Hailing from Wigan, Greater Manchester, this jangly, lyrical indie quartet — with a sound nodding to both Arctic Monkeys and the Smiths — formed in early 2019 while still in their teens. Within a year, the Lathums had signed with Island Records, which issued their full-length debut, How Beautiful Life Can Be, an October 2021 U.K. number one. A spate of heavy touring and a lineup shift preceded the March 2023 release of their sophomore set, From Nothing to a Little Bit More.
Singer/songwriter and guitarist Alex Moore, lead guitarist Scott Concepcion, bassist Johnny Cunliffe, and drummer Ryan Durrans all met at The Music College in the local district of Pemberton after their tutor placed them in the same project group. Another fellow student, Lewis Halliwell, had played bass in the Lathums for a short while before Cunliffe took his place. Moore’s honest vocal delivery was a good match for Concepcion’s organic Rickenbacker flourishes, and there was soon evident mileage in the group outside of their studies. Following the Lathums’ first gig — at a bachelorette party in nearby Ormskirk — their self-released debut single, “Crying Out,” was recorded by John Kettle at the college and issued in April 2019.
The following month’s release, “The Great Escape,” caught the attention of the Charlatans’ Tim Burgess, who invited them to play a set at that summer’s Kendal Calling. The track was also named Record of the Week on local alternative station XS Manchester. Modern Sky UK — a management company with acts such as Jamie Webster and the Lottery Winners on their books — were soon involved, and helped the Lathums build on their developing social media buzz. A self-titled EP was released in the autumn before November dates supporting Gerry Cinnamon at Newcastle Arena and Brixton Academy.
They opened 2020 with the French Resistance-themed “Fight On” before embarking on a debut U.K. headline tour which sold out in 30 minutes. March brought the Fight On EP, as well as their signing to Island Records for a multi-album deal. Next, their plans to tour again and play dates in support of Paul Weller and Blossoms were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In June, they issued The Memories We Make, an eight-track release which combined their first two EPs. It reached number 14 on the U.K. album chart, following support from the Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, among others. On the same July day that it charted, “All My Life,” their debut single for Island, was released. The heartfelt track was the first song written by Moore, age 16, and was recorded with the Coral’s James Skelly at Liverpool’s Parr Street Studios. In June 2021, Island released two Lathums concert albums, Live at Blackpool Tower and Live from Sefton Park. That September, in aid of Wigan Athletic Football Club, the Lathums auctioned a one-off 7″ single containing their cover of the Northern Soul classic “The Snake.” The following month their first full-length, How Beautiful Life Can Be, hit the number one spot in the U.K. Ahead of the festive period, they issued the seasonal, heavily Smiths-inspired, stand-alone single “Krampus.” Its release coincided with a run of U.K. dates supporting Paul Weller.
February 2022 brought a U.K. tour of their own before they departed for their first U.S. gigs. On their return they released “Sad Face Baby.” Its distinctive bass riff marked the last time that Cunliffe appeared on a Lathums single. He departed in mid-2022, during a hectic live schedule which included multiple European festival appearances. However, the Lathums ploughed on, fulfilling engagements with a stand-in for Cunliffe, concurrently issuing October’s “Say My Name” and December’s “Turmoil.” Just ahead of the release of January 2023’s “Struggle,” they added bassist Matty Murphy to their official lineup. A further U.K. headline tour ensued to promote their second album proper, March 2023’s From Nothing to a Little Bit More.