It’s not every day you get local lads in to promote their first and already highly-acclaimed album.

It’s even more strange when they’ve supported the likes of Paul Weller, The Divine Comedy, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, and Haircut 100 and count Phill Jupitus and Chris Difford among their fans.

But this is Ropetackle and we embrace such things and people. We asked for five minutes with two members of Barbara before their gig tonight, and they graciously obliged. Probably because, despite living nearby, they’ve never been to Ropetackle before, and thought the least they could do was tell us more about themselves.

Brothers Henry (32) and John (30) Tydeman know Shoreham well. “This was our second home growing up,” John explains. “We used to have twice weekly violin lessons on one of the houseboats. It’s a brilliant place.”

It was the violin that gave the lads their segway into symphonic music. As fans of ELO, Abba, 10CC, Randy Newman and the Beatles, their songwriting is retro pop that sounds fresh, yet classic at the same time. The melodies are definitely earwormy.

“We’ve always played music together and decided, as it was the thing we liked doing most in the world, we might as well try and do it as a job,” says Henry, whose main instrument is the piano.

Both wrote the songs for their first album “Barbara”, all 10 of which are produced by ‘the sixth Barbara’, Paul Steel.

“Henry’s the better songwriter,” says John, generously.

“That’s true,” his brother nods.

They’ve been around as a group for five years and already worked with the best. “What I love about Paul Weller is that he doesn’t just get on stage and play all his greatest hits,” Henry says.  “That might be annoying for some of the fans, but I find that really inspiring.”

Despite being a youthful pair, the brothers are at pains to explain, their fanbase are “older and might want to sit down.” Their name comes from an image of an old granny sitting in a chair with a throw and a cat on her lap. “Barbara was as old-fashioned a name as we could think of,” John explains.

We leave them to get on with setting up the merchandise – there are a LOT of Barbara badges – and prepare for their gig. The soundcheck is remarkable, they are tight and easygoing. Just as you’d expect. The other Barbaras – Jack Hosgood, Dean Llewellyn and Lawrie Miller – as friendly and talented as Henry and John.

Difford, who knows a thing or two about songwriting, says “We need more Barbara in our lives!” and, being in their playful company for just five minutes, I’m inclined to agree.