The Lathums are an English indie rock band from Wigan, Greater Manchester.[1] They are formed of singer/songwriter and guitarist Alex Moore, lead guitarist Scott Concepcion, bassist Matty Murphy and drummer Ryan Durrans, and are managed by Alfie Skelly. They were created by The Music Project,[2] a stage school specialising in music, art, games and media, in April 2018 after their tutor placed them in the same project group, and within a year they signed with Island Records. They released their debut album, How Beautiful Life Can Be, on 24 September 2021.[3] It debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart on 1 October 2021.[4]
The Lathums | |
|---|---|
 The Lathums performing at Robin Park Arena in 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Wigan, England |
| Genres | Indie rock |
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Labels | |
| Members |
|
| Past members | Lewis Halliwell
|
| Website | thelathums |
History
edit2018–2019: Formation
editAlex Moore, frontman of the band, first met Scott Concepcion before the band formed. The band began as a music project at college in Pemberton, Greater Manchester. The members consisted of drummer Ryan Durrans, bassist Lewis Halliwell, guitarist Scott Concepcion and singer Alex Moore. The band are named after a venue that they performed at. It's commonly pronounced as "La-thums", rather than "Lay-thums". When asked how it's pronounced, Moore stated, "It's just how we pronounce it. It's just how it was christened."[5] Halliwell later left the band, and brought on Johnny Cunliffe to replace him.
In 2018, the band wrote their first song together, "Artificial Screens", which they would self-release, along with other singles that would be re-released and remastered later down the line. In April 2019, the band released their first official single, "Crying Out".[6] It was recorded by John Kettle and then later released as a single. Later on, the band released another single, "The Great Escape". This garnered the attention of Tim Burgess from the Charlatans. He invited the band to play a set at Kendal Calling.
2020–2021: COVID-19 and How Beautiful Life Can Be
editThe Lathums were signed to Island Records in March 2020.[7] The band were set as support acts for Paul Weller and Blossoms, but they were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, the band released "All My Life" in July, an acoustic ballad, written by a 16-year-old Moore. It was produced by the Coral's James Skelly at Liverpool's Parr Street Studio.
In September 2021, the band released their debut album, How Beautiful Life Can Be, which featured remastered versions of previously released singles, alongside new songs.
2022–2024: Cunliffe's departure and From Nothing to a Little Bit More
edit
In April 2022, the band released Sad Face Baby, the last single to feature Johnny Cunliffe on bass before his departure in 2022. The band brought on Matty Murphy as a replacement, but was not officially dubbed as a member until January 2023. During the time of Cunliffe's absence, the band were a support act for The Killers. Moore got the chance to do a cover of How Beautiful Life Can Be with them on stage, with Alex on acoustic guitar and Brandon Flowers on co-lead vocals.[8]
In November 2022, the band announced their second album, From Nothing to a Little Bit More. Following the announcement, "Say My Name" and "Turmoil" were released.
In December 2022 "Say My Name" was named the Radio X Record of the Year.[9]
In January 2023 they released the single "Struggle." On February 16, they performed in Warrington ahead of the opening round of the Betfred Super League, Warrington Wolves vs Leeds Rhinos.[10]
In June 2023 The Lathums made their debut on the Other Stage at Worthy Farm, Glastonbury Festival for a 45-minute set with the crowd getting bigger as each song was played.[11]
The Lathums announced in December of 2023 that they would be playing a gig in the hometown, Wigan, accompanied by Jake Bugg, Brooke Combe and Alex Spencer on 19 July 2024. The gig was held at Robin Park Arena and alongside the band playing there, James Arthur, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and Richard Ashcroft of The Verve would be playing there during the same week. During the performance for the band, Moore was joined by Jake Bugg and covered Bugg's 'Simple as This'.[12]
2025-present: Matter Does Not Define
editIn October 30, the band announced their third upcoming album, Matter Does Not Define, with a single to coincide with the announcement, Stellar Cast. The band are due to tour this album from March 2025 to April 2025
Musical style and influences
editThe Lathums are an indie rock band influenced by, and often compared to, the Smiths and Arctic Monkeys. Concepcion said his "personal influences have been drawn from many places across British musical history".[13]
Band members
editCurrent members
- Alex Moore – lead vocals, guitar (2018–present)
- Scott Concepcion – backing vocals, guitar, piano (2018–present)
- Ryan Durrans – drums (2018–present)
- Matty Murphy – bass guitar, backing vocals (2023–present)
Former members
- Lewis Halliwell – bass guitar (2018)
- Johnny Cunliffe – bass guitar (2018–2022)
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK [14] |
IRE [15] | ||
| How Beautiful Life Can Be |
|
1 | 71 |
| From Nothing to a Little Bit More |
|
1 | — |
| Matter Does Not Define |
|
TBA | |
Live albums
edit| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Live from Sefton Park |
|
| Live at Blackpool Tower |
|
Extended plays
edit| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Úp Fûk Lätum |
|
| The Lathums |
|
| Fight On |
|
| The Memories We Make |
|
| Ghosts |
|
| How Beautiful Life Can B-Sides |
|
Singles
edit| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Artificial Screens" | 2018 | The Lathums |
| "The Great Escape" | ||
| "Villainous Victorian" | ||
| "This Place O' Yours" | 2019 | |
| "Crying Out" | Non-album single | |
| "I Know That Much" | Fight On | |
| "Fight On" | 2020 | |
| "The Snake" | Non-album single | |
| "All My Life" | Ghosts | |
| "I See Your Ghost" | ||
| "Oh My Love" | 2021 | How Beautiful Life Can Be |
| "How Beautiful Life Can Be" | ||
| "The Great Escape (2021 Master)" | ||
| "I'll Get By" | ||
| "Krampus" | Non-album single | |
| "Sad Face Baby" | 2022 | From Nothing to a Little Bit More |
| "Say My Name" | ||
| "Turmoil" | ||
| "Struggle" | 2023 |
References
edit- ^ "The Lathums: Wigan indie band score debut number one album". BBC News. October 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ "TMP College".
- ^ Aroesti, Rachel (24 September 2021). "The Lathums: How Beautiful Life Can Be – hearty 00s indie revivalism". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ Copsey, Rob (1 October 2021). "The Lathums score Number 1 debut album with How Beautiful Life Can Be". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ "Meet the Wigan band, the Lathums who've just signed for Island Records". ITV News. 1 May 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ^ "The Lathums Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ^ "The Lathums Sign Massive Deal With Island Records". Only A Northern One. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ^ THE KILLERS ft. ALEX MOORE (THE LATHUMS) - How Beautiful Life Can Be Wien, Stadthalle, 12.07.2022, 17 July 2022, retrieved 1 February 2023
- ^ "The Lathums named Radio X Record Of The Year 2022 winners". Radio X. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ Wolves, Warrington (6 February 2023). "Warrington Wolves - The Lathums to headline Super League season opener". Warrington Wolves. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Lathums, THE. "The Lathums - BBC Glastonbury". BBC. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ "The Lathums Setlist at Robin Park Arena, Wigan". setlist.fm. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ "Who TF are The Lathums?". Clout. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "The Lathums | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ "Discography The Lathums". irish-charts.com. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
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