Catfish andThe Bottlemen- Radio 1 Big Weekend Headliner

Catfish And The Bottlemen have just been announced to headline the BBC Introducing Stage at this year’s Radio 1 Big Weekend on May 24 2014. The billing sees the Communion/Island Records signed 4 piece playing alongside the likes of Lorde, London Grammar, CHVRCHES and Clean Bandit at the three day event in Glasgow, and follows the Radio 1 B-listed release of their latest single ‘Kathleen’, which also found playlist slots at XFM and 6Music, and charted Top 5 in Spotify’s Most Viral Tracks. The headline slot sits amidst Catfish’s 17 date headline UK tour- including a sold-out London Dingwalls date on May 20- and precedes a characteristically hectic summer for the band, which will take in a raft of further festival appearances including Latitude (Lake Stage, curated by Huw Stephens), Reading and Leeds Festival and Kendal Calling.

‘Kathleen’ was recorded with Jim Abbiss (the man previously behind Arctic Monkeys’ debut Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not), and is the fourth single release in under 12 months from the fast-rising garage 4 piece who’ve gathered little moss during their debut year. Catfish broke out in summer of 2013 with a string of Radio 1 championed singles, which laterally drew press praise from the likes of NME, Q Magazine, Time Out, The Independent and nigh on everyone in between. 

A frenetic tour schedule (over 100+ gigs in the last 12 months) has since seen the 4 English kids from North Wales play Radio 1’s Future Festival (alongside Royal Blood and Circa Waves) and perform on the BBC Introducing Stage at Reading and Leeds Festival (alongside the likes of Denai Moore, Thumpers and JAWS), amidst a relentless UK tour itinerary which has also taken in sold-out headline London shows at The Barfly, Sebright Arms and Borderline.

Catfish And The Bottlemen are Van McCann (vocals & guitar), Billy Bibby (lead guitar), Benji Blakeway (bass) and Bob Hall (drums).

www.catfishandandthebottlemen.com //@thebottlemen // facebook.com/catfishandthebottlemen

UK Live Dates:

3 May LEEDS Live at Leeds

4 May GLASGOW Stag and Dagger

5 May DUNFERMLINE PJ Molloys

6 May EDINBURGH Sneaky Pete’s

9 May LEICESTER The Scholar Bar (Academy)

10 May BIRMINGHAM Institute, Temple

11 May OXFORD Academy 2

18 May GUILDFORD Boileroom

19 May SOUTHAMPTON Joiners

20 May LONDON Dingwalls SOLD OUT

21 May CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach

23 May MANCHESTER Dot To Dot Festival

24 May GLASGOW Radio 1 Big Weekend (BBC Introducing Stage Headline)

26 May NEWCASTLE Cluny

27 May MIDDLESBOROUGH Westgarth

28 May WREXHAM Central Station

29 May DERBY The Victoria Inn

30 May YORK Duchess

5 July GLOUCESTERSHIRE Barn on The Farm

11 July LIVERPOOL XandY Festival

12 July ABERSOCH Wakestock Festival

15 July MAGALUF Mallorca Rocks (supporting Jake Bugg)

16 July SAN ANTONIO Ibiza Rocks (supporting Jake Bugg)

18 July OXFORDSHIRE Truck Festival

19 July SOUTHWOLD Latitude Festival

20 July NORTH DEVON Somersault Festival

25 July SURREY Redfest

26 July NORTH YORKSHIRE Deer Shed Festival

27 July SHEFFIELD Tramlines Festival

1 August KENDAL Kendal Calling

2 August DERBYSHIRE Y Not Festival 

9 August LEICESTERSHIRE Strawberry Fields Festival

22 August READING Reading and Leeds Festival

23 August LEEDS Reading and Leeds Festival 

30 August BINGLEY Bingley Music Live

Catfish And The Bottlemen to release new single Kathleen

Catfish And The Bottlemen will release new single Kathleen on April 14 2014, through Communion/Island Records. The track emerged as Zane Lowe’s Hottest Record In The World this week, and follows the band’s appearance in January on the bill of Radio 1’s Future Festival (alongside the likes of Sampha, Royal Blood, Circa Waves and Lizzo). The new release comes ahead of a string of UK live dates, including London Dingwalls on May 20 2014.

