CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN return with new single 'Showtime'

Beginning a monumental new chapter, BRIT Award-winning and multi-platinum-selling giants Catfish and the Bottlemen return today with their first new music in five years and announce their first headline shows since 2021, all before headlining Reading & Leeds Festival. for the second time this summer.

Anthemic, stadium-ready new single 'Showtime' is out now via Island Records. Frontman, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Van McCann recorded the song in Los Angeles with multi-GRAMMY-winning producer Dave Sardy (Oasis, LCD Soundsystem, Rolling Stones). Reflecting the sun-kissed optimism of Los Angeles and marking a bold evolution in Van's songwriting, it is the first song to be released from Catfish and the Bottlemen's soon-to-be-announced fourth studio album. Watch the video BELOW:

When Catfish and the Bottlemen announced their return to the top of Reading & Leeds Festival's main stage with a high energy performance clip, the band was met with a frenzied reaction from fans. Over the past week, anticipation has reached an extreme level as mysterious 'Showtimes' have been released around the world, prompting Catfish and the Bottlemen's 'Showtime' instagram trailer to receive more than 100,000 likes in less than 24 hours. Speculation surrounded the cryptic messages as their audience wondered if the teases indicated a concert, new music or something else, and the excitement increased further when fans were given postcards that simply read “Back To The Graft Again.”

Revered for his incendiary live performances, the release of 'Showtime' is accompanied by news of two massive outdoor shows. Announced exactly 900 days since the band last played in front of a live audience, they will play a headline show at Cardiff Castle on July 19 and Edinburgh's Summer Sessions on August 24. The dates land between their unmissable return to headline the main stage at the Reading and Leeds Festival. Tickets go on general sale at 10:00 GMT on Friday 1 March here. Register here to get pre-sale access.

Catfish and the Bottlemen's sonic vision has cemented their place among the most successful British bands of the 21st century. Signed to Island Records in 2014 after years of relentless touring, their debut LP The Balcony rocketed into the UK Top 10 and helped them land British Breakthrough Act at the BRITs before scoring their historic number one album with The Ride. . Since then, they have racked up over a billion streams, two million album sales, and are approaching 10 million single sales. On stage, Van McCann possesses a unique magnetic energy and is considered one of the great live leaders of modern rock. In the five years since the release of their debut album, they have sold over half a million tickets and played to over 2 million people.

Van McCann is back where he belongs: headlining festivals, finishing a new album and beginning a dynamic and exciting new era for Catfish and the Bottlemen. 'Showtime' provides the only explanation: “Back on the pitch again. When I lead Leeds, I'll be back as my friend.”