Initially formed as a “weekend project” under the name Fear of Flying, White Lies is a post-punk band hailing from West London. The band explained their name choice to The Guardian in 2008:

Why White Lies? Because white lies are common but quite dark, and that’s how we see ourselves… We want to make our way into people’s lives, but there’s a dark undertone to what we do.

Musically, the trio are characterised by their