British indie rock trio the Wombats make driving post-punk and new wave-influenced pop marked by their cheeky, satirically sharp-tongued point of view. The band initially broke through with their 2007 debut album, A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation, which hit the Top 20 in the U.K. They have continued to mature, balancing chart success with artful productions like 2011â˛s This Modern Glitch, 2015â˛s Glitterbug, and 2018â˛s Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life, each of which reached the Top Five on the U.K. albums chart. In 2022, they reached number one in the U.K. with their fifth studio album, Fix Yourself, Not the World. âSorry Iâm Late, I Didnât Want to Comeâ heralded 2025â˛s Oh! The Ocean. Formed in Liverpool in 2003 while the members were all attending the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, the Wombats feature vocalist/guitarist Matthew Murphy, drummer Dan Haggis, and Norwegian-born bassist Tord Ăverland-Knudsen. In 2006, the band released their debut single, the Japan-only âGirls, Boys and Marsupials.â Several singles followed before the release of the groupâs 2007 debut album, A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation, which reached number 11 on the U.K. album chart. A year later, they issued the Wombats EP on Bright Antenna. The Wombatsâ sophomore long-player, This Modern Glitch, appeared in 2011 and featured production from such modern rock stalwarts as Eric Valentine, Butch Walker, and Jacknife Lee. Included on the album was the Top 40 single âTokyo (Vampires & Wolves).â In 2015, the group returned with their third full-length album, the synth-heavy Glitterbug, which featured production from Mark Crew and included the singles âGreek Tragedyâ and âGive Me a Try.â Somewhat of a breakout, the release was a commercial success in the U.K. and Australia, and marked the bandâs first chart entry in the U.S. In December 2017, the Wombats released âTurn,â the first single from their fourth LP, 2018â˛s Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life. Produced by Mark Crew (Bastille, Rationale) and Catherine Marks (the Killers, Wolf Alice), the album also included the singles âLemon to a Knife Fightâ and âCheetah Tongue.â The set peaked at number three in the U.K. and hit the Billboard 200. In August 2018, the Wombats issued an extended version of Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life, which added the single âBee-Stingâ as well as the album track âOceansâ and an acoustic version of âLethal Combination.â Lead singer Murphy then took a break from the group to work on his solo project Love Fame Tragedy, releasing Wherever I Go, I Want to Leave in 2020. In May 2021, the Wombats returned with the song âMethod to the Madness,â the first track released off their fifth studio LP, Fix Yourself, Not the World. The album arrived in January 2022 and featured production by longtime associate Jacknife Lee, as well as Mike Crossey, Gabe Simon, and others. It topped the U.K. Albums chart and was followed that November by the Is This What It Feels Like to Feel Like This? EP. A single, âSorry Iâm Late, I Didnât Want to Come,â arrived in October 2024 as the first track off the groupâs sixth studio album, 2025â˛s Oh! The Ocean. ~ Matt Collar