The Wigan Indie rock band who featured on Granada Introducing in 2020 and played their first gig just two years ago, said their “smiles couldn’t be any wider” as they celebrate their chart-topping debut.

They released their first full-length last week (September 24), and held off competition from fellow UK band Public Service Broadcasting, as well as North American stars Drake, Olivia Rodrigo and Lil Nas X. You can hear the band’s lead single from their debut album below.

It has recently been confirmed that the band has hit the top of the charts, beating Public Service Broadcasting, whose new album Bright Magic charts at Number Two.

This means that British bands have accounted for more than a quarter (28%) of album chart-toppers so far in 2021 – compared with 17% in 2020 and 15% in 2019.

Speaking of the honour of finishing at number one The Lathums frontman Alex Moore told Official Charts: “We’re four friends from Wigan who just love making music and are at Number 1 with our debut album, it’ll take a while for this one to sink in. It proves what’s possible for young, British artists with a pure-at-heart ambition to reach people with songs like ours, making friends every step along the way and finding that dreams can come true.”

He then went on to say “‘How Beautiful Life Can Be’ is about seeing the good in things, holding on and coming through difficult times with a smile at the end. Today our smiles couldn’t be any wider. Thank you.”

You can see the band celebrating their number one position in the charts.

Watch @thelathums react as How Beautiful Life Can Be claim a “momentous” Number 1 debut on the Official UK Albums Chart: https://t.co/Zh394hTJDr pic.twitter.com/JiX4j638Sf

— Official Charts (@officialcharts) October 1, 2021

The band celebrated the release of the album last Friday, with a special hometown show at The Monaco in Hindley. Fans gathered to sing along to many of the band’s popular tracks.

A few days later, the group then treated fans to an extended version of the album, which included the tracks that didn’t make the initial cut. At one point during the week, both versions occupied number one and two positions in the Itunes chart.

Elsewhere on this week’s Official Albums Chart, last week’s chart-topper from Drake, Certified Lover Boy, drops to Number Three, while another new entry in the Top Ten comes from Natalie Imbruglia, whose album Firebird charts at Number Ten.

In May, the band also released a new live album with their full performance at May’s Sefton Park pilot event. The band also joined acts such as Zuzu and Blossoms last month in performing to 5,000 people at the Liverpool park as part of government research into the safe return of live music. The Lathums are also set for their biggest UK tour to date later this year.

However, fans looking forward to hearing the album will still have to wait two months for it to drop, while some fans also got the chance to meet the band today at Wigan Market’s ‘Lathums Emporium’, as well as ordering an exclusive ‘first edition’ pressing of ‘How Beautiful Life Can Be’

Below you can see the track-listing and album artwork.

 ‘How Beautiful Life Can Be’ Tracklist:

1. ‘Circles Of Faith’
2. ‘I’ll Get By’
3. ‘Fight On’
4. ‘How Beautiful Life Can Be’
5. ‘The Great Escape’
6. I Won’t Lie’
7. ‘I See Your Ghost’
8. ‘Oh My Love’
9. ‘I’ll Never Forget The Time I Spent With You’
10. ‘I Know That Much’
11. ‘Artificial Screens’
12. ‘The Redemption Of Sonic Beauty’

Last month, the band performed at Sefton Park in front of 5000 people as part of the Government’s research into returning to large scale events. The crowd were not required to socially distance as they enjoyed music from The Lathums, Blossoms and Zuzu.

The English Indie band have now shared a keepsake of their momentous performance at Sefton Park in the form of a brand new live album. The album comprises ten tracks including The Lathums hits ‘”The Great Escape” and “All My Life.”

Frontman Alex Moore commented on the gig: “It’s only now, knowing that everybody could enjoy themselves and it remain safe, that the picture is complete and we’re so grateful to have been there. The atmosphere at Sefton Park before the show was a real buzz and then our time on stage went so quickly.” He continued: “The feeling afterwards will never leave me, just overjoyed to have played our songs to that many people and for that many people to respond so generously. It was a privilege for all of us.”

Sefton Park’s historic pilot data shows they found no detectable spread of coronavirus across the weekend that included both The Lathum’s gig and two nightclub events. Between April and May, as part of the Government’s research, Liverpool hosted 13,000 people to determine whether our mass scale events can safely return. Only 11 people subsequently tested positive for coronavirus, which led to the Government’s findings suggesting that holding mass events without face masks and social distancing pose as little risk as going to a shopping centre or restaurant. However, less than half of the people in attendance at Liverpool’s pilot events returned their PCR tests.

The Wigan band are due to play Derbyshire’s Y Not Festival next month, and they are heading out on tour this coming September. Touring across 24 dates, their biggest tour yet, the band will be kicking off their live gigs at the O2 Academy Newcastle on 29 September 2021, and will be finishing in Belfast on 14 December 2021 at Limelight 2.

You can listen to “Live From Sefton Park” now.

