When will Catfish and the Bottlemen release NEW MUSIC?

Words: Dan Smith

There are few bands who burst onto the scene quite like Welsh rockers Catfish and the Bottlemen. Back in 2014, when ‘The Balcony’ was released, it was met with mixed reviews from so-called experts; the likes of NME’s Ben Homewood only giving the record a 4/10 and stating it was 9 years too late. But never-the-less, the fans didn’t care. After the resurgence of Rock ‘n’ Roll in 2013, bands such as Arctic Monkeys and The 1975 being in the forefront of British music, it was only a matter of time before that next breakthrough indie band blossomed, and no it wasn’t Stockport based band Blossoms, it was Van McCann and his band of merry men.

©Bruce Baker

“ham-fisted and about nine years too late”

Ben Homewood of NME, 2014

For those who don’t know who Catfish and the Bottlemen are, why did you click on this post? No but in all seriousness, here is a little history into the band.

Catfish and the Bottlemen are a British rock band that formed in Llandudno, Wales, in 2007. They are known for their energetic and anthemic rock sound, characterized by catchy hooks, driving guitar riffs, and relatable lyrics.

The band members include Van McCann (vocals, guitar) and Benjamin “Benji” Blakeway (bass). Last year, Bob Hall (drums) and Johnny Bond (lead guitar) both left the band, with Johnny describing the band as dysfunctional in an Instagram post.

Catfish and the Bottlemen gained significant popularity in the UK and beyond with their debut album ‘The Balcony,’ released in 2014. The album featured hits like ‘Kathleen,’ ‘Cocoon,’ and ‘Pacifier.’ Their music often touches on themes of youth, relationships, and personal experiences.

Since then, they have released two further albums: ‘The Ride’ (2016) and ‘The Balance’ (2019) but have essentially been radio silent ever since.

So what next for the remaining Van McCann and Benji?

Well, there have been murmurings on social media and incredibly reliable source Reddit, that Van McCann has in-fact been working in a LA studio on some new music. Now whether this would be the beginning of a solo career remains to be seen, or whether new members will come in to replace Johnny and Bob.

Personally, I would like to see Van McCann go solo, and go acoustic. Yes we are all aware of the absolute BANGERS Catfish play live, the likes of ‘7’ and ‘Tyrants’ being personal highlights for myself, but when Van McCann is armed with an acoustic guitar as we have seen in certain radio appearances, none more exceptional than his cover of The Killers ‘Read My Mind’ for Triple J, he is truly at his best.

It will be interesting for us to see as fans, and I guess this is where a lot of frustration lays. As we all know, Catfish used to be a very active band on social media, in-fact it helped propel them to headline slots at festivals, yet since 2021 we have had radio silence, not even an announcement of the departures of Johnny Bond and Bob Hall. Strange, very very strange.

I hope we hear something sooner rather than later, because after the disappointment of ‘The Balance’ I am hoping for a strong comeback and I think a lot of you are in the same boat.