The Zutons

Coming out of the same Merseyside scene that produced The Coral, The Stands and Little Flames, The Zutons mixed chiming 1960s guitar hooks with singalong harmonies to create a handful of joyous indie-pop hits. Named after Captain Beefheart's trumpeter Zoot Horn Rollo, debut album Who Killed The Zutons? (2004) won a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize and went on to reach Number 9 in the UK charts thanks to the singles "Pressure Point," "You Will You Won't," and "Don't Ever Think (Too Much)." Driven by Dave McCabe's dreamy songwriting, Abi Harding's saxophone solos and a hint of hazy, oddball psychedelia, the band became a firm favourite on the festival circuit before the release of second album Tired of Hangin' Around (2006). It produced their first Top 10 single, "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love" before Mark Ronson reworked the track "Valerie" into a huge UK Number 2 with Amy Winehouse on lead vocals. Recording third album You Can Do Anything (2008) in Los Angeles, the band adopted a bluesy, Stonesy sound but failed to make much of an impact with the single "Always Right Behind You," and were dropped from their label Sony/BMG. They disbanded the following year but reformed in 2016 for a one-off fundraiser gig in Liverpool and two years later embarked on a reunion tour to play Who Killed..... The Zutons? on its 15th anniversary. The band announced their fourth album The Big Decider in November 2023, produced by Ian Broudie of the Lightning Seeds fame and Nile Rodgers. The triumphant comeback LP was released in April 2024 and rocketed to number one on the UK Independent Albums Chart and number seven on the mainstream UK Albums Chart.