Interview by Ali Williams
Growing up in a small working-class town outside Manchester, spending years playing to nearly empty pubs, and eventually finding yourself performing in Australian stadiums alongside Robbie William, THE LOTTERY WINNERS’ Thom Rylance has earned his stripes. And with a name like THE LOTTERY WINNERS. the irony is almost too convenient, although their success has involved considerably more hard work than scratching a ticket and hoping for the best.
For British indie-pop outfit THE LOTTERY WINNERS, the past few years have been extraordinary. Two consecutive UK Number One albums, collaborations with some seriously impressive musical company and an increasingly busy international touring schedule have put the four-piece from Leigh in a position their younger selves would probably have struggled to believe.
Their 2023 album Anxiety Replacement Therapy gave the band their first UK chart-topper, featuring contributions from Shaun Ryder, Boy George and Frank Turner. They followed it with 2025’s KOKO, short for Keep On Keeping On, which promptly repeated the achievement, selling more than 23,500 copies in its opening week. With Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, Frank Turner, Reverend and the Makers and Shed Seven joining the party, it’s a fairly impressive guest list for a bunch of lads who once struggled to fill a pub.
Currently making their way around Australia supporting Robbie Williams on his BRITPOP stadium tour, the band have already announced their own headline return in April 2027. Frontman Thom Rylance dropped in for a chat with HEAVY’s Ali Williams to discuss their Australian adventures, friendship with Robbie, the peculiar business of entertaining thousands of strangers and, rather unexpectedly, their shared obsession with concert photography.
Despite his band’s accomplishments, Thom remains thoroughly entertaining company, happily taking the piss out of himself while maintaining a wonderfully exaggerated opinion of his own importance. Having already completed stadium appearances in Adelaide and Melbourne, he’s still getting his head around the geographical distance between his hometown and the audiences now turning up to see them. For someone who spent years performing wherever an opportunity presented itself, Australia’s enthusiasm for the band carries genuine significance. Their previous visit was limited to Sydney’s SXSW in 2024, making this their first proper opportunity to explore the country and introduce their music to audiences across multiple cities.
Their success certainly hasn’t arrived overnight. Thom and his bandmates have been making music together since their school days, spending years developing their craft through the sort of performances where the bar staff occasionally outnumber the paying customers. “I don’t feel like you can play stadiums unless you’ve played in pubs to no one,” he explains, recalling his years performing in wedding bands and small venues. Those experiences taught him lessons no amount of commercial success could replace.
Although, as Thom cheerfully points out, entertaining one appreciative person is lovely, but having 80,000 people enjoying themselves is considerably better. The connection with Robbie Williams extends well beyond sharing a touring schedule. The two have developed a close friendship, and Thom regularly joins Robbie during his headline performance. Their relationship has also given him a fascinating perspective on the man behind one of British pop music’s biggest careers.
Thom describes Robbie as extraordinarily creative, constantly writing, producing artwork, developing comedy sketches and finding new ways to occupy his restless mind. He also speaks warmly about Robbie’s treatment of the people working around him, recalling an occasion when the singer remembered a catering staff member’s name and details of their previous conversation several weeks later. For someone who could reasonably expect the entire world to remember his name, it’s rather lovely to hear he makes the effort to remember everyone else’s.
Thom shares something Robbie once told him about the importance of being prepared to get on stage despite feeling terrified. Technical brilliance is valuable, but the willingness to put yourself in front of an audience and genuinely entertain them requires another kind of ability altogether. He is particularly passionate about live performance, believing musicians have a responsibility to offer audiences considerably more than an accurate reproduction of their recorded material. He wants personality, excitement, conviction and a genuine connection between artist and audience. And judging by his enthusiasm, he has no intention of allowing anyone attending a THE LOTTERY WINNERS show to leave without experiencing the full extent of his considerable charm.
Perhaps the most unexpected diversion comes when Thom reveals he’s also an enthusiastic photographer, regularly photographing Robbie’s performances after completing his own set. Thom and Ali share a wonderfully animated discussion about cameras, editing, capturing those elusive perfect shots and the ridiculous satisfaction of seeing someone use your photograph as their profile picture. For Thom, photography provides the same creative satisfaction he experiences through songwriting and performing. Discovering an exciting new pursuit has also reinforced his belief in learning through experience, accepting the inevitable mistakes and persisting until the results improve.
It’s also a fitting reflection of the attitude responsible for bringing THE LOTTERY WINNERS this far. The band’s story has involved plenty of perseverance, a willingness to embrace opportunities and an ability to appreciate the absurdity of their circumstances. Their forthcoming Australian headline tour will see them exchange enormous stadium crowds for more intimate venues, including Brisbane’s The Triffid, Sydney’s Manning Bar and Melbourne’s Croxton Bandroom. It’s an opportunity for local audiences to experience the band on their own terms, with two chart-topping albums and years of live experience behind them.
Rylance’s humour is nearly as infectious as his enthusiasm for music. THE LOTTERY WINNERS might have picked a name suggesting their success came down to extraordinary good fortune, but after years of persistence, empty pubs and countless performances, they’ve certainly earned their place. And with their Australian adventures only beginning, it’s difficult to imagine Thom having any intention of becoming less entertaining, or any less convinced of his own brilliance, anytime soon.
THE LOTTERY WINNERS Supporting ROBBIE WILLIAMS BRITPOP World Tour – Australia & New Zealand 2026
Saturday 7 November – Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, SA
Wednesday 11 November – Marvel Stadium, Melbourne, VIC
Saturday 14 November – Accor Stadium, Sydney, NSW
Tuesday 17 November – McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, NSW
Friday 20 November – Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, QLD
Tuesday 24 November – Eden Park, Auckland, NZ
Saturday 28 November – One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch, NZ
THE LOTTERY WINNERS will also return to Australia and New Zealand in April 2027 for their own headline tour.
