Northern lads The Lilacs are a high-energy indie band from Wigan. In just a few years, the band has made a real name for themselves up and down the country, having played sets at iconic venues such as Manchester’s Albert Hall, various O2 Academy venues, and even found themselves on the bill at the mighty Isle of Wight Festival. The lads have accumulated over half a million streams worldwide, catching the ‘ear’ of various well-known radio stations such as XS Manchester. Their debut single Vicarage Road has found its way onto thousands of playlists and has become one of the band’s most recognised tunes with upwards of 1.5 million streams on Spotify alone.
Having formed a strong friendship in a previous band, Ollie Anglesea (Singer) and Sam Birchall (lead Guitar) quickly developed the appetite to create a legacy of their own. After tireless months of long rehearsals and endless train fares, the band became complete when additions Dave Gomersall (Drums) and Matt Johnson (Bass Guitar) were made in October of 2018. With the line-up complete and tunes up their sleeves, the next thing on the agenda was to name the band. It was clear from the off this wasn’t going to be easy, with numerous suggestions being cast aside. Unfortunately earlier that year, Sam lost his mum in a battle with secondary breast cancer. Having numerous visits for treatment at The Lilac Centre (a specialist cancer clinic), the lads felt this was a suggestion that couldn’t be overseen.