My Fiction do not sound like an Australian band. In fact their music would be right at home on a rainy New York sidewalk rather than a sun-drenched Brisbane street.

“We probably haven't sat comfortably in the Brisbane music scene or even necessarily in Australia but we've found it helped us immensely over in the States and gave us a little bit of traction there,” lead singer Eric Robinson says.

Set to launch their second album entitled ‘Shallow Highs’ this weekend, the record looks to build upon the groundwork laid by their debut ‘FIREROMANCEFIRE’.

“With the first album, it's a combination of songs written over probably a longer time and then it all just clicks together, [while] there's probably a stronger theme across all the tracks in this second album. We're a bit more clear with our message in the second album. There's lots of sleepers on that album that unless you've sat down and listened to it quite a bit they're slow burning.”

However, success hasn’t made them complacent. Well aware of the quality of music being produced by the industry, they were determined to make their second release an album that had impact and would solidify their growing reputation.

“I think competition breeds quality in a way so people were all looking at each other. There's so many impressive bands you've got to bring your A-Game, and when you're writing and you're going to release an album it's got to be quality because you know there's so many fantastic bands out there producing such great music that the bar is really high.”

With the new album having evolved significantly from their debut, My Fiction are aiming to make every song better than the last.

“Every song we've written, we want to make the next song better and we want to be better at what we do, it's just human nature. Do you want to develop? Sometimes that means you're going to go kind of left. We write a lot of stuff while we're rehearsing — we didn't try to replicate anything from that first album.”

Significant developments were made in the way the music was written for the second album. While they initially wrote most music during rehearsals, there was slightly more structure to their method this time around.

“The way we write is, we don't write to formulas and there's no standard thing for us, we let it just roll. But on the second album we ... [sent] each other audio files, bouncing them off each other and throwing around ideas, but obviously there's some tracks that just came to you and were done in 20 seconds.”

Now they’re looking to play bigger shows, with an eye to the summer festival season.

“I know the bigger stages are better for us. Particularly with this latest album, the production is really big ... Obviously you've got to cut your teeth but our experience, particularly festivals are so fun, the hype, the buzz.”

With the album launch at their home ground, The Zoo, they’re approaching the show head on with energy and fervour.

“We've had some fantastic nights at The Zoo so that'll be great. Obviously we love shows interstate, they're always a lot of fun because you're playing to usually lots of new people but big shows in Brisbane are great, you have a couple of those a year, really big shows and they're fantastic.”

Coupled with the album launch is a run of shows around the country promoting ‘Shallow Highs’, and they’re eager to be on the road again.

“It's very freeing being on the road, I think, leaving all that other stuff behind. I love it when bands come out and say how much they love touring and they love playing stuff, rather than dragging their feet. I think it's a real honour to go and play to a whole heap of people you don't know in a foreign city and get a great response, that's pretty special.”

Praised by the likes of Rolling Stone magazine, My Fiction are focusing on making music that they love.

“It’s something that I think anyone who's played in a band or written their own music, it's kind of addictive and there's something about writing a song that's just completely unique to any experience. For us, it's always a gamble but you're not always in it to get money. It's got to be true to what you're trying to do.”

My Fiction launch ‘Shallow Highs’ at The Zoo Sep 28. Mosman Adler, Mega Ogre and The Familiars support.