Lonely The Brave

Emerging from Cambridge in 2009, Lonely the Brave coalesced when vocalist David Jakes, guitarist Mark Trotter, bassist Andrew Bushen, and drummer Gavin Edgeley connected after their prior groups disbanded. United by shared admiration for Pearl Jam and the National, the quartet immediately began recording and performing. Their debut self-released EP, Backroads, surfaced in 2010, followed by a U.K. tour that drew attention for the band's forceful live sets. Steady grassroots growth soon attracted notice from Kerrang! and BBC Radio 1's Zane Lowe. The group signed with Hassle Records in 2013, issuing a re-recorded edition of Backroads that October after a summer of festival appearances, among them a slot at Reading Festival and support dates alongside Deftones and Bruce Springsteen.

Entering the studio with Mark Williams late in 2013, the band tracked its first full-length, The Day's War. Realizing an additional guitarist would be necessary for live performances, the members welcomed Ross Smithwick in early 2014; earlier temporary guitarist Joel Mason had already departed to focus on solo work. Originally slated for June, the album's release was postponed after the act secured an international deal with Columbia Records. Three months later The Day's War appeared, reaching the U.K. Top 20 and earning widespread critical praise. In 2015 the band returned to the studio with producer Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, M.I.A.) to cut its sophomore effort, Things Will Matter. Preceded by the singles "Black Mire" and "What If You Fall In," the album arrived in early 2016.

The EP Diamond Days followed in 2017, yet it marked the final release featuring Jakes, who exited in March 2018 citing mental health reasons. Jack Bennett assumed vocal duties that summer, bringing additional mixing and production skills that allowed the group's sound to evolve more organically. After a measured rebuild, the band unveiled the single "Bound" in April 2020. Subsequent tracks "Distant Light" and "Open Door" previewed the third album, The Hope List, which appeared in 2021. The earnest stand-alone single "Only You Say It" arrived the next year.