U.K. MIDWEEKS: CATFISH IS #1 CATCH IN BLIGHTY

British band Catfish and the Bottlemen are on course to end the week at #1 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart with second album, The Ride (Island), hurtling 20k sales ahead of Beyoncé's Lemonade (RCA). So what’s their story?

Island Records' Head of A&R Louis Bloom signed the band to Darcus Beese’s UMG U.K. subsidiary in 2014 following a stint on indie label Communion. Their debut, The Balcony, peaked at #10 in Blighty and they were crowned British Breakthrough act at this year’s BRIT Awards.

Marketing is helmed by Sam Flynn and Natasha Mann at Island, with Brad Hunner and Ross Forrest at Radar Plugging looking after radio. The project’s regional radio people are Will Puxley (Island) and Alan Smith (Tuned In Media) and press is Barbara ‘BC’ Charone at MBC. Management is Marcus Russell and Alec McKinlay at Ignition Management.

The band have just announced a U.K. tour for November, including their biggest show to date at the 12.5k cap. SSE Arena Wembley on 11/15.

Elsewhere on the albums midweek charts over in Blighty, veteran new wave group ABC are a new entry at #3 with their eighth studio album The Lexicon of Love II (Virgin EMI). Drake's Views (Island) slides two places to #4, and Fifth Harmony land at #5 with 7/27 (SYCO).