Arctic Monkeys

Since the early 2000s, Arctic Monkeys have become arguably the most prominent British rock band of the 21st century. Formed in Sheffield in 2002, the band features Alex Turner on guitar and vocals, Matt Helder on drums, Jamie Cook on guitar, and Nick O’Malley on bass. O’Malley replaced original bassist Andy Nicholson shortly after the release of the band’s debut album.

After playing gigs around Sheffield, Arctic Monkeys assembled a demo tape, ‘Beneath the Boardwalk’, to be handed out at shows. Fans file-shared the demo and eventually made a MySpace page on behalf of the band (unbeknownst to them), which attracted more listeners. It wasn’t long until the group signed with Domino Records, releasing their debut single ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’ in 2005. Shooting straight to number one, Arctic Monkeys followed up with the single ‘When The Sun Goes Down’, which also hit the top spot.

By 2006, the band were ready to release ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’, which became the UK’s fastest-selling debut album of all time. Arctic Monkeys kept up their popularity with the release of their next album ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’, which contains hits such as ‘Brianstorm’, ‘Teddy Picker’, and ‘505’. This was followed by 2009’s ‘Humbug’ and 2011’s ‘Suck it and See’, which saw the band experiment with more introspective lyricism and refined sounds.

The release of ‘AM’ in 2013 saw the band reach the height of their popularity, gaining a large fanbase via social media sites such as Tumblr. Turner’s persona shifted into that of a slicked-back, leather-clad rockstar, a far cry from the scruffy and shy Sheffield lad behind the band’s earlier work.

After Arctic Monkeys went on hiatus for a few years, they returned in 2018 with ‘Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino’, which was less guitar-driven, much to the upset of fans. Still, the band proved to be capable of delivering a stellar album with a heavier focus on jazz, psychedelia, French pop, and lounge pop. According to Helders, their seventh studio album, ‘The Car’, will follow in a similar suit.