Good Times: The Lottery Winners On Chasing Number One And Touring With Robbie Williams

The Lottery Winners might have formed in 2008 but they had to be patient before their brand of sunny indie-pop really made a splash. In 2023 their third LP ‘Anxiety Replacement Therapy’ became a surprise number one album in the UK, catapulting them to stardom and setting quite the task for its follow up ‘KOKO’, which they hope will match and even surpass the success of that record.

Expected on March 21, along with that weight of expectation it arrives loaded with guest artists, from members of Shed Seven to Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger. We sat down with lead singer and guitarist Thom Rylance to discuss how hitting top spot has affected the band’s songwriting process, plus how his ADHD diagnosis shaped the feel and sound of this album. We also touched upon the band’s forthcoming stadium tour supporting Robbie Williams and Thom’s excitement around what lies ahead for the band. 

Your last album went to number one in the UK. Does that put more pressure on this one?

Yes, it does. But I think the pressure is only applied by us, and only because we want everything to be the biggest and best it can be all the time. We keep striving for that. I really do want another number one album. Of course I do. I want every album to be a number one album. 

Did that shift the sound that you went for?

No, not at all. I never write songs with commercialism in mind. I think the best songs are the ones that happen organically and that you don’t spend too much time trying to refine or push into a box. I think there’s nothing worse than a disingenuous song. I think you can hear straight through it, it sounds completely transparent. So I try not to do any of that. The songs are just what they presented themselves to me as. 

What was the starting point for this particular record? 

We were on tour a lot, as I suppose a lot of bands are, when they’re this many albums in. A lot of the songs were written after getting my ADHD diagnosis. I kind of knew that I had it, but I was on a waiting list for so long, and then I ended up going private with it. When I got the piece of paper to say, ‘Yes, this is what has been wrong with you all your life,’ it gave me all these emotions. It felt like a weight off my shoulders that the difficulties I had growing up and at school and everything, it wasn’t really my fault and I’m not just a terrible person. I’m not just bad at stuff. 

Then it also came with these emotions of mourning and anger, of what could have been if I was just supported a bit more. But it’s kind of worked out. Look where you are right now. You’re on tour with Nickelback, because that’s where I wrote a lot of it. So there are a lot of bittersweet emotions poured into the record. But if you don’t want to get that deep into it, it’s quite catchy and good as well, melodic.

You mentioned touring with Nickelback there, Chad Kroeger features on the record and so do some other acts you’ve previously supported. You must feel pretty blessed to work with some of these artists? 

I think we’re in a beautiful position, and I’m very grateful for it, that I can ask these people and they say yes. It blows my mind. When I hear Chad Kroeger on one of my songs, it absolutely blows me away. I don’t take a second of it for granted. I used to watch Kerrang! on TV, and How You Remind Me would be on there every third song. It is absolutely bananas when you hear Chad’s voice on your tune. 

You’ve talked about giving smaller bands a leg up after having the same happen for you. Can you talk us through that?

Well, we had a lot of opportunities given to us by other bands like Shed Seven and Frank Turner. A lot of bands. We spent years and years supporting other artists, and that’s definitely how we built up our fan base. I know the importance of playing to a full room like that when you’re at the beginning of your journey. So, we just wanted to offer that back.

How did the Robbie Williams shows come about?

He heard one of our songs on the radio and reached out to me. We ended up chatting a lot on FaceTime, which was weird. He has this way of making you feel very comfortable. He’s this lovely, intelligent, spiritual, amazing person. He’s very funny. We ended up really getting on. The both of us have got ADHD, we’ve got a lot to bond over, and we can relate to each other a lot and make each other laugh. 

We ended up talking three or four, five times a week. It’s like almost like he’s my therapist. Sometimes, Robbie Williams is my therapist. He’ll be asking how I am, and we’ll talk about things that are getting me down, and he’ll make me feel better. He’s an amazing guy. 

I’m picturing a Robbie Williams-Lottery Winners collab now.

Oh, me too. I’m absolutely trying to picture that. 

Have you seen his film Better Man?

I did. I was invited to the premiere, so I went. I was sat next to Rob Brydon and Holly Willoughby. It’s an incredible film. I’ve seen it again since. I think it is just one of the best biopics that I’ve ever seen.

Some of the venues on the tour are as big as they get. The Emirates in London, for example. Are you feeling apprehension or excitement?

I’ve not afforded myself  the opportunity to think about that yet, because we’ve got so much to do before then. I need to manage my anxiety into chunks. I’m going to be anxious about the next thing in chronological order. Generally, I’m pretty excited about it. I think it’s going to be a good time.

Is there anything you’d like to achieve next?

I’d like to do my own stadium show in Leigh, where we’re from. There is a stadium. I think it’d be about 15 to 20,000 capacity. I want to do that. That’s my next goal I want to do, after the number one album. 

The Lottery Winners’ ‘KOKO’ is out on March 21 through Modern Sky.

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