Biography
Catfish and the Bottlemen surfaced in the mid-2010s as a British indie rock quartet whose jagged, garage-rooted approach was matched by an unrelenting commitment to constant activity. The four musicians had already logged more than five years of work before their breakthrough arrived with the 2014 Island debut album, and their ascent gained further momentum when The Ride reached the top of the U.K. charts in 2016. In the years that followed, they steadily widened their international profile, appearing regularly at major festivals across Europe, the United States, and Australia. Their third full-length effort, The Balance, was released in 2019.
The group first assembled in 2007 in the Welsh coastal town of Llandudno after members relocated from places as distant as Sheffield and Newcastle. Cheshire-born singer and songwriter Ryan Evan “Van” McCann launched the project, taking its name from a street busker called Catfish and the Bottlemen whom he had watched perform during a childhood visit to Australia with his parents. The original lineup consisted of guitarist Bill Bibby, bassist Benji Blakeway, and drummer Jon Barr. Barr exited in 2010 and was succeeded by Bob Hall. Combining a firm independent ethos with gritty yet melodic material, the band played frequent shows throughout 2012 and 2013, eventually securing a deal with Island Records. An intensive round of U.K. festival dates in the summer of 2014 coincided with Johnny Bond taking over lead guitar from Bibby. Following their receipt of the BBC’s Best Newcomer Award, the quartet issued their debut album, The Balcony, in September 2014; it entered the U.K. charts at number ten and spawned the hit single “Kathleen.”
Even while maintaining their demanding touring pace, Catfish and the Bottlemen devoted part of 2015 to recording sessions in Los Angeles. Capitalizing on the momentum of their first album, they collected the BRIT Award for British Breakthrough Act in 2016 and delivered their sophomore release, The Ride, later that same year. The record topped the British charts and simultaneously introduced the band to American audiences by peaking at number 28 on the Billboard 200. A string of singles preceded the early 2019 arrival of the third LP, The Balance. Produced by Jacknife Lee, the album adhered closely to the group’s established sound and rose to number two on the U.K. charts.
The group first assembled in 2007 in the Welsh coastal town of Llandudno after members relocated from places as distant as Sheffield and Newcastle. Cheshire-born singer and songwriter Ryan Evan “Van” McCann launched the project, taking its name from a street busker called Catfish and the Bottlemen whom he had watched perform during a childhood visit to Australia with his parents. The original lineup consisted of guitarist Bill Bibby, bassist Benji Blakeway, and drummer Jon Barr. Barr exited in 2010 and was succeeded by Bob Hall. Combining a firm independent ethos with gritty yet melodic material, the band played frequent shows throughout 2012 and 2013, eventually securing a deal with Island Records. An intensive round of U.K. festival dates in the summer of 2014 coincided with Johnny Bond taking over lead guitar from Bibby. Following their receipt of the BBC’s Best Newcomer Award, the quartet issued their debut album, The Balcony, in September 2014; it entered the U.K. charts at number ten and spawned the hit single “Kathleen.”
Even while maintaining their demanding touring pace, Catfish and the Bottlemen devoted part of 2015 to recording sessions in Los Angeles. Capitalizing on the momentum of their first album, they collected the BRIT Award for British Breakthrough Act in 2016 and delivered their sophomore release, The Ride, later that same year. The record topped the British charts and simultaneously introduced the band to American audiences by peaking at number 28 on the Billboard 200. A string of singles preceded the early 2019 arrival of the third LP, The Balance. Produced by Jacknife Lee, the album adhered closely to the group’s established sound and rose to number two on the U.K. charts.
Albums
Singles
