Wigan-based band The Lottery Winners have spoken about what it was like to work with Happy Mondays star Shaun Ryder on their latest single.
The band’s new track Money, which is released today, features ad-libs from the Happy Mondays frontman as he reprises his legendary ‘call the cops’ line. In the song's music video, Shaun plays the lord of a Peaky Blinders-style manor as the band, who all hail from Leigh, take part in a series of shenanigans.
The track is taken from The Lottery Winners’ forthcoming fifth album Anxiety Replacement Therapy, which will also feature collaborations with Boy George and Frank Turner.
Composed of vocalist and guitarist Thom Rylance, guitarist and vocalist Robert Lally, bassist and vocalist Katie Lloyd and drummer Joe Singleton, the band just narrowly missed out on the top ten with their 2021 album Something to Leave the House For.
Since then, the band, who formed in 2008, have sold out shows across the pond, as well as in the UK, and will appear at Manchester’s Neighbourhood Weekender in May alongside the likes of Pulp, The Kooks and Self Esteem. Last year, the band sold all 1,800 tickets to their Christmas gig at Manchester’s Albert Hall in just ten hours.
Speaking about the collaboration with the Happy Mondays star, frontman Thom said: “Firstly, Shaun Ryder is on our single. How mental is that? Being in the studio with him was a very strange and wonderful experience.
“He gave me a conker that he had in his pocket for some reason. I love him. He’s a true Manchester music legend and truly is a genius.”
Guitarist Rob adds: “Thom said, 'we need Shaun to say something like ‘call the cops'. Five minutes later, Shaun said: ‘They’ve stole my money, call the cops.’ We all went: ‘Yes! He’s said the thing! We’re putting that in.’ Shaun said that line so cheekily, it was brilliant.”
Thom said the video for Money, which he proudly describes as a blend of Manchester music past and present, was shot in one of the locations used for BBC’s hit show Peaky Blinders.
He says: “The song is a banger. It’s about being skint, and I’m sure a lot of people can relate to that at the moment, while it costs both an arm and a leg just to heat your house.
“Filming the video was bananas as well. We filmed it where they shot Peaky Blinders. At one point I had to drive a Luton van past a Happy Monday into Tommy Shelby’s driveway. I’ve got a weird life.”
You can watch the music video in full here. The track is available to stream and download now, with Anxiety Replacement Therapy released on April 28. Upcoming tour dates and pre-order links here.
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