Band signs major record deal

Indie-pop band The Lottery Winners penned a US distribution deal with Sire Records after talent-spotter Seymour Stein called them “the best band since The Smiths”.

As well as snapping up Morrissey, Johnny Marr and co Stein has previously secured record deals for the likes of Madonna, The Ramones and Talking Heads.

The trans-Atlantic deal is part of The Lottery Winners’ dream-come-true signing to major label Warner Brothers Records.

The four-piece, made up of guitarist and frontman Thom Rylance, guitarist Rob Lally, bassist Katie Lloyd and drummer Joe Singleton, now joins names including Blur, Eric Clapton, Foals and Biffy Clyro on Warner’s roster.

Writing on the band’s Facebook page, the group admit there were tears when their music was compared to the legendary Manchester act The Smiths and spoke of their emotion at landing a place with a major label.

The Facebook post said: “It’s been such an incredible journey, and we can’t thank you all enough for your measureless support. We’re on top of the world, we truly are.

“Such an honour, also, to sign with the great Seymour Stein and Sire Records in the USA. He signed a couple of other bands; The Smiths, Talking Heads, The Ramones and Madonna to name a couple.

“He said that we are: ‘The best band since The Smiths’. I cried.”

The Leigh-based musicians have made quite a name for themselves on both the local and national music scenes with their distinctive retro and melodic sound.

The Lottery Winners are currently preparing to open for hugely-successful indie-rock group Starsailor at their homecoming gig at Robin Park later this month.

The gig is particularly special for the group as they, like Starsailor’s musicians, studied at Wigan and Leigh College.

This is only the latest in a long string of high-profile appearances which has seen the group share stages with the likes of Madness, The Charlatans and jazz pianist Jamie Cullum.

The band released debut EP The Meaning of Life earlier this year and admitted they had a difficult task whittling the array of songs they have written over the past couple of years down to the five which appear on the mini-album.

The band has also recorded a video for upcoming single Pillows.

To find out more about the band visit www.facebook.com/thelotterywinners.