FEATURE: Spotlight: The Lathums — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

The Lathums

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FORGIVE me if this is a bit scattershot…

but, when speaking about The Lathums, I want to bring in a few interviews that will jump information and chronology around. Some may say that the Wigan band are established and are not rising artists, but I think they are on the cusp of major success and are one of 2021’s bands to watch closely. I have been following their music for a while and feel they have the talent and originality to go a long way. They are sure to be festival headliners in a few years! Consisting of Alex Moore on vocals/rhythm guitar, Scott Concepcion on lead guitar, Johnny Cunliffe on bass guitar and Ryan Durrans on drums, they put out their E.P., Ghosts, on 31st October last year – appropriately in time so one could enjoy it on Hallowe’en. I love that E.P. and its opening track, I See Your Ghost, was one of my favourite from last year. I think that, rather than me keep it brief, I will take from a few interviews that provide us with some background and insight into one of the U.K.’s finest young bands. When they spoke with Far Out Magazine last year, we learned more about their background and a particular big break:

“Most college bands begin as an excuse for an extracurricular activity, one that usually leads to nowhere but only three years ago did The Lathums form and they’ve already played an arena show supporting Gerry Cinnamon and sold out thousands of tickets in their own right—but none of this feels overhyped. I fact, the band are exceedingly relaxed about the situation, confident that they’ve earned their position.

“We started with Lewis who was the first bassist in 2017,” drummer Ryan Durrans says about the group’s origin. “Then let’s say that he left, then we got another bassist in called Johnny, ‘Johnny One’ let’s call him and then he decided to not continue. Then we get bass man John in to fill the one and only spot to slap the bass. That was in like late 2018, we’d maybe been going a year,” Durrans added.

One significant breakthrough moment came when Tim Burgess of The Charlatans stumbled upon one of their songs last summer and, at the last minute, asked if they would play his stage at Kendal Calling. A showing sign at how fast the last twelve months have been and, one that hasn’t been lost on frontman Alex Moore. “I think it was the year before, Kendal was two years ago,” Moore said before being corrected by a bandmate that it was 2019 and sincerely adding, “Honestly, time is flying so quick like a good few years has just become one,” this is an indictment into how jam-packed their life has become since that moment.

The Lathums are a band who wants to stay away from being pigeon-holed or deemed as being the heir to The Verve—simply due to their shared birthplace—they want to be their own entity and live in their own lane, and a fast one at that. “I just feel like we’re so different to everybody and we’re not like anybody else. It’s not annoying but we’re not an indie band, we’re just a different entity. We are a band and a guitar band but I don’t think there’s been anything like us and I don’t think there ever will be anything like us,” Moore stated defiantly.

Moore understands that being four lads in a guitar band from Wigan is going to make people jump to conclusions about their sound before they’ve even listened to them and revealed that he, himself, “makes a judgement before making any research and then I find out later on that I actually like something,” he admitted”.

It is a shame that so much of the momentum that was built up late in 2019 and early in 2020 was cut short by the pandemic. There would have been this excitement in the camp – at the start of 2020 – that the year held great things and they would tour the country. Instead, they had a somewhat quieter 2020. In October, the band spoke with the BBC, and it seems that, although they could have been angry and upset, the break and downtime has afforded them some time to reflect:

“After finishing a sold-out tour in February, the Wigan group were supposed to be gigging with Blossoms and Weller, and building their buzz by taking their highly-strung indie poetry around the UK. "Just literally up and down the country just playing here, there and everywhere," Moore says.

It was meant to be non-stop. "Now it's non-start," quips guitarist Scott Concepcion.

Every artist has been in the same boat, of course, and The Lathums have managed to make some progress during the pandemic.

The enforced break from the road did allow the band to take stock, he says. "In a weird way, with how the world halted for a little bit, we had time to reflect and focus and see what we needed to do and have a bit of time to write. In fact a lot of time to write."

Although he says he has used his songwriting "to escape from it all" in recent months, the mood of the band - and the world - have crept in.

"Now that none of us can do anything at all - it's been taken away from us - it's thinking about what really matters in life and how we take things for granted. I wrote a tune about that actually.

What do we take for granted? "Just little things. Just a basic thing, like a hug, or meeting up with people, and talking and that”.

Go and check out The Lathums and their incredible music. I have put all the links at the bottom. Whilst last year was a bit of a bust, I think gigs will resume later this year; that will give the band a chance to get their material out there. Many will ask whether the band will follow Ghosts with an album this year. I guess the lads will want to gig before they bring out a new E.P. or album but, in lockdown, perhaps that has provided them with fresh impetus and inspiration. I want to end up by bringing in an NME interview. I have brought in the questions where they were asked about The Coral’s James Skelly producing Ghosts, and how they have handled a lack of gigs during the pandemic:

“In just two years, the jangly guitar outfit have amassed a huge following, signed to Island Records (U2, The Streets and Ariana Grande), packed out an American diner at Kendal Calling thanks to a last-minute call from Tim Burgess, supported Blossoms, sold out two headline tours in a matter of minutes and scored a Number One single in the vinyl charts with ‘All My Life’. Phew.

There’s shades of Arctic Monkeys in their rise and in the spine-tingling ‘All My Life’ (which has amassed over two million listens on Spotify), the tumbling Smiths-style anthem ‘Fight On’ and jangly single ‘The Great Escape’. But the fun is only just getting started…

Another indie legend, The Coral’s James Skelly came on board to produce your last EP. How have you found working with him?

Alex: “It felt like being on work experience really for musicians. It’s kind of like learning your trade. He’s dead good with us James as well because he’s kind of been there and done it. He’s already had this journey. He always says if ‘you need any guidance or advice or anything just give me a text’ and that gave us a lot of confidence. He knows that we’re screwed on and very on to the music. When we go in the studio, we know what songs we’ve got and how we’re gonna portray them and get them across and James soaks up that information.”

Scott: “Sometimes he tells us to tone it down a little bit because we go overboard sometimes. He just adds a bit of class.”

The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the live circuit this year. How have you coped with it?

Scott: “At first it was like a crushing blow because we had loads of gigs lined up but after we’d got over the initial bitterness of it all, we just realised that we could just go in the studio after lockdown had been lifted and record the tunes that we had. So silver linings.”

Alex: “Everyone is in the same position though aren’t they? We were very lucky because we had just signed our record deal and we could just sit in our rooms and write songs for weeks and weeks. There was a good momentum going for us before COVID but I don’t think it’s stopped to be honest. Everyone is just more raring to go. Obviously it’s a really horrible time for everybody but I feel like it’s put things into perspective, what we take for granted, even just going to a gig. I think it’ll make people realise when we come back, what’s actually important”.

If you have not heard of The Lathums or you have dipped into their music but not invested too much time, I would advise you to spend a few more moments with them. I love what they are putting out! They are smart, sharp, and can create hooks and choruses that lodge into the brain. The band are really tight, so every song has this incredible professionalism - but, happily, there is a bit of raggedness that is nice to hear! They are going to go a long way but, with a way to go until live music swings back, the band will be keen for as many people as possible to hear their work. Do go and do that and show The Lathums some support. The past year or so has been fairly low-key in terms of gigs but, when things open up again, I know that they will…