“A lot of my lyrics could be construed as slightly novelty, but I don’t think they come across that way,” says Rob. “Like, the line on Multiplayer – it’s kind of funny, but you wouldn’t laugh at it. I think it’s a bit sadder than that.”

The album was made with the help of a handful of guest musicians. For live shows, though, Rob is insistent that the Voluntary Butler Scheme is him, and him only.

“Onstage, I’ve got a piano, guitar, drums, and a synth, and I try to loop things together to a big climax before I get on the drums and finish it,” he says. It’s a scattershot approach, but that’s part of the appeal. “People are always quite generous when things go wrong – I think a little bit of unprofessionalism is a bit endearing.”

The Christal Connections Line Dancers certainly did. They heard the Voluntary Butler Scheme play a session on Dermot O’Leary’s Radio 2 show, emailed to ask where they could get the song, and wound up in the video.

Some might say it takes talent to write music of broad appeal, but Rob doesn’t sweat it. “I read something that Phil Spector said in some sound magazine about the recording of Be My Baby,” says Rob. “He was asking, ‘Is it dumb enough? Are people going to get it?’ I’m not trying to make my music dumb, but I think maybe there’s something in that… stuff feels so much more honest when it’s simple.”

The Voluntary Butler Scheme is at the Masque at the Barfly on Seel Street on September 21.