#Festival | What a feeling to be able to bring our live events back to Liverpool again! Thank you @FRfestivals + to everyone who came along, hugged, danced and took your tests!

Together we will be able to bring you more live events again sooner #HereForCulture @DCMS pic.twitter.com/Suo0Q2jTRi

— Culture Liverpool (@CultureLPool) May 3, 2021

Liverpool’s Sefton Park usually holds 7,500 people. The only condition of entry this time was a negative lateral flow test and the participants all had to agree to take part in the Government Research Programme studying safety of mass events. As per BBC: “Scientists are also studying other factors like audience movement and interaction, ventilation, duration, catering and alcohol consumption. Mysterious people with clipboards wandered around making notes”. It has to be done before the summer festivals go ahead after 21st June when the UK will enter stage four on the road map.

Headlining last night’s festival was indie band Blossoms performed at a giant tent looking like a circus. The band’s last gig was on 15th March 2020, just before lockdown. Liverpool reporter Jess Flaherty said about their show: “When Blossoms took to the stage, the crowd was united in its joy and excitement”. She added: “After a few songs, lead singer Tom Ogden spoke to the crowd and said: “Good evening, you beautiful, beautiful people. These things are meant to be spontaneous… you’re going to have the best night you’ve had for a very, very long time.” 

The moment it all came back. @blossomsband performing at the Sefton Park Pilot, the UK’s first gig without any Covid restrictions. What a beautiful thing pic.twitter.com/bnu5JlzVan

— Radio X (@RadioX) May 2, 2021

The concert also featured The Lathums and Zuzu. Melvin Benn, boss of  Festival Republic, a company which organised and promoted this gig said: “The punters will just be able to behave as though COVID had never happened. The whole world will be looking at it. You know how many gigs I’ve been involved in, but this is the most historic. I’m just so excited by it.” 

We’ll cherish this moment forever. Thank you Liverpool x pic.twitter.com/SPjV0fcuHo — THE LATHUMS (@TheLathums) May 2, 2021

Footages shared online shows music lovers dancing and singing along. Last Sunday event gave a taste of what life was pre Covid-19 and also what might come this summer.

The Lathums have generated comparisons to Arctic Monkeys in the past, and the rationale for that is evident again here: frontman Alex Moore’s soft, crooning vocal conjures the spirit of Alex Turner at his soulful best; while the cinematic, surf-rock influenced guitar sound hearkens back to the vibe of their cross-Pennine counterparts’ superb second album Favourite Worst Nightmare; a sonic energy later honed further by The Last Shadow Puppets.

Like the Arctic Monkeys before them, The Lathums are also a group that fiercely resists being pigeon-holed as an indie band. In a recent interview with Far Out Magazine, Alex Moore said “I just feel like we’re so different to everybody and we’re not like anybody else. It’s not annoying but we’re not an indie band, we’re just a different entity. We are a band and a guitar band but I don’t think there’s been anything like us and I don’t think there ever will be anything like us.”

2021 looks set to be another bumper year for the Lancashire fourpiece, with a debut album in the works. In a New Year’s Eve Twitter post reflecting on a successful twelve months – which included a number one single in the vinyl charts with All My Life –  a statement from the band read: “Well it certainly wasn’t a year we expected it to be. On the brighter side we’ve done things we’d never expect to happen. We got signed by Island Records, sold out our UK tour, got a number 1 single and performed live on TV. Not being able to play live has been tough for us but thankfully we’ve been in the studio and our time has been occupied. So we’re happy to tell you all our debut album is finished and will be released in 2021. We can’t wait to get it out there and see what next year has to offer.”

Here’s to a better 2021 x pic.twitter.com/fsK1CIM2lZ

— THE LATHUMS (@TheLathums) December 31, 2020

The Lathums were also selected by the NME as one of their 100 emerging artists to watch in 2021. The legendary music journal recognised the group’s “unstoppable two-year ascent” and hailed the band for “pulling inspiration from all over the musical map“. There was also specific praise for Foolish Parley as a “sure-fire festival smash.”

It remains to be seen whether the Lancastrians will be able to put that theory to the test at a festival this year, but they clearly haven’t given up hope on some big live shows in 2021. In a BBC News interview ahead of the group’s gig at the Blackpool Tower Circus, Alex Moore said “It’s obviously proper gutting thinking about what could have happened this year. But at the same time we’ve got to think about what’s in store for us next year, and what this whole year is going to climax to. There’s a give and a take with everything in life. This is a pretty big take, so there’s got to be some nice light at the end of the tunnel. So I reckon it’s going to be even better next year.“

The BBC #SoundOf2021 longlist is here!

Get to know the artists tipped for big things next year ⬇️@alfietempleman@berwynberwyn_@breerunway@dutchavelli1@_girlinred_@greentea_peng@wiffygriffy@HolHumberstone@TheLathums@KING_SALIEU

Find out more: https://t.co/9xxxAGfdJV pic.twitter.com/WhDS6BDpaz

— BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) December 7, 2020

Since the inception of the ‘Sound of…’ prize back in 2003, the BBC’s adjudicating panellists have honed a soothsaying knack for uncovering future stars. Previous winners of the award include 50 Cent (2003); Keane (2004); Adele (2008); Jessie J (2011); and Haim (2013). All is not lost for the long-listed artists who fail to scoop the top prize though: previous ‘unsuccessful’ nominated acts include Dizzee Rascal (2003); Scissor Sisters (2004); Lady Gaga (2009); Marina and the Diamonds (2010); Azealia Banks (2012); Chvrches (2013); George Ezra (2014); Stormzy (2015); Dua Lipa (2016); and Billie Eilish (2018).

The Sound of 2020 award winner was Celeste, who has gone on to secure further gongs this year at the Brits, BET and NME awards. The Saltdean-raised vocalist saw off stiff competition from the likes of Yungblud and Arlo Parks to claim the prize last year; telling BBC News she was “thrilled and so excited” with the win.

The full list of acts long-listed for the Sound of 2021, which will be awarded in a ceremony on January 7th, is as follows:

Alfie Templeman. Multi-instrumentalist Alfie Templeman’s fourth EP, Happiness In Liquid Form, reached number 22 in the UK Indie charts earlier this year. The Bedfordshire product, who only turns 18 in January, has been praised by DIY for his “boundless enthusiasm” which “bursts out in indie songs equally informed by R&B and bedroom pop.”

Berwyn. Trinidad-born, Romford-raised singer and rapper Berwyn Du Bois also features on Amazon Music’s One To Watch list for 2021. His debut mixtape Demotape/Vega was hailed by Pilerats as a “potent, defining record” and “a message on how even the ones with the world pitted against them can succeed.”

Bree Runway. Hackney’s Bree Runway has been described by NME as “a versatile pop star-in-waiting“, with her November mixtape 2000and4Eva acclaimed by Clash as “a bold, dynamic and cohesive body of work“. The genre-bending artist, who has also been nominated for the Video of The Year award at this week’s MOBOs for her track Apeshit, has also spoken out powerfully on the issue of colourism.

Dutchavelli. Dutchavelli’s debut mixtape Dutch from the 5th stormed to number 8 in the UK Albums chart last month. The Birmingham-born rapper also scored two top 40 singles as a lead artist (Bando Diaries and Cool With Me, featuring fellow West Midlander M1llionz); while he and Stormzy also popped up on Tion Wayne’s top ten hit I Dunno in May.

Girl In Red. Norwegian indie pop merchant Girl In Red – also known as Marie Ulven – has been described by the New York Times as “one of the most astute and exciting singer-songwriters working in the world of guitar music, with a laser like melodic instinct that verges on the primal and lyrics that capture the sweat of real life.” The Scandinavian songstress recently scored a hit in the UK indie charts with her single Two Queens in a King Sized Bed.

Greentea Peng. South Londoner Greentea Peng – who featured on The Streets’ summer single I Wish You Loved You As Much As You Love Him – was celebrated in Wonderland magazine earlier this year for “preaching honesty, self-confidence, and hope in the future.” The singer – real name Aria Wells – recently announced a European tour which kicks off in Berlin next April.

Griff. Hertfordshire artist Sarah Griffiths (Griff) was nominated for an Ivor Novello Rising Star Award in July. The vocalist, whose 2019 debut single Mirror Talk was described by Vice as “vulnerable, emotional, sincere and empowering“, is set to gain a new audience with her single Love Is A Compass, which is used on Disney’s 2020 Christmas advert.

Holly Humberstone. Lincolnshire singer Holly Humberstone’s quietly intense, otherworldly vocals evoke the stylings of Lorde, Phoebe Brid and Lana Del Rey. Her 2020 debut EP Falling Asleep At The Wheel was praised by NME for its “staggering emotional clarity and gut-wrenching tales of pain and catharsis.”

Pa Salieu. Gambian-British rapper Pa Salieu’s debut mixtape Send Them to Coventry was described by Pitchfork as an “extraordinarily assured first offering from a young artist capable of surprising at every turn“, and an “invitation to a place and people unduly ignored.” Salieu’s unique fusion of West Midlands grime and African influences have seen him labelled a “compelling new voice” on the British music scene.

The Lathums. Wiganers The Lathums cite the rock and pop of the 50s and 60s as key musical influences, and fiercely resist being pigeon-holed as an indie band. In an interview with Far Out in October, frontman Alex Moore said “I just feel like we’re so different to everybody and we’re not like anybody else…We are a band and a guitar band but I don’t think there’s been anything like us.” Their EP compilation Memories We Make reached the top 20 in the UK Albums Chart this year, and the Lancashire outfit’s livestreamed gig at Blackpool Tower Circus this year saw them become the first act to play at the iconic venue since Madness in the 1990s.