Aussie-born singer/songwriter Van McCann initially started the band with guitarist Bill Bibby and bassist Benji Blakeway, eventually adding Bob Hall on drums. Pairing a staunch D.I.Y. ethic with a gritty, garage-laced sound, the Bottlemen gigged constantly throughout 2012 and 2013 before signing to Mumford & Sons bandmember Ben Lovett's Communion Records later that year. They released three singles on Communion before moving to Universal in 2014. After receiving a Best Newcomer Award from the BBC, they delivered their full-length debut, The Balcony, in September 2014. The album debuted at number ten on the U.K. charts, yielding the hit single "Kathleen." Continuing to manage their heavy tour schedule, Catfish and the Bottlemen also spent part of 2015 in Los Angeles working on their follow-up album. A BRIT Award nomination in early 2016 coincided with the release of "Soundcheck," the first single from from their sophomore LP. The Ride, which appeared that May. ~ Timothy Monger & Scott Kerr