Hailing from North Wales, Catfish and the Bottlemen was initially formed by singer/songwriter Van McCann and childhood friend and guitarist Bill Bibby. Although Bibby would eventually leave the band, McCann carried on with the main songwriting responsibilities with new members, Benji Blakeway, Johnny Bond and Bob Hall. The band broke through in mid-2014 with the tracks, “Kathleen” and “Cocoon”, playing the Governor’s Ball in New York City and numerous European festivals. Although their debut album, “The Balcony” was released in the UK in September 2014, the U.S. didn’t get the proper release until January 2015. Standout track, “Kathleen” received notable airplay in the U.S. and established a solid fan base for Catfish and the Bottlemen even before their first U.S. tour date.
Admist their first U.S. tour, which includes performing at SXSW, McCann took a moment to speak with B-Sides host, Pete Mar, during the band’s San Francisco tour stop. The two covered the internet stories of McCann sleeping in a linen closet as a child, getting expelled in high school and talked about his love for The Streets. If you’re familiar with the track, “The Irony Of It All” by The Streets, pay close attention to the answer Van gives regarding who he’d be, “Tim” or “Terry”!
Check out the interview here:
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