Lead singer of Wigan band The Lathums reveals musical influences and secret yacht trip

In an interview with BBC Radio 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq at Band on the Wall in Manchester to kick off the 6 Music Festival, Alex Moore revealed he does not listen to as much music as people expect.

He said: “It’s not that I’m like, ‘I don’t want to listen to that, don’t play that’. I listen to music if it’s on and music really does affect me. Maybe that’s why I don’t listen to it, because it affects me whether it’s a sad song or a happy song. But yeah, from the beginning, I never wanted any influence from anybody.”

This prompted Steve to ask about the song-writing process and how the band – which formed at The Music Projects College in Pemberton – makes the songs sound "effortless”.

Alex said: “I just constantly write. You might call me a bit of a hermit because when everyone else is out having fun, I’m sat at home with my guitar, that’s just what I want to do.

"After the song you always think, I could’ve done that, I could’ve done this. But I try and take it at face value and when I first write it, how does it make me feel and how might it make anybody else feel?”

Steve said he thought the personal aspect of many of The Lathums’ songs make them seem as though they are pep talks to Alex.

“Nobody’s ever touched on that, but I do see that,” Alex said. “Because it began as therapy really: I started writing songs because I needed just to escape.

"All those things that keep bringing me down, if you say it out into the world, it’s not as bad. I’ve got rid of that pain and I’ve put it into that song.”

After a second chart-topping album and recent performances at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, Steve asked about Alex’s future plans.

Alex said: “I’m going yachting with Rihanna, me!”

Steve said: “Okay, does your manager know?”

Alex said: “No, nobody knows.”