Hailing from Manchester, indie rock quartet Courteeners received regular co… Read Full Bio ↴Hailing from Manchester, indie rock quartet Courteeners received regular comparisons in the U.K. press to the leading lights of three previous waves of Mancunian Brit-pop: the Smiths, the Stone Roses, and Oasis. The band's alternately jangly and bombastic brand of indie guitar rock bears the influence of all three acts, as well as comparisons to contemporaries like Kasabian, Editors, and Kaiser Chiefs. They debuted in the late 2000s with the hit album St. Jude, evolving over the years by incorporating synth pop and dance grooves on albums such as 2013's Anna and 2020's More. Again. Forever.

Featuring vocalist Liam Fray, lead guitarist Daniel "Conan" Moores, and drummer Michael Campbell, Courteeners formed in Manchester in 2006, when the 22-year-old Fray -- already known around town for his acoustic singer/songwriter gigs -- brought three of his childhood friends (including ex-bassist Mark Cupello) together to form a proper band. After signing to Loog Records, a pseudo-indie label owned by Polydor, the Courteeners released their limited-edition debut single, "Cavorting," in August 2007. Three more singles, "Acrylic," "What Took You So Long?," and "Not Nineteen Forever," dotted the charts between October 2007 and March 2008, prior to the release of the group's debut album. Produced by Stephen Street (celebrated for his work with the Smiths, Blur, and the Cranberries) and featuring Fray's painting of Audrey Hepburn on the cover, St. Jude was released in April 2008. The album reached number four in the U.K., where it also achieved gold status.

While touring in support of the record, the Courteeners began playing new material at select shows, much of which found its way onto 2010's Falcon, a slower, more ambitious set of songs. The band's third album, Anna, reflected an '80s synth pop influence and arrived in early 2013. In 2014, the Courteeners returned with their fourth studio album, Concrete Love, which found them building upon Anna's anthemic '80s-influenced sound. The album fared well, reaching number three on the U.K. albums chart. A year after Concrete Love, the group parted ways with bassist Cupello, replacing him with longtime collaborator and producer Joe Cross. In 2016, they released their fifth studio album, Mapping the Rendezvous. Featuring singles "The 17th" and "No One Will Ever Replace Us," the set peaked at number four in the U.K.

Celebrating the tenth anniversary of their debut in 2018, the Courteeners issued St. Jude Re:Wired, a reimagined vision of their 2008 breakthrough. They embarked on a celebratory concert run in England before returning to the studio for a proper follow-up to Rendezvous. Their sixth set, More. Again. Forever., arrived in early 2020 and came as a result of a dark period of uncertainty for Fray and the band. Featuring a distinctly dance-friendly sound influenced by LCD Soundsystem, the set focused on bass grooves and insightful lyrics that marked a late-era maturation for the crew.

Biography by Stewart Mason

Aftershow/Kimberley
The Courteeners Lyrics

We have lyrics for these tracks by The Courteeners:

06. If It Wasn't For Me Everyones saying that your here for me, But your here…
11 Last Of The Ladies You are the last of the ladies You are the only…
Acrylic You're just like plasticine Being molded into a libertine dr…
Aftershow The walk home from barbecue is very long when I'm…
An Ex Is An Ex For A Reason If I'm talking to you at the back of the…
Are You In Love With A Notion Run away from this godforsaken place And hide away from ever…
Bide Your Time The temptation is all to great And now its gone…
BideYour Time The temptation is all to great And now its gone…
Cameo Brooch With your mother's cameo brooch Sat at the foot of her…

Cavorting Your club is full of over rated, dehydrated, goggled eyed…
Cross My Heart How can I create a work of art? Angled over a…
Fallowfield Hillbilly Is that all that matters anymore? Who happened to like that…
Good Times Are Calling Well I'm in Manchester and you're in London town I'm having…
Here Come the Young Men I'm in work in an hour and a half And the…
How Come How come you are always off your head And yet you…
If It Wasn Everyones saying that your here for me, But your here…
Jacket Six acres of concrete wasteland, One sunflower standing tall…
Kimberley Who is that girl? I think it's kokaine kim I've not…
Kings Of The New Road I loved you, I still do, I probably always will…
Last Of The Ladies You are the last of the ladies You are the only…
Lose Control Lately I've been going through One or two things that would…
Lullaby You walked over still hungover from the night before Those …
Marquee Stay up late and think Of where you might be I can't…
Money I noticed you in the photograph A ghost like you…
Next Time You Call Back down Wind your neck in Feel the paranoia set in All in…
No You Didn t No You Don t So just because I use salty phrases and I go…
Not Nineteen She tried to peel me off the pavement Tried to insinuate…
Please Don Four years and twenty two shades of blonde Is all…
Push Yourself You think that you're so clever And you think you know…
Scratch Your Name Upon My Lips Six thousand miles away, the first thing on my mind I've…
Sharks Are Circling The sharks are circling The water’s getting clearer Smilin…
Slow Down If you′re not careful You might rob us of this local…
Small Bones She left her coat down in the club To see if…
Smiths Disco Please Please can we Please can we go To the smiths disco Ev…
Summer So I said, I said, "what's your name And where'd you…
Sunflower Six acres of concrete wasteland, One sunflower standing tall…
Sycophant I'll never dance with a sycophant I'd rather entertain disda…
Take Over The World I looked into her eyes and I swore I've never written…
That Kiss The way that you looked at him And then you looked…
The Opener I've been away, I've been working But now I'm back I…
The Rest Of The World Has Gone Home Mark was there, he was chasing tail, the urban genie on…
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out Take me out tonight Where theres music and theres people…
Up All Night The city is close, close to freezing And I′ve forgotten my…
Van Der Graaff Live a little bit Have a little laugh Roll up your sleeves…
What Took You So Long You spend too much time sat in your Bedroom on…
Will It Be This Way Forever A bicycle shop at the end of the road A Chinese…
Will It Be This Way Forever? A bicycle shop at the end of the road A Chinese…
You Over Did It Doll I heard you coming in from town, stilettos scrape the groun…

You Overdid It Doll I heard you coming in from town, stilettos scrape the ground…

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