Credit: Ewan Ogden

The Lathums announce new album ‘Matter Does Not Define’

Wed 30 October 2024 17:00, UK

The Lathums have unveiled details of their third album, Matter Does Not Define, set for release on March 7th, 2025.

The latest album from the Wigan four-piece comes off the back of the release of their latest single, ‘Stellar Cast’, on October 28th. Matter Does Not Define also includes The Lathums’ summer release, ‘No Direction’, which they shared ahead of the biggest headline show of their career at Robin Park in their hometown.

Rather than record their third album in a far-flung, exotic location like most acts with two number-one LPs to their name, The Lathums instead chose to make Matter Does Not Define in Wigan before completing the project at Kempton Street Studios in Liverpool.

“We’ve had a lot of fun creating album three,” frontman Alex Moore said of the record. “Though only a couple of years have passed since our last album, it feels like we’ve matured immensely as musicians. One of my favourite lyrics on the album is from track three, ‘Reflections of Lessons Left’. ‘When will they learn that it’s not matter that defines a being? It’s the reflections of the lessons they leave’ was actually the first lyric I wrote for this album, long before we even started planning it properly.”

Moore stated he believes the aforementioned lyric, which he describes as “powerful and important to the times we live in”, eventually “became the catalyst for the whole album, setting its tone and message.”

Furthermore, Moore spoke of the recording process, which was assisted by producers John Kettle and Chris Taylor, who they’ve known for many years, stating, “Recording Matter Does Not Define felt like coming full circle. We worked on it with our good friend and old college tutor, John Kettle, which brought us back to our roots. The process felt organic, without the pressure to cater to industry demands, and it allowed us to really explore creatively. It was like being back in college, free to make music without constraints.”

The frontman concluded by describing Matter Does Not Define as “real” and “raw” which was “everything we hoped it would be” when beginning the process.

During a conversation with Far Out ahead of their sold-out show at Robin Park in July, Moore previously revealed The Lathums were in the middle of making Matter Does Not Define. The singer conceded it’s “probably not going to be this year” when the LP is released, but confirmed it’s not down to a shortage of material as The Lathums have accrued “plenty enough songs for a few good albums” but “the problem is trying to pick the ones”. Thankfully, it seems they have solved that problem with their third album now on the horizon.

Furthermore, The Lathums have shared details of a 12-date tour for the United Kingdom and Ireland which begins in March, 2025. Notably, across the run of dates, The Lathums will headline Brixton Academy in London and Manchester’s O2 Apollo.