The Lottery Winners

This lively four-piece indie pop outfit originated during 2008 in Leigh, Greater Manchester, England, taking cues from the lighthearted and spirited qualities that defined chart sounds both before and after the Britpop years. The Lottery Winners initially coalesced around a mutual appreciation for the Smiths, the very act to which Sire Records chief Seymour Stein likened them upon signing the group in 2016. Extended negotiations caused a considerable gap between the tracking of their self-titled debut album and its eventual issuance, yet it surfaced at last via Dave Pichilingi’s Modern Sky imprint in March 2020 and climbed into the Top 30 of the U.K. album chart. A collection of covers titled Sounds of Isolation sustained their upward trajectory and preceded 2021’s Something to Leave the House For.

Lead singer and guitarist Thom Rylance absorbed 1980s acts including Aztec Camera and Orange Juice while growing up, yet felt strongest kinship with intrinsically darker outfits such as the Cure and Joy Division. He encountered guitarist Rob Lally at Bedford High School, after which the pair linked with bassist Katie Lloyd. Original drummer Alex Langford-Taylor later gave way to close friend Joe Singleton—a Lowton CE High School alumnus—following an encounter at the local Collier’s Rest Pub, the same spot that hosted their reputedly oversubscribed first live show attended by friends plus listeners who had already encountered their online uploads. Early recordings such as the 2013 streaming-channel version of “Pillows” and the debut single “Elizabeth” showcased chiming guitars alongside bittersweet lyrics that most plainly reflected an admiration for Morrissey and Johnny Marr; nevertheless, as the band advanced, that influence receded in favor of a ’90s chart-focused indie approach reminiscent of Space and the Supernaturals.

The fleeting, self-released Somebody Loved You EP from April 2013 was quickly succeeded by the group’s inaugural festival slot at Stratford Olympic City’s Hard Rock Calling. October 2015’s “I Know” was later paired with “Young Love” for a 2016 double A-side vinyl pressing that appeared alongside another self-released EP, The Meaning of Life. That same summer Stein offered a recording contract after witnessing a Liverpool performance, prompting subsequent interviews to reference an album whose arrival would ultimately be delayed by five years. In reality the Lottery Winners’ next single, the quirky modern-pop-culture critique “That’s Not Entertainment,” surfaced in 2018 on Young Lovers Club. After regaining control of their masters in 2019 the band aligned with Liverpool Sound City-affiliated Modern Sky U.K., which facilitated a debut Glastonbury appearance and a string of arena dates supporting Tom Jones that placed them before roughly 15,000 spectators nightly. Four additional buoyant singles, among them “21” and “Little Things,” preceded the March 2020 arrival of the Tristan Ivemy-produced debut album. The charting LP coincided with the first COVID-19 lockdowns, which postponed a planned U.K. headline tour; the quartet instead embarked on a three-month stretch of intensive social-media engagement that featured covers, quizzes, and guest interviews. The resulting Sounds of Isolation, issued that summer, included reinterpretations of material first popularized by the Smiths, Dolly Parton, Vera Lynn, and Rick Astley.

The Lottery Winners opened 2021 in unexpected fashion when their sea-shanty take on Nickelback’s 2006 single “Rockstar” turned viral; within days the Canadian rock band contributed vocals, propelling the track to multi-million streams. Their collaborative outlook persisted the next month with the Start Again EP, whose title track featured Frank Turner alongside appearances from Sleeper and the Wonder Stuff. The single “Times Are Changing” preceded Something to Leave the House For, which fell just short of the U.K. Top Ten. Anxiety Replacement Therapy, however, reached number one upon its May 2023 release and included guest spots from Shaun Ryder, Frank Turner, and Boy George plus narration by Stephen Fry.