touring Down Under in the autumn in support of Ocean Colour Scene – and have been revelling on the big stage after playing at Kendal Calling and Blackthorn Festival.

The concert in Kendal saw the m featured on BBC North West Tonight.

But the band – made up of lead singer Jack, lead guitarist Connor Moran, Johnny Waring on bass guitar and drummer Matty Bennett – insist their rewards are built on hard work and tough choices.

Speaking to the Star, Jack said: “(Kendal Calling) was a great laugh and we got to watch some of our favourite bands.

“We got the option of going offset and staying at a hotel, but something happened and we ended up staying in our van for three days which is why when we appeared on BBC North West we look a bit dug up.

“It was a bit of a jump for us going to such a big stage but we have fought hard for it and it felt right.

“Blackthorn Fest was top as well, that was really good and get got really looked after by everyone there.

“The fans are incredible, everyone was in in the crowd with our T-shirts on which is just great.”

The band have recently announced their tour Down Under (alongside iconic band Ocean Colour Scene) with dates in Dubai, Australia and New Zealand in November and a UK tour in December, with dates in Liverpool and Manchester.

Jack added: “"Some get bitter about our success and what we are doing and getting to the stage we are at now but we have sacrificed everything to get here and had a long journey already, mad choices with management and being signed in the past but now it’s our time.

“Coming from where we came from we don’t have people in our lives who could pay for us to get to our dreams, we had to put the time in ourselves because it’s our dream so playing on stages like that felt right.

"I got sacked from my last job because the band came first and I kept having time off, we all sacrificed and went with no cash from decent wages because we want this so bad because it’s our dream."

The band's single Let Me In received airplay on stations such as Radio X and Radio 2 – and their album is due out later in the year.

Jack said: "If you don’t believe in it 1,000 per cent, like all of us, then you won’t make it, so we knew we had to listen to ourselves and keep fighting and playing on stages like this just felt so right.

"It’s all thanks to the people from St Helens. There isn’t a town like it because people have backed us all the way.

Loads of people don’t have support from their home towns but we are so lucky because without them we wouldn’t be where we are now.

"It’s a working class town of good people who stick together, we owe a lot to St Helens and if we are ever in a position to help the town then we will 100 per cent do it because the town and the people are why we are proud to call it home."