Catfish and the Bottlemen
Catfish and the Bottlemen are the indie rock band formed in Llandudno, Wales, behind The Balcony, The Ride and The Balance, with Van McCann on vocals and guitar.
At 100 nudges, fangea sends Catfish and the Bottlemen’s team an official invite.
🔒 Star boosts open once Catfish and the Bottlemen claims this page.
Latest
Catfish and the Bottlemen’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus their backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Album
Album
AlbumOverview
- From
- Llandudno, North Wales
- Started
- 2007
- Music
- Indie rock
- Breakout
- The Balcony, 2014
- First UK No. 1 album
- The Ride, 2016
Mini bio
How it started.
The band formed in Llandudno in 2007. Before the big stages, they spent years touring in a van and finding their own audiences. McCann recalled handing out demos in motorway traffic and playing outside a Kasabian gig with a generator.
The breakthrough.
Their 2014 debut The Balcony, home to Kathleen and Cocoon, reached the UK album chart’s top 10. McCann wrote the album, which they recorded with producer Jim Abbiss. They went on to win the BBC Introducing Award in 2014 and British Breakthrough Act at the 2016 BRITs.
Building the set.
The Ride reached No. 1 on the UK albums chart in 2016. The Balance followed in 2019, adding Longshot and Fluctuate to their catalogue. In interviews, McCann has described writing songs as a way of adding to the live set.
Back on stage.
Showtime arrived in February 2024 as their first new music in five years. McCann recorded it in Los Angeles with Dave Sardy. The following summer brought outdoor dates and headline stadium concerts in Cardiff and London, with the Tottenham show taking place on 3 August 2025.
Creditschronological, newest first
- 2024The Balcony (10 Year Anniversary)Recording artist; expanded reissue with six bonus tracks
- 2024ShowtimeRecording artist; recorded by Van McCann with producer Dave Sardy
- 2019The BalanceRecording artist; third studio album
- 2016The RideRecording artist; second studio album
- 2014The BalconyRecording artist; debut studio album
Awards
Quotes
Writing songs is about adding to the set list.Van McCann, Time Out, 18 October 2016
On why playing live shapes the band’s records.
Trivia
- The band’s name comes from Australian bottle-playing busker Catfish the Bottleman, whom McCann saw as a child. They met him at Triple J in 2015.
- Ewan McGregor’s acoustic cover of Hourglass appears on the tenth anniversary edition of The Balcony.
- McCann nicknamed his Squier Jim Root Telecaster Bullet Tooth Tony.
Find Catfish and the Bottlemen
Follow the band for music, videos and show announcements.
Are you Catfish and the Bottlemen?
Fans built this page. Claim it to connect with them and unlock Star boosts, or request a takedown if you’d rather it not exist.