Red Rum Club are a British alternative rock band from Merseyside composed of Fran Doran (vocals), Tom Williams (guitar and backing vocals), Michael McDermott (guitar and backing vocals), Simon Hepworth (bass guitar) and Neil Lawson (drums). Their debut album, Matador, reached Top 50 in the UK Album Sales Charts with tracks appearing across BBC Radio 1, Radio 2 and 6 Music. They have had two Top 10 albums in the UK, 2024's Western Approaches & 2025's Buck, charting at number 8 and number 7 respectively on the UK Albums Chart.
History 2016–2017: Formation All six members originally played in separate bands before forming in 2016, with many of them never having met before sharing a rehearsal space. They quickly bonded musically, aided by their extracurricular activities, including weekly boxing sessions together.
2020: Matador Red Rum Club released their debut album Matador on 11 January 2019 on Modern Sky, which featured the song "Would You Rather Be Lonely". That summer they played slots at various festivals in the UK including Glastonbury Festival, Isle of Wight Festival and Kendal Calling, as well as concerts in Romania, South Korea and Sweden. 2021: The Hollow of Humdrum On 2 October 2020, the band released their second studio album The Hollow of Humdrum, which was preceded by the single "Kids Addicted", "Eleanor", "Ballerino" and "The Elevation".. This was their first release to chart on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number 58. 2021-2023: How to Steal the World On 22 October 2021, the band released their third studio album How To Steal The World, which was the band's first Top 40 album, peaking at number 34 on the UK Album Charts. 2024: Western Approaches
On 23 February 2024, the band released their fourth studio album Western Approaches, which was their first Top 10 album in the UK, charting at number 8.. This was followed by their biggest ever headline show at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool. The band also played a headline slot at Sound City.
The band supported Blossoms on the majority of dates on their 2024 UK Tour. In 2025, they supported The Wombats on their tours in the UK, Europe, and the United States, alongside playing festivals such as Glastonbury Festival and Reading and Leeds Festival.
2025–present: Buck On 5 September 2025, the band released their fifth studio album Buck, which became their highest charting album to date, peaking at number 7 in the UK Album Chart.
On 27 October 2025, Red Rum Club announced their biggest ever outdoor headline show at the Pier Head in Liverpool, which took place on 19 June 2026.
On 27 April 2026, one day before their 2026 US Tour was due to start, it was announced that Corby would be departing the band.
Musical Style Red Rum Club's sound has been described as bass-driven "Mariachi Merseybeat" due to the presence of a trumpet on their songs. They have been compared to fellow scouse bands such as The Zutons.
Red Rum Club have stated that Bootle – and its seafaring, industrial heritage – plays a big role in their sound. Their frequent tours of the United States also influence their musical style.
Band members
Current members Fran Doran – lead vocals, occasional guitar (2016–present) Simon Hepworth – bass (2016–present) Neil Lawson – drums (2016–Present) Michael McDermott – guitar, backing vocals (2016–present) Tom Williams – guitar, backing vocals (2016–present) Former Members Joe "the Blow" Corby – trumpet, (2016–2026)
Current touring musicians Eli Younger – trumpet (2026–present)
Discography
Studio albums + List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions Title Details Peak chart positions UK UKIndie SCO Matador Released: 11 January 2019 Label: Modern Sky Formats: Digital Download, CD, 12" Vinyl, Streaming – 5 56 The Hollow of Humdrum Released: 2 October 2020 Label: Modern Sky Formats: Digital Download, CD, 12" Vinyl, Streaming 58 10 37 How To Steal The World Released: 12 November 2021 Label: Modern Sky Formats: Digital Download, CD, 12" Vinyl, Streaming 34 5 34 Western Approaches Released: 23 February 2024 Label: Modern Sky Formats: Digital Download, CD, 12" Vinyl, Streaming 8 – 6 Buck Released: 5 September 2026 Label: Modern Sky Formats: Digital Download, CD, 12" Vinyl, Streaming 7 2 7 Singles Title Year Album "Alone Together" 2016 "Calexico" 2018 Matador"Honey""Would You Rather Be Lonely?""Angeline""Matador"2019"Kids Addicted"The Hollow of Humdrum"Eleanor"2020"Ballerino""The Elevation""Last Christmas" "Nightcalling"2021How To Steal The World"Vibrate""Love Me Like You Wanna Be Loved""Drown""Vanilla"2022 "The River"Non-album single"Black Cat"2023Western Approaches"Undertaker""Godless""Hole In My Home" 2024"American Nights & English Mornings"2025Buck"Crush, TX""Buck""Wild" "Any Minute Now" 2026
References