Little Man Tate (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Sheffield , England, United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom |
| Products | Indie rock music |
Little Man Tate is a four-member indie rock group originating from Sheffield, England, established in 2005. They rapidly gained attention from record labels, securing a contract with V2 Records by March 2006. Their fifth single, "Sexy in Latin," released on 22 January 2007, marked their highest position on the charts. Following Universal Music Group's acquisition of V2 in November 2007, the band departed from the label and subsequently signed with Skint Records.
The group utilized online platforms such as MySpace and their own dedicated forum to cultivate and interact with their audience.
Although they disbanded in 2009, Little Man Tate reunited in early 2020 to perform reunion concerts in Sheffield.
Formation
Jon Windle and Edward 'Maz' Marriott have collaborated musically since they were 15 years old, performing at venues like St Timothy's Church Hall and other informal locations around Sheffield.
Initially coming together as a quartet in 1998 under the name Carousel Moon—comprising Windle (vocals/guitar), Marriott (guitar), drummer Mike Balkow, and lead vocalist Simon Barnes—the band changed their name to The Moon in October 2001. After briefly adopting the name Lazy Eye, they settled on Little Man Tate in September 2005. The lineup evolved with Barnes and Balkow replaced by Dan Fields on drums and Ben Surtees on bass.
According to Jon Windle, the band's name was inspired during a phone conversation with Surtees upon seeing the movie title displayed on television listings.
Touring, V2 and debut album (2005–2007)
Touring commenced for the band in September 2005.
Their debut single, "The Agent", launched on 6 March 2006 as a 7" vinyl featuring "Just Can't Take It" as the B-side, sold out all of its 1,800 pre-orders. The sleeve included 273 usernames from their fan forum. The track earned a 9/10 score from Teletext's Planet Sound and was ranked sixth among their top singles of 2006. Promotional efforts included acoustic performances at various HMV outlets throughout the UK. The single reached number 117 on the official UK Singles Chart, based solely on vinyl sales.
In April 2006, the band toured across the UK. Their second single, "What? What You Got?", released on 22 May 2006, climbed to number 40 on the UK Singles Chart and was initially played by DJ Phil Beckett on 96.2 The Revolution. Both singles were issued under their self-founded label, Yellow Van Records, named after an incident where their yellow van and equipment were stolen early in their career.
June 2006 saw Little Man Tate’s debut festival appearance at Middlesbrough Music Live. By August, they performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals on the Carling Stage. Their third single "House Party at Boothy's", released on 26 August, peaked at number 29 in the UK charts. The fourth single "Man I Hate Your Band", released on 13 November, reached number 26.
On 22 January 2007, they issued their fifth single "Sexy in Latin", which became their first top-20 hit in the UK by reaching number 20. Their debut album, About What You Know, followed shortly after on 29 January, attaining number 27 on the UK Albums Chart. The subsequent single "This Must Be Love", released on 26 March, peaked at number 33; its music video featured actress Liz Smith.
On 18 July, two songs titled "Suicide Tuesday" and "Trouble With Detox" were made available for free download via NME.com. In August, they returned to perform on the Main Stage at Reading and Leeds Festivals. Their seventh single "European Lover", a re-recorded version from their debut album, was released on 27 August but did not qualify for chart ranking due to including a ticket competition sticker for a Christmas event at Blackpool's Empress Ballroom.
On 11 August 2007, news emerged that Universal had acquired their label V2 Records. By November of that year, Little Man Tate was among several artists dropped following this acquisition. They had planned an eighth single release titled 'Boy in the Anorak', with promotional copies circulated and brief availability on iTunes before being cancelled. However, the band handed out free copies during their show at Blackpool Empress Ballroom and later offered it for download via their website on Christmas Day.
Second album (2008–2009)
On 2 June 2008, the group unveiled their eighth single, "What Your Boyfriend Said", which served as the lead track from their sophomore album Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy. This single attained position 60 on the UK Singles Chart. Their ninth single, "Hey Little Sweetie", was released on 8 September 2008 and reached number 142 on the charts.
The album Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy was officially launched on 15 September 2008 and achieved a peak chart position of number 80 on the UK Albums Chart.
In November 2008, confusion arose when a Jon Windle from Sheffield was mistakenly identified on a leaked BNP membership list. The band promptly clarified that this individual was not their vocalist Jon Windle, who has never had any affiliation with the BNP.
Their tenth single, "I Am Alive," came out on 23 March 2009 as both a 7" vinyl and digital download, marking the group's final release.
Break up
Little Man Tate announced their disbandment on 13 July 2009, ending a four-year run. They concluded with two sold-out performances at the O2 Academy Sheffield in October 2009, playing to audiences totaling over three thousand fans.
After Little Man Tate
Following the split, Edward Marriott pursued work as a session musician based in London and toured alongside artists such as Jay Brown and Dusso & The Holy Smokes. He later shifted his focus to music education in North London.
Ben Surtees moved into DJing and also worked in hospital radio broadcasting.
Jon Windle released two solo albums: Step Out The Man (October 2010) and Sober Minds (May 2012). He toured extensively before retiring in December 2013 after a sold-out show at Sheffield City Hall. Currently, Windle is engaged in music management, representing indie and rock acts across the UK, including RedFaces, who are signed to Sony RCA.
Reunion concerts
On 9 March 2020, a new Facebook page named LittleManTateOfficial emerged, sharing an enigmatic post referencing their popular track "Sexy in Latin." Shortly afterward, Twitter and Instagram accounts under the same name appeared, sparking speculation about a potential reunion. On 24 March, the band announced that an official statement would be released on 14 April, accompanied by the hashtag #somethingshappening.
On 14 April, Little Man Tate confirmed a one-off reunion gig at O2 Academy Sheffield set for 18 September. Due to overwhelming demand, an additional date on 19 September was added. However, COVID-19 related disruptions led to rescheduling first to April 2021 and then October 2021. The second night sold out rapidly, leading to rumors of adding a third show.
The band performed two sold-out nights on 8 and 9 October 2021 at O2 Academy Sheffield, drawing nearly 4,500 attendees.
Boy in the Anorak 2020
Little Man Tate announced on 16 October 2020 that they would officially release "Boy in the Anorak," their previously shelved eighth single, through new label Yellow Van 2020. The single became available across major streaming platforms on 23 October, marking its first widespread public release after initially being offered as a limited download over ten years earlier.
Discography
- About What You Know (2007)
- Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy (2008)
- Welcome to the Rest of Your Life (2023)