Kathleen was recorded in collaboration with Jim Abbiss, the man previously behind Arctic Monkeys’ debut Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not. Still possessed of their trademark punch, the track finds Catfish exploring a more nuanced sound, with Abbiss’ guiding hand to refine the band’s uncompromising approach to volume. ‘We have a tendency to just drench everything in reverb ‘cause we want it to sound dead loud’ admits front man Van McCann ‘but Jim showed us you can retain that loudness by dialling other elements down a little’.  Speaking about the lyrical inspiration behind the track, McCann says ‘Kathleen is a song about being completely infatuated with someone, so much so that it literally drives you mad and causes you all kind of problems. You can’t stop thinking about them, you can’t get anything done, you can’t think straight, you just want to be with them all the time.  Basically, it’s about being inexplicably madly in love with someone who’s absolutely backward, but completely gets you’.

Kathleen is the fourth single release in under 12 months from a band who’ve gathered little dust during their debut year- Catfish broke out in summer of 2013 with a string of Radio 1 championed singles, which laterally drew press praise from the NME, Q Magazine, Timeout and The Independent.  A frenetic summer tour schedule saw the 4 English kids from North Wales perform on the BBC Introducing Stage at this year’s Reading & Leeds Festival (alongside the likes of Denai Moore, Thumpers and JAWS) amidst their UK tour itinerary, which also took in sold-out London shows at The Barfly, Sebright Arms and Borderline.

Frontman Van McCann’s own story begins far removed from the small-town ennui which originally drove Catfish to leave Llandudo, North Wales. Born as a test tube baby to free-minded Liverpudlian parents, Van spent his early years travelling around Australia by car, and still struggles to recall his birthplace - “Where was I born? Cheshire? Cheshire”. Once back in the less expansive environs of Llandudno, McCann came into the orbit of future bandmates Billy Bibby (guitar), Benji Blakeway (bass) and Bob Hall (drums) at school, from where he was soon expelled due to prolonged absences. Although still based in Llandudno now, the band’s ad hoc domestic arrangements reflect the sporadic time spent there between touring- the 4 piece have a rehearsal space in a B&B run by a couple who became fans of the band, and invited them to live there rent-free as long as they continued to make music. The band now drift nomadically in and out of vacant rooms when back in town.

Catfish And The Bottlemen signed to Communion Records (Deap Vally, Half Moon Run) this Spring, recording their debut material in Wales’ legendary Rockfield Studios with Communion founder Ian Grimble. The signing followed a furious 18 month period which saw them play over 150 live shows to hone their live set, which invariably sees frontman Van McCann climbing the walls and playing guitar as though his life depended on it, whilst fans crowd surf and sing every word.


Catfish And The Bottlemen are Van McCann (vocals & guitar), Billy Bibby (lead guitar), Benji Blakeway (bass) and Bob Hall (drums).

@thebottlemen // facebook.com/catfishandthebottlemen

LIVE
3 May LEEDS Live at Leeds
5 May DUNFERMLINE PJ Molloys
6 May EDINBURGH Sneaky Pete’s
9 May LEICESTER The Scholar Bar (Academy)
10 May BIRMINGHAM Institute, Temple
11 May OXFORD Academy 2
18 May GUILDFORD Boileroom
19 May SOUTHAMPTON Joiners
20 May LONDON Dingwalls
21 May CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach
26 May NEWCASTLE Cluny
27 May MIDDLESBOROUGH Westgarth
28 May WREXHAM Central Station
29 May DERBY The Victoria Inn
30 May YORK Duchess