While The Fanclub’s start may seem modest, their rise remains unfaltered. Underpinned by the melancholic stylings of Josh Todd and the poetic nuance of Lewis Tobia, The Fanclub still retains a storied past.

“We all went to the same school, and Lewis and I have been chilling since the age of 4, but we actually only got together in the last few months of school,” says Josh. “We’d been in rival bands throughout, but after organizing the school “Band Bash” together, Lewis and I started writing some pretty sweet songs and decided to give it a go ourselves. “

Even from the band’s beginnings, there has been an air of surreal mischief. They slyly slipped their way onto a JD Set bill, featuring Babyshambles, solely by walking into the venue and pretending to be the support band. And, of course

“Our first gig was actually at a charity event at AFC Bournemouth. It was a very messy performance, I had had a few too many and we ultimately got in trouble for stealing alcohol that we thought was free… A good night though.“

All of this imagery as cheeky chaps may seem misleading considering the bones of their music. Take a listen to their upcoming single, ‘Madman’, and you’ll hear a tender heart beating beneath the grandiosity of it all. The boys may wear their not only their hearts, but their influences on their sleeves as well. Says Lewis :-

“I've always been inspired by bands that really have something to say; lyricists such as Morrissey, Richey James Edwards and Nicky Wire have been massively influential for my writing, which is why they probably read more like existential musings. I've always thought hard about every single word as to me they are as important as any other aspect of the music – it's what people really connect to.”

And connection is inevitable on witnessing The Fanclub live. Josh’s voice soars over the natural majestic nature of the music, leaving many a spine to tingle. And with strings now being incorporated into the live fold, the band are promising to fix as many hearts as they break with a slew of new and even greater material.

After a creative meeting of minds between the band and producer Greg Haver (Manic Street Preachers, Super Furry Animals) at an intense recording stint in the Cotswolds, the band are ready to present their debut track ‘Madman’ this coming July.

“We’d heard about his work with the Manics and were pretty determined to work with him from pretty early on (being massive Manics fans ourselves). He worked us pretty hard and almost reduced our drummer to tears, but it was such a good experience – Greg’s input was invaluable and we learned a lot from him. We’d love to work with him again.”



“The Fanclub ooze cool and confidence and have the potential to be very successful.”
The JD Set

“[The Fanclub] demonstrate a musicality and lyricism of frightening maturity delivered with the assurance of a band capable of near enough anything…In an age diluted with average indie bands The Fanclub manage to cut through all the layers of mediocrity with some beautiful dance-hard sounds."
Will Kerr – Fallyrag.com