The Lathums lift our spirits with their festive new single ‘Krampus’

Wigan-based indie four-piece The Lathums have released a new seasonal treat for us to enjoy, just in time for Christmas. 

Upon first impression, the newly released single ‘Krampus’ masquerades as an upbeat holiday track; however, there’s a darker, more sinister side to the single that is about anything but decking the halls and filling up our stockings. 

 In discussion with NME, frontman Alex Moore revealed the inspiration behind the track: “It was about halfway through the first lockdown when Johnny [Cunliffe] played the bassline in rehearsals and I thought it sounded like a Christmas song,” he continues; “Scott [Concepcion] and I had been round at his house watching the Inside No.9 Christmas special, which is where I found out about the horror of Krampus. If we were to do a Christmas song, I wanted to do it with that dark side.”

 

‘Krampus’ really does draw on the doom factor, with the album artwork depicting the boys being overshadowed by intimidating claw-like hands and a horned figure in the background. Further intensifying up the scare factor, we see text within the image that reads: “Santa ain’t coming this year,” “Your Christmas will be cancelled anyway” as well as : “You might as well enjoy your time today”. These snippets are repeated throughout the track and tie in with the classic horror feeling the record emanates. 

 

Upon introduction, the track draws us in with upbeat country style guitar, creating a sense of positivity married with Alex’s melodic innocent sounding tones. We also hear “Constitutions” being repeated throughout the track, woven in and out of a more pop-like guitar. Lyrics such as “The florists are burning and the end of the worlds coming” demonstrate a complete juxtaposition between the instrumentals of the track and the lyrical content, which carries a deeper, darker meaning. 

 

It’s clear that the underlying message of the track is that despite how scary things might seem, as Alex puts it: “We will be okay”. The single seems to poke fun at the trivial and encourages us to focus on the positivity that surrounds us in the present moment. We see this theme depicted similarly in “How Beautiful Life Can Be” where we hear: “Let the children have their chance to see / Just how beautiful life can be”. It appears that as of late, the band are really pioneering positivity within their music.

 

‘Krampus’ is clearly not your regular Christmas track, but then again The Lathums are not just a regular band. Fresh from bagging a UK number one album with their debut ‘How Beautiful Life Can Be’, it’s safe to say the Mancunium boys have had a pretty good year so far, and that’s not all for the group. Set to see out the end of the year with the remainder of their rescheduled 2020 band dates, the group have also secured a selection of supporting shows with Paul Weller. 

 

Concluding the interview with NME, Alex leaves us with this sentiment: “After the year we’ve had we’ve got so much cause to celebrate, so this single is one last ‘thank you’ to everyone that’s supported us for the year. See you all, even bigger and better, in 2022." It’s certainly interesting to see the boys take on some festive fun and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for them in the future. 

 

Felicity Giles 

@flickg 

Image: The Lathums ‘Krampus’ Official single cover