Get yourself to the bookies and stick some dosh on a bet that exciting young UK band The Molotovs will have a #1 album with their debut, “Wasted On Youth” after its release on 30th January 2026.
Teenage siblings Matt (17) and Issey (19) Cartlidge were tipped by Music Republic Magazine back in 2022; when Matt was just 13 and his sister was 15.
We hailed them as future stars and we were bang on. In October last year they sold out London’s famed Electric Ballroom – their biggest headline gig yet – as they aimed for a third consecutive UK # 1 single.
They’ve shared stages with the likes of The Libertines, Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter, and Blondie; and last summer won support slots with Iggy Pop and The Damned in the US. They were even shouted out by Green Day and Paul Weller. The band was chosen as our “Best Live Act” of 2025.
2026 will be an even bigger year for them with their biggest UK tour to-date already underway ahead of Marshall Records releasing their debut album at the end of January. The core of the three-piece band, brother and sister Mathew and Issey learned their trade by playing more than 600 gigs since they formed in lockdown.
The London-based band won a large following via three hit singles: “More More More”, “Today’s Gonna Be Our Day” and “Rhythm Of Yourself”. To kick off the month leading up to their release of their highly anticipated album, “Wasted On Youth”, thet dropped their current track, “Get A Life”.
Clocking in at under two minutes, “Get A Life” is “a frenetic ball of punk fury, and the perfect opening track from the debut album – setting the tone for a record packed with sparkling punk and indie cuts.
Matt says: ” ‘Get A Life’ is one of those tracks where as soon as the opening riffs come in, the whole room goes mad. It’s a punk song. We love Buzzcocks, Libertines, The Horrors, The Jam, the Pistols – we love The Undertones. It’s a pretty angry song, pretty pointed, and I can’t possibly tell you who it’s directed at!”
Despite their young ages, Matt, 17, and Issey, 19, have played more than 600 shows, both in their home town of London and around the world. They’ve shared stages with the likes of Sex Pistols feat Frank Carter, Blondie and The Libertines, and last summer won support slots with Iggy Pop and The Damned in the US.
The Molotovs UK tour – some dates sold out – has already blasted into Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol, Exeter, Nottingham, Birmingham, Bedford and Ramsgate and has these 13 dates to go:
21/01 – Hallamshire Hotel, Sheffield
22/01 – The Bootleg Social, Blackpool
23/01 – The Sugarmill, Stoke
24/01 – Monks Waterside, Aylesbury
26/01 – The Brook, Southampton
27/01 – The Black Prince, Northampton
28/01 – The Waterfront Studio, Norwich
30/01 – Banquet Records At Kingston College, Kingston
31/01 – Resident Music, Shop, Brighton
01/02 – Rough Trade, Denmark Street, London
02/02 – Sister Ray at 100 Club, London
04/02 – HMV, Shop, Cardiff
05/02 – Jacaranda Records, Shop, Liverpool
Matt & Issey’s “Track Record”
1. First song you recall hearing as a child?
Matt: Either “Little Boy Soldiers” by The Jam, or “Cool For Cats” by Squeeze. [Heard them in the car.]
Issey: “Thunder Road” by Bruce Springsteen. We often used to go on long road trips as children and I remember barrelling down the M25 out of London, with my Dad bellowing the words in a faux-American accent…
2. First single you owned?
Matt: I remember buying a single by The Rills called “Skint Eastwood”. Good title.
Issey: The first one I remember buying was a “Cool For Cats” by Squeeze, 12” single in a limited edition candy floss pink vinyl colour.
3. First LP/album you owned?
Matt: My dad always had a good collection of stuff from being of the vinyl buying age first time round. But the first one I bought was actually “¡Tré!” by Green Day.
Issey: First one I owned and which felt solidly MINE was The Libertines’ debut album, “Up The Bracket”, which I got signed by Carl Barât on my 16th birthday when I took a trip down to their hotel and residential recording studio in Margate; The Albion Rooms. Oh, how nervous I was.
4. First CD you owned?
Matt: I don’t think I’ve ever bought a CD. If I’m going to buy music, I’d buy it in vinyl format.
Issey: For another birthday, a musician friend of mine bought me all of The Cribs’ albums on CD. Really catchy, indie tunes. What’s more, Johnny Marr features on a lot of their tracks.
5. Last music you bought and in what format (CD/vinyl/digital download)?
Matt: The Style Council’s newly released outtakes and demos record, around the “Café Bleu” era.
Issey: The last vinyl I bought was in a batch during our last UK tour supporting Palaye Royale. We were in the North somewhere, and I went on a walk in the morning before van-call and stumbled upon this old iron colliery which had been converted into a huge antique shop.
I found a gold mine of vinyl treasures and took home: “The Best Of The Shadows”, “Nothing Compares To This” – an acid house compilation album featuring remixes of “Venus” by Shocking Blue and “This Is How It Feels?” by The Inspiral Carpets, and “If I Should Fall From Grace With God” by The Pogues.
6. Which album would you be happy to receive as a gift?
Matt: For my birthday last year a few friends of mine got me a copy of “What’s Going On?” By Marvin Gaye – Special edition green vinyl, and I love it.
Issey: Friends take note: I’d love either Sinead O’Connor’s “The Lion and The Cobra”- perhaps a little too melancholy – but for a more upbeat alternative, “Hull-4, London-0” by The Housemartins.
7. Favourite album? (Choose more than one if need be…)
Matt: “Sound Affects’ by The Jam is an all time favourite of mine, as is most of The Jam’s catalogue, but “Sound Affects” is the one I have been listening to most recently. “Singles Going Steady” by The Buzzcocks is incredible as well;, really digging that at the moment.
A more contemporary album would be Jalen Ngonda’s ‘”Come Around and Love Me”. I don’t think there’s a skip on that record, like the other two albums I mentioned. I love the way it just flows from one song into another.
Issey: “Searching For The Young Soul Rebels” by Dexy’s midnight Runners; such a vivacious, unique record. Or “Carry On Up The Charts” by The Beautiful South’; some A-class song writing demonstrated by Paul Heaton. Or the infamous “White Album” by The Beatles which requires no introduction.
8. Best record ever made (can be single/album/EP – and choose more than one if need be)?
Matt: Best single of all time I’d say has to be “Going Underground” by The Jam. In my eyes it’s the perfect pop song. A scathing attack on greed and negligent governments, with a perfect melody and Beatlesesque key change, slashing guitars, drum rolls like machine gun fire, and rumbling bass.
The Jam’s first # 1. You can’t beat it in my eyes. “I’m so happy and you’re so kind, you want more money, of course I don’t mind. To buy nuclear textbooks for atomic crimes”. F*cking genius!
Issey: Best single: “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys. Timeless.
9. Guilty secret (or anything unusual or perhaps unexpected) in your music collection?
Matt: Maybe some of the more obscure stuff like The Spinners. Check them out. [Also known as The Detroit Spinners].
Issey: I adore Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “Himself” record. “Nothing Rhymed” being one of my favourite records of all time. Perhaps not the coolest choice, but it’s mine.
10. What does music mean to you and how does it make you feel?
Matt: It makes me feel all different types of things: angry, happy, sad…
Issey: It doesn’t make me feel one way in particular, but it just makes me FEEL more. Being pushed against the barriers or enjoying the anonymity of the mosh pit, listening to a brilliant band wreck havoc; that’s the only place I feel I can truly get lost, a microcosm of emotion.
11. Which song or album is a guaranteed mood booster?
Matt: “Walls Come Tumbling Down” by The Style Council, and “Kelly’s Heroes” by Black Grape.
Issey: You’re not human if you still feel grumpy after listening to “Happy Hour” by The Housemartins. Or maybe “The One” by The Lemon Twigs.
12. Which song or album would be the soundtrack to a film about your life?
Matt: “Setting Sons” by The Jam
Issey: It’s only just starting, but at the moment: “This Is The Day” by The The.
13. Your favourite driving track – or music to exercise to?
Matt: I can’t drive, but I do love exercising to old soul records.
Issey: To run to: “Weapon Of Choice” by Fat Boy Slim, or “Mansize Rooster” by Supergrass.
14. Best song or album for a romantic moment?
Matt: “50 Ways To leave Your Lover” by Paul Simon.
Issey: “Can’t Seem To Make You Mine” by The Seeds.
15. Which song was played for the “First Dance” at your wedding (if you are married) or which song would you choose if you did get married?
Matt: I’m 17, so I haven’t thought about any of that stuff yet. Ask me in 10 years time and I might have a different perspective.
Issey: “The Whole Of The Moon” by The Waterboys.
16. Your choice of song to sing at karaoke?
Matt: “Kinky Afro” by Happy Mondays.
Issey: ‘”Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll” by Ian Dury; one of the only songs that sound better the more mashed up you are!
17. Which song takes you back to your childhood – and to which specific memory/memories?
Matt: “Up The Junction” by Squeeze was definitely an early memory which takes me back to being in the back of the car, hearing my dad sing it [sort of!] to my mum while driving. I remember we were driving past Marc Bolan’s shrine at the time.
Issey: “Come On Let’s Go” by Paul Weller takes me back to long road trips with our parents. That song was made for leaving. That or “Don’t Marry Her” by The Beautiful South, as I remember giggling to that despite not quite knowing the meaning behind, “Don’t Marry Her, F*ck Me”.
18. Favourite band (or bands)?
Matt: Paul Weller’s career, spanning from The Jam to the present day. The Buzzcocks, The Undertones, Happy Mondays, The Kinks, Small Faces, The Beatles, Marvin Gaye, Jalen Ngonda, The Impressions, Squeeze.
Issey: The Housemartins, The La’s, The Beatles, The Smiths, XTC, The Replacements, The Libertines and The The.
19. Favourite singer (or singers)?
Matt: Weller. Full stop. But I’ll go further and say that it’s not your voice, it’s what you make of it and the way you use it. Shaun Ryder isn’t the best singer technically by a long chalk, but his voice is f*cking perfect for what he does. Same as Johnny Rotten, Liam Gallagher, Pete Doherty and many more. Technically however, Steve Marriott could sing anything…
Issey: Sinead O’Connor, Curtis Mayfield, Dusty Springfield and Colin Blunstone.
20. Which song would you like played at your funeral?
Matt: “Going Underground” by the Jam as the coffin is lowered.
Issey: “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure.
Photos:
‘Suits’ shot (top of page) by Kane Layland / Live 2025 shots x 2 by Manja Wiliams / Issey ‘hair’ shot 2025 by Manja Williams / 2022 ‘Union Jack’ shot by Simon Redley
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