The Strokes might currently be on songwriting sabbatical, but for anyone craving the subway rattle of rock'n'roll, help is at hand. The Vines are an incredible three-piece in their early 20s from Sydney, Australia. They sound like The Beatles playing '70s New York punk, and they arrive in Britain later this month to support the release of their chaotic debut single, 'Factory'.

When NME phones them to find out more, they're holed up in a hotel room in LA. It's midday their time, and they seem confused. Bassist Patrick Mathews picks up the phone, stumbles over drummer David Oliffe and immediately asks whether we've met. When we say we haven't, he sighs and passes us to singer/guitarist Craig Nicholls.

"Hello," whispers Craig. "Have we met before?"

Er, no. I'm just phoning to do a piece on you for NME.

"Oh, right..."

Over the next 15 or so minutes, we struggle manfully to piece together The Vines' history. That's quite hard, because it's fair to say Craig hasn't got all the facts at his fingertips. He claims not to know how long they've been going, but it's probably "about five years". He says they're really into English music like "Muse, Placebo and the Manic Street Preachers" and that they're in LA recording their debut album with Rob Schnapf, a producer responsible for, among other things, Beck's 'Mellow Gold' and 'Odelay' albums.

As to how they got there — they haven't got a permanent record deal yet, although plenty of labels are willing to give them one — they seem unsure. It could be the result of financing from a management company in Sydney. How long have you been out there?

"I can't tell," says Craig, not entirely unexpectedly. "Probably about two months. I'm really spaced out. Seriously, I can't remember how long I've been here, it feels like a really long time..."

His voice trails off. LA, it seems, is sending him insane.

"Yeah," he says, suddenly perking up, "I'm pretty sure it is. It's so different from where I'm from. Back home it's really mellow and I'm near the water and trees. Here it, all so artificial. I haven't been going out much. I've seen a couple of bands, but I can't remember their names."

Never mind. Just tell us what The Vines are all about.

"I think people are looking for something real," he decides. "There, not much out there at the moment. There are too many old bands. I want to do something, er, artistic. It's really kinda difficult to put into words."

In that case, we'll help. Following The Strokes and The White Stripes, The Vines are the latest group to offer a thrilling, stripped-down take on the traditional rock'n'roll blueprint. Their songs are short, sharp and fuzzily melodic and at some point next year, they'll be collected together on a classic debut album. For now, that, all they — and you — need to know.

'FACTORY' IS OUT NOW ON REX RECORDS