The Lathums have revealed news of their new album and touring plans for 2025, following this week’s release of new music with ‘Jamaican Ale-fuelled’ single, Stellar Cast. With two, consecutive No.1 Official UK Album Chart albums already to their name, Matter Does Not Define is set for release on Fri 7 March 2025 and sees the opening credits roll on the four-piece’s third, thrilling season.
Having seen out a summer of notable shows, inclusive of domestic and overseas main stage festival appearances, not least their own SOLD OUT 11,500-capacity gig in the sunshine at Wigan’s Robin Park, the four-piece are set to bring the love once again on one of their biggest tours to date, opening at Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow on Thu 13 March 2025.
Announcing details of the follow-up to 2022’s chart-topping second album, From Nothing To A Little Bit more, the grown-up and restlessly prolific Lathums have revealed a 12-song track listing for Matter Does Not Define. Described by frontman, Alex Moore as ‘real’ and ‘raw’, the album also features energetic, instant fan favourite No Direction, released earlier this year.
Moore continues to say: “We’ve had a lot of fun creating album three. Though only a couple of years have passed since our last album, it feels like we've matured immensely as musicians. One of my favourite lyrics on the album is from track three, ‘Reflections of Lessons Left’. “When will they learn that it’s not matter that defines a being? It’s the reflections of the lessons they leave” was actually the first lyric I wrote for this album, long before we even started planning it properly. It felt powerful and important to the times we live in, and I wanted it to resonate with others. That lyric became the catalyst for the whole album, setting its tone and message.
“Recording ‘Matter Does Not Define’ felt like coming full circle. We worked on it with our good friend and old college tutor, John Kettle, which brought us back to our roots. The process felt organic, without the pressure to cater to industry demands, and it allowed us to really explore creatively. It was like being back in college, free to make music without constraints. Like, (drummer) Duz even plays a frying pan in 'Stellar Cast’, a random touch you might not expect. Album three is real, raw, and everything we hoped it would be.”
The Lathums’ 12-Date Matter Does Not Define UK & Ireland Tour takes in more major live landmarks after Glasgow, including a raucous homecoming night at Manchester’s O2 Apollo (Fri 11 April), a return to London to take on the 5,000-capacity O2 Academy Brixton (Sat 22 March) and a leap across the Irish Sea to conclude at The Academy, Dublin (Fri 28 March). All confirmed shows on the Matter Does Not Define UK & Ireland Tour are as follows:
- Thu 13 March 2025 - Glasgow, Barrowland Ballroom
- Sat 15 March 2025 - Newcastle, NX Newcastle
- Mon 17 March 2025- Stoke, Victoria Hall
- Tue 18 March 2025 - Sheffield, Octagon
- Thu 20 March 2025 - Nottingham, Rock City
- Fri 21 March 2025 - Birmingham, O2 Academy
- Sat 22 March 2025 - London, O2 Academy Brixton
- Mon 24 March 2025- Southampton, O2 Guildhall
- Tue 25 March 2025 - Bristol, SWX
- Thu 27 March 2025 - Belfast, Limelight
- Fri 28 March 2025 - Dublin, The Academy
- Fri 11 April 2025 – Manchester, O2 Apollo
Tickets for all dates go on general sale to fans at 10am on Fri 8 November 2024 via links on the band’s website at www.thelathums.com
Released on multiple formats, including standard and special edition vinyl, CD, cassette and digital, Matter Does Not Define was written by the band, comprised of Moore, Scott Concepcion (guitars, piano and vocals) Ryan ‘Duz’ Durrans (drums) and Matty Murphy (bass and vocals), in their native Wigan before recording at Kempston Street Studios, Liverpool. They completed their new masterpiece of equally introspective and pulse-quickening indie in the company of both Kettle and producer, Chris Taylor.
The track listing for The Lathums Matter Does Not Define has been confirmed by the band as:
1. Leave No Stone Unturned
2. Reflections Of Lessons Left
3. Stellar Cast
4. Heartbreaker
5. Dynamite
6. Unrequited Love
7. No Direction
8. Until Our Bitter End
9. Knocking At Your Door
10. The Jester
11. Surrounded By Beauty
12. Long Shadows
On Monday, fans heard Stellar Cast as it was given its first play by BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq, followed by being selected as track of the week on Absolute Radio, completing an early picture of a bold third album, created by a band approaching writing and recording with an ever-increasing confidence and firm sense of their own identity.
Concurrent to their musical adventures, The Lathums continue to raise funds and awareness of their own Chance To See Fund, a charitable venture to bring creative opportunity to young people in and around Wigan. Donations from fans, the band and through special projects arranged with participatory arts charity, Curious Minds, saw the total available to local individuals, groups and projects hit £25,000 earlier this year.
The band and Curious Minds joined together with the shared aim of bringing music, theatre and other artistic projects into the lives of people with no other way of accessing them. Individual donations to the Chance To See Fund are welcome via the Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/chancetosee.