The Molotovs

The Molotovs
Members Issey Cartlidge (left) and Mathew Cartlidge (right) photographed in Brighton in January 2026
Members Issey Cartlidge (left) and Mathew Cartlidge (right) photographed in Brighton in January 2026
Background information
OriginLondon, England
Genres
Years active2020–present
LabelMarshall
Members
  • Mathew Cartlidge
  • Issey Cartlidge
  • Noah Riley
Past members
  • Ice Dob
  • Will Fooks

The Molotovs is an English rock band from London.[1] It consists of teenage siblings Matt and Issey Cartlidge.[2] In 2026 they released their debut album Wasted on Youth.

Career

The band was formed in 2020 and initially consisted of siblings Mathew Cartlidge (vocals, guitar) and Issey Cartlidge (bass, vocals), as well as drummer Ice Dob. Originally called The Mocktales, they adopted their current name a year later, which refers both to the Molotov cocktail and, according to Mathew Cartlidge, to the band's "rebellious energy".[3] Mathew and Issey Cartlidge had previously played in various bands. With all concert venues closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Molotovs played their first gigs on streets and in parks across London.[3] This allowed them to circumvent the age restrictions of some clubs.[4] Through 2024, they had a residency at the Spice of Life in Soho. On May 10th 2024, they were joined on stage at London’s Bush Hall by Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook, playing ‘God Save the Queen’. By January 2025, the band had played over 500 gigs, including opening for The Libertines, Blondie, Iggy Pop and The Damned.

The Molotovs performing at Resident Records in 2026, photographed by Levi Woodbridge.

In January 2025, The Molotovs were signed by Marshall Records.[5] In the meantime, Ice Dob had left the band and was replaced by Will Fooks. On 25 March 2025, the band released their debut single, "More More More". The day before, The Molotovs opened for the Sex Pistols at the Royal Albert Hall.[6] In the autumn of that year, they embarked on a North American tour supporting the Sex Pistols. On 30 January 2026, the band announced their debut album Wasted on Youth, produced by Jason Perry.[7] The album reached number three on the UK Albums Chart. Simultaneously, the band toured small, independent clubs in the United Kingdom. A tour with The Warning, supporting Yungblud, is planned for April 2026.[8] On 21 March 2026, The Molotovs performed Today’s Gonna Be Our Day on The Jonathan Ross Show.[9] In September 2026, they will launch their Welcome To Urbia tour.[10]

Style

Singer Mathew Cartlidge cited the Sex Pistols, The Jam, Green Day[6], The Kinks, The Specials, Small Faces, Oasis, Pulp, Sports Team and The Libertines[11] as some of the band's biggest influences. His band's aim was to reflect their adoration of the New Wave/Mod revival of the late 1970s and early 1980s.[6] Nick Linazasoro of the Brighton and Hove News described the band's music as "short, sharp bursts of well-crafted, catchy guitar pop".[12] Eric Meyer of the German magazine Plattentests.de described the Molotovs' music as "a hardly surprising, but robustly explosive bag of fresh punk 'n' roll" that has "seventies UK rock in its wake," plus "a dash of snotty early Arctic Monkeys and a bit of Green Day stadium punk".[13]

Discography

Albums

Title Details Peak chart positions
UK
[14]
Wasted on Youth
  • Released: 30 January 2026
  • Label: Marshall
 3

Singles

  • "More More More" / "Suffragette City" (live from London, 2025)
  • "Today's Gonna Be Our Day" / "No Time to Talk" (2025)
  • "Rhythm of Yourself" / "Johnny Don't Be Scared" (2025)
  • "Get a Life" (2026)

References

  1. ↑ Forrest, Jo (10 November 2025). "The Molotovs announce UK tour". TotalNtertainment. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  2. ↑ "'I'm only 17 years old but I just opened for Iggy Pop'". Metro. 12 October 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  3. 1 2 Vida Hasson. "Interview: Make Way For The Molotovs". New Noise Magazine. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
  4. ↑ Emma Wilkes. "Meet The Molotovs: The London punks going off with a bang". Kerrang. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  5. ↑ "The Molotovs Sign With UK Independent Label Marshall Records". Frontview Magazine. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Emily Garner. "Listen to The Molotovs' debut single, More More More". Kerrang. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  7. ↑ "The Molotovs Announce Debut Album "Wasted On Youth" Set For Release 30 Jan 2026 – Release New Single "Today's Gonna Be Our Day"". Frontview Magazine. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  8. ↑ Emily Garner. "Yungblud adds even more dates to sold-out tour". Kerrang. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  9. ↑ "The Molotovs confirm Jonathan Ross Show and add second London date". Music-News.com. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  10. ↑ Magazine, BabyStep (19 March 2026). "The Molotovs Add Second London Show After Ticket Frenzy and Top 3 Debut". Babystep Magazine. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  11. ↑ Lewis MacLean. "Interview: Something In Common with The Molotovs". In Common. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  12. ↑ Nick Linazasoro. "The Molotovs – endorsed by Green Day, Sex Pistols, Blondie & The Libertines". Brighton and Hove News. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  13. ↑ Eric Meyer. "The Molotovs – Wasted On Youth". Plattentests.de. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  14. ↑ "Molotovs songs and albums | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.