COUNTERFEIT.

U.K. punk outfit COUNTERFEIT. burst onto the London circuit in 2015 via their untamed opening release "Come Get Some." Three ex-members of the Darling Buds formed the group. Vocalist and guitarist Jamie Campbell Bower, joined by guitarist Tristan Marmont and bassist Roland Johnson, aimed for a heavier, fiercer, and more purging direction. Before fronting a rock act, Bower had built an acting résumé that included roles in Sweeney Todd, the Twilight series, City of Bones, and a Harry Potter installment. While the band tracked its first material, he also appeared in the London theatrical run of Bend It Like Beckham. Stepping away from performance work, the singer redirected his energy toward this new musical venture. Several months after the initial release, the lineup expanded with the addition of drummer Jimmy Craig and Bower’s younger brother Sam on guitar. In November 2015 the five-piece issued the unpolished EP Come Get Some, a three-track blast of confrontational punk in the vein of Gallows or the Bronx that pivoted on its bruising title cut.

COUNTERFEIT.’s stripped-down approach fueled extensive European touring while the group readied its first proper album. Thomas Mitchener—known for his work with Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes and Dead!—produced the resulting record, Together We Are Stronger, which appeared in 2017. The band signed with Republic in 2019 and delivered the resolute single “It Gets Better.” Several further singles followed in 2020, after which the group declared its breakup that November.