The Vaccines head off to the Hogmanay party

The duo do have rather a lot to toast, however, for 2011 started with The Vaccines weathering a blizzard of hype and has ended with them now one of the country's most popular new bands.

"What was interesting about the hype on us was that it was very self-fulfilling hype," says Young, reflecting on the manic start to the year. "As someone said, we were hyped, and therefore we became hyped. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy, but it was always about the music. It wasn't: 'Have you seen these guys? They jump off speakers from 20 feet in the air.' It was always about 'Have you heard their songs?'. We were aware the buzz was natural, and it was people just liking what they've heard. We felt very confident, but we were in our little world, driving around on tour, making records and stuff. People can say it's great or it's s***, but we felt we had a good thing going and focused on that."

That focus has certainly paid dividends. There was the opening slot on the NME Tour early in the year, followed shortly thereafter by the release of What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?, their provocatively titled debut album. What you got was a clutch of straightforward, wildly energetic rock 'n' roll songs, harking back to anything from Phil Spector's 1960s pop to early 1980s Postcard Records. ("I don't think we're trying to revive anything," Young argues. "We're a very referential band, though, and we're the first to admit that.")

Some were quick to hail them as rock's latest saviours, battling against the current tide of electro and dance-heavy bands. Others sniped at their well-off upbringing, claiming they lacked authenticity, and pointing to Young's past as folk singer Jay Jay Pistolet. The Vaccines simply concentrated on the album itself.

"I think we made a really great pop and rock 'n' roll record," Young contends. "I'm proud of how we had the balls to strip it back. Songs are like nursery rhymes, basically, and while everyone can play well, a lot of the time Freddie [Cowan, guitarist] is just playing one note. It's just that we managed to do that, yet the songs sounded strong. I'm proud that we didn't let egos get in the way, and the songs just ruled what we did."

And the band, who only got together in the summer of 2009, make no bones about being delighted at writing accessible material fit for radio and TV airplay.

"To this day, I feel, even with hindsight, I'd be happy putting any one of those songs out as singles," says Robertson. "With some albums you can tell a band's written an album and then gone 'we need some singles', so the singles are made to measure, as they've been written for that purpose. I don't think we fell into that trap."

That doesn't mean they are content to rest on their laurels, though. There are already vague plans in place to return to the studio next spring to work on the follow-up.

"We've already started to write the second album," reveals Young. "I don't think you can be too contrived about the direction you want to head in, you can't be too scientific about art, but there are things we did right and things we did wrong on the first album, and things we want to build on. There are a few songs we're really happy with – we like the immediacy and the simplicity – but they still feel like a progression."

What, then, do they feel they could have improved?

"I don't want to pick it apart, because we all know deep down what we'd do differently next time, but it's important to us that we make pop music with depth," he says. "People attach themselves to emotion, and I want people to be able to connect to it. Whether that was there throughout the first record is debatable, but there's nothing there I'm embarrassed of."

Before the launch of any new material, however, there's the small matter of seeing out 2011 at Edinburgh's Hogmanay street party tonight. For this group, appearing on stage certainly seems preferable to their usual end-of-year plans.

"I think this will be my favourite new year ever, because I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing," explains Robertson. "Usually I traipse around town trying to find somewhere that isn't having a new year's eve party."

"New year's all forced fun," adds Young. "It's like having pressure on you. I can't stand new year, but there's nothing like playing gigs to put you in the party mood. Also, being in Scotland will be great."

The band have been regular visitors north of the Border in 2011. They headlined Glasgow's O2 ABC as part of their first tour, sold out the HMV Picture House in Edinburgh during the Fringe, and returned in November to sell out two nights at the Barrowland. There has, however, been the odd problem.

"Sometimes, with the chants in Scotland, you're not sure if they're complimentary or not," reckons Young. "And when you get showered with a pint, you're not sure if it's in a good way.

"At the ABC I got a pint right on my pedalboard before we started, and my guitar didn't work properly for about four songs. I don't think anyone noticed."

Yet The Vaccines don't seem the sort of band who get intimidated easily. The summer saw them play progressively larger festival stages, before an autumn tour with Arctic Monkeys around most arenas in the UK.

"Arctic Monkeys are really inspiring, because they're similar to us, but a lot further down the line," says Young. "They're a fully-formed monster now, and I remember the first time we saw them. Because there aren't many rock 'n' roll bands out there, that was the first time I saw a band and thought that we needed to up our game.

"It makes you work harder, because you're walking on to these big stages, and you know a lot of people in the room don't know who you are. In many ways we thrive on support shows more than our headline gigs because we've got more work to do, and if we can walk off with a big cheer, then job done. I quite like playing to the curious: I like converting people."

With the number of fans converted to their cause over the past 12 months, The Vaccines believe that rock music is not nearly as decaying as some have claimed.

"We always maintain that, as we like it and our friends like it, there always was an appetite there," says Robertson, thoughtfully. "I think when anyone looks at what's popular and tries to emulate it, then that's when you're barking up the wrong tree.

"A lot of people can spot it a mile off, and thankfully they will respond to good, honest music."

That's a sentiment Young agrees with, and he points to the basics as being key to his band.

"We've never felt out of our depth. We want to put on a massive, exciting rock 'n' roll show and just give it our all, so I've never felt a stage is too big for us. You can count on your left hand how many people are doing rock 'n' roll shows now - It's a shame it's not in vogue. Rock 'n' roll is the purest form of music there is. I think that the problem is not with fans, but with musicians. People aren't picking up guitars any more; they're buying keyboards and programming beats instead. But rock 'n' roll will never die."

To keep that flame burning, though, The Vaccines themselves will have to look to the future, and they seem rather relieved the mantle of Britain's hottest new band is being passed over, that they've survived and even thrived in the storm that goes with it.

"When we kept getting asked about the hype, we tried to act cool about it," explains Robertson, chuckling. "And then, when that hype was over, we kept up that persona –and we were getting called boring. But we were ridiculously excited about what was happening. That's done and dusted now. It's nice to just be a band, and everyone can get on with their lives."

The Vaccines play the Waverley Stage at Edinburgh's Hogmanay tonight.