Nothing But Thieves are a five piece alternative rock band showcasing a range of talent including lead vocalist and guitarist Conor Mason, guitarist Joe Langridge-Brown, guitarist and keyboardist Dominic Craik, bassist Philip Blake, and drummer James Price. Originating from the seaside town of Southend-on-Sea, Essex, in 2012, they are currently on the road, touring Europe, having played a summer of UK festivals in 2023.
Playing the local circuit as a trio, Conor, Joe and Dave were schoolmates, growing their musical talents in small venues like Chinnerys, a familiar haunt to the sixteen year olds of Southend. It was meeting Dom, a classically trained guitarist from infancy, in sixth form that sophisticated their talent and ambitions.
In the summer of 2014, they released their debut ep Graveyard Whistling which gained early attention. In 2015, they released their self-titled debut album, featuring the singles “Itch” and “Trip Switch”, the first making it onto Radio 1’s regular rotation and the latter reaching number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. Establishing their place in the alternative rock genre, their debut album was a purposeful variety of anthems and ballads, experimenting with hypersonic guitars, paying homage to punk with “Painkiller” and drastically contrasting with the more vulnerably sparse “If I get High”.
They later explored the rock genre further, releasing second album Broken Machine in 2017 and third album Moral Panic in 2020. Although both albums gained serious attention and peaking at number two and number three on the UK charts respectively, it was the latter album that convinced me to listen to them. A local brag, Nothing But Thieves had always been on my radar, yet my tastes had been firmly implanted in the pop music genre. However, during the onslaught of the pandemic, being constantly bombarded with politics and as a result becoming more politically aware, I found myself enjoying the authenticity behind the screaming lyrics in “Can You Afford to be an Individual?” and “Is Everybody Going Crazy?” Complimenting Conor Mason’s extensive vocals, the guitarists’ natural flair and confidence in creating unique riffs emulate their songs to induce more accomplished twists, keeping listeners on their toes.
Establishing their place in the alternative rock genre, their debut album was a purposeful variety of anthems and ballads.
Currently touring their fourth album, Dead City Club, they remain busy, having recently released their latest single ‘Oh No :: He Said What?’ It maintains the 80s production style of the last album and has already reached two million streams on Spotify. It is safe to say that Nothing But Thieves will not be returning to Chinnery’s anytime soon!
