As one fourth of St Albans band Enter Shikari, boisterous drummer Rob Rolfe has had no less than six number ones in the UK rock and indie charts, won countless awards including AIM Best Album of the Year for the last record A Flash of Colour and toured the world playing to thousands of adoring fans. But the inarguably successful musician insists he “doesn’t have rhythm in his blood“ and he feels like he is only just getting to grips with his percussionist role.

The 29-year-old is talking to me from his hotel room in Brussels ahead of the European leg of their tour, which coincides with the release of their fourth studio album The Mindsweep on Monday, and he sounds as excited as a fresh-faced teenager being interviewed for the first time when he answers the phone.

“Is this the St Albans Review? Yes? Oh wonderful, I’ve been expecting you.“

His musical journey started back when he was seven and his parents asked which instrument he would like to learn.

“I thought of the loudest, most annoying instrument, which was my personality, and immediately was drawn to the drums,“ chuckles the former pupil of St Michael’s Primary School.

It was at school that he met Chris Batten and Roughton ’Rou’ Reynolds and they started playing together at the tender age of 12, naming themselves Hybryd.

“We played a lot of school fairs at St Michael’s and at my street party, until we were old enough to get into The Pioneer and The Horn, and then we entered Battle of the Bands where we ended up in the final at the Alban Arena, but we never won, we came second once. Dexter’s Fish stole it from us. It was a great time as everyone in all the different bands knew each other.“

In 2003 Liam ‘Rory’ Clewlow joined the band and they became Enter Shikari, but then things hit a bump for Rob, literally.

“The very first gig we played as Enter Shikari I had just broken my collar bone (falling off a skateboard) so we had to get someone else in to play, so I didn’t actually play the first ever Enter Shikari gig.

“But I was still in the mosh pit flinging my arms around and giving it my all, which probably wasn’t the best thing for it.“

Thankfully, despite the thrashing around, he recovered and the band started gigging up and down the country, three or four times a week, and from then Rob let nothing get in his way, even his photography course at Thames Valley University.

“We would get back from gigs at 3am and then I’d have to get up at 9am for a lecture. I only got about two thirds of the way through before my tutor said ’You have got to choose between the photography course and the band’, so I stuck up two fingers and said ’I’m off’ and I think it all worked out for the best,“ he laughs.

The alternative rock band has gone on to have worldwide fame and success. Rob now owns his own house near St Albans city centre and has a girlfriend who jets in from Texas in America. Rory has a baby, Chris is engaged and Rou has moved to London.

“Yes we’re all growing up, it’s really quite weird,“ says Rob who has given up the skateboarding and says his greatest danger these days comes from flicking himself in the face with his drum sticks.

Their maturity is also evident in the way they approached the making of this album, which they recorded in a converted chapel in Lincolnshire.

“We were the most prepared we have ever been. We had quite polished demos and the songs were all finished. We started with 50 ideas, rifts and grooves and whittled them down to 15 songs that we recorded in the studio and then we had to move them around and turn them into a 12-song album. It really was quite difficult.“

Rob is a big fan of the result: “I’ll put the album on and think I love this song, it’s my favourite on the album, and then I’ll listen to the next one and say ’grrr yeah I love this song, it’s my favourite on the album’ so all of them have a place close to my heart.

“With the diversity on the album it’s difficult to compare them. It’s almost like trying to choose your favourite child.“

The Mindsweep is out now and Enter Shikari will be playing a sold out gig at the Roundhouse in London on February 26 and 27. Details: entershikari.com