These days, it’s almost taboo to talk about being one of the world’s biggest acts, especially when it comes to the indie scene. “Less is more” seems to be the adage many artists go by, preferring to keep a smaller but open-minded crowd rather than a large, finicky audience. Up-and-coming U.K. rockers Brother have a different saying they seem to go by. “More is more.” Rather than shying away from the prospect of world dominance, that’s the band’s end goal. Taking the best of Britpop and grinding it down to its raw essence, this group combines aggressive playing, uplifting themes, and the occasional self-deprecating lyric. In an interview with Consequence of Sound, Brother frontman Leonard Newell discusses everything from how the band came together to their ironic manifesto and, yes, even taking over the world…

How did Brother get started?

We began about five years ago. We met mutually while playing in local bands and drinking in Slough, a small town just west of London. We weren’t prepared to stay there and get into the swing of taking a job in an industrial town. We wanted to make something of ourselves and take over the world. So we started a rock and roll band.

According to your manifesto, you’re well-rounded in film, music, and literature. What are some of your major influences?

Actually, that manifesto I wrote to be ironic. I was basically poking fun at the bands and people who try so desperately hard to stand out by pretending to be someone else. We’re quite alright with being us.

As for our influences, a lot of 90′s bands like The Stone Roses. We love The Smiths. More recently, we’re big fans of The Dandy Warhols and Everything Everything. It’s a mix. We like everything from Chemical Brothers to Ocean Colour Scene.

Your upcoming single (due for release on May 8th) is titled “Still Here”. How did that song come about?

“Still Here” is basically about us just trying to do what we want to do, despite everything in our way. At the time, that was a lot of small-minded people. It’s a bit of a testament to ourselves. We’re patting ourselves on the back a little!

Recently, Brother played SXSW. What was that experience like? Any good stories from your time at the festival?

It was incredible. We hadn’t ever done anything like that before. It was our first ever trip to the U.S. and exciting. I remember on the first night, we had a lot of margaritas. About six in the morning, we stumbled back into the hotel room with someone else’s belt on! So that was pretty good.

How does playing in America compare to playing in the UK?

It’s not too dissimilar. We’re completely unknown in the U.S., so it’s like starting out again. We actually really enjoyed it. It’s a bit more of a challenge to win over the crowd. A few people really dug it and took it seriously.

Do you have any plans for a near-future EP or album? If so, what can you tell us about it?

The record comes out on April 16th, and it’s basically to ease people into our sound. “Darling Buds of May” is the first single. It’s got a lot of themes of escapism, since we’re trying to break out of our hometown. But it’s also got a lot of uplifting songs, even though the lyrics are a little self-deprecating. But that’s just us!

What are you looking forward to the most in 2011, both in Brother and in general?

I’m really looking forward to the album being out because that’s when I consider us to be a real band. One that actually exists. Straight after that, we have all the festivals. But before that, we’re coming back to New York. I’m just excited about touring, meeting people, and getting our music out there.

How did the idea for that introduction video come about?

That was the first thing we ever did as a band. We were being introduced to the world, and we wanted to do it our own way. So, yeah, we just played wherever we wanted [in Slough], and we did, and it was really scary. But it was really fun.

For those who haven’t heard of you guys, what would you say to get them to check out Brother?

I’d say you should listen because you’ll hear of us sooner or later, as we will be the biggest band in the world.