As December Falls

Formed in 2014 in Nottingham, England, As December Falls fuse pop-punk with emo energy and have operated as a fiercely independent unit from the outset. Nine years after launching, the group reached the U.K. album chart on their own terms when their third full-length, Join the Club, arrived in 2023, having previously declined multiple label offers.

The original lineup featured vocalist Bethany Curtis alongside Ande Hunter on lead guitar and backing vocals, bassist Timmy Francis, drummer Lukas James, and rhythm guitarist Will Brown, all of whom had been active musicians since their early teens. Their first release, the EP A Home Inside Your Head, surfaced within months of formation, quickly followed by a string of regional performances. The March 2015 single “Capture” paved the way for the 2016 EP When You Figure Out You’re Wrong, Get Back to Me, whose promotion included shows in Manchester and London. January 2017’s “More to You” sharpened their melodic, hook-driven pop-punk style and earned them a London support slot with Zodiac Mindwarp & the Love Reaction. Further singles “Touch” and “Keep Dreaming” appeared before the year closed with the digital-only Live at Rescue Rooms.

A series of 2018 singles coalesced into the band’s self-titled debut album, released in February 2019. Recorded on a modest budget in producer Arthur Walwin’s mother’s south-east London garage, the set documented their continued self-financed trajectory. Later that year they issued a cover of Tommy James & the Shondells’ “I Think We’re Alone Now,” modeled directly on Tiffany’s 1987 chart-topping rendition. Curtis and Hunter married during the interval between this debut and the follow-up, Happier., issued in August 2021; Brown exited the group around the same period. Earnings from live work and the first album allowed them to enlist John Mitchell for production duties, resulting in a more refined sound, while Hunter’s digital-marketing expertise further elevated their visibility.

Commercial momentum accelerated in 2022, boosted by the October single “Mayday,” one of their heaviest tracks to date. Its release aligned with German and Italian headline dates and a December support tour with Bowling for Soup. The band made their Download Festival debut in June 2023, drawing a capacity crowd to the tent they played. Join the Club followed in July, peaking at number 11 on the U.K. album chart and named in recognition of the extensive fan input that shaped its creation. Although Lukas James performed on the record, he had already departed by release, leaving the remaining members to continue as a trio.