The Maccabees

Initially formed of Orlando Weeks (guitar/vocals), Hugo and Felix White (guitars/backing vocals), Rupert Jarvis (bass) and Robert Dylan Thomas (drums), the band released their debut single, "X-Ray," on Promise Records, which caught the attention of XFM-Radio, gaining substantial airplay. This led to The Maccabees being chosen as the support slot for an Arctic Monkeys tour. The Maccabees moved to Fierce Panda Records to release their second single, "Latchmere," which was to be a success, bolstered by the support of Radio 1 DJ Steve Lamacq. The accompanying video became popular on YouTube and also received significant airplay on MTV2.

The band then moved to major label, Fiction Records, to release their debut album, "Colour It In," which came out in May 2007. The album was a success, receiving widespread positive acclaim, charting at number 24. Their first single off the album, "First Love," entered the Top 40 in the UK. Their second, "About Your Dress," also breached the Top 40, peaking at number 33 in the UK charts. They then embarked on a US tour with Bloc Party and performed a sold-out show at the Roundhouse in London, UK.

Thomas left the band in 2008, being replaced by Sam Doyle on drums. In 2009, "Wall of Arms" was released, produced by Arcade Fire's Markus Dravs. The album built on the success of their debut, reaching number 13 in the UK Albums chart, receiving high praise from music critics, with Artrocker magazine naming it joint number one album of the year in 2009, alongside Yeah Yeah Yeah's "It's Blitz."

The band's popularity was displayed by their selection for main stage slots at Reading and Leeds Festival in the UK. After touring in support of their second album, The Maccabees spent two years writing and recording for their third offering, "Given to the Wild," released in 2012, featuring the lead single, "Pelican." The album received a Mercury Award nomination for album of the year.

For their fourth studio album, the band naturally found themselves taking a more introspective approach. Hiding themselves away in an anonymous two-storey building in Elephant & Castle, South London, and focussing on a more stripped-back band dynamic, they later sought an outside perspective in the form of much-admired producer Laurie Latham (Ian Dury & the Blockheads amongst others). The resulting LP Marks to Prove It was released on 31st July 2015 and shot straight to No. 1 in the UK album chart. Following another busy summer of festivals, the band will soon embark on an extensive US tour before returning to the UK in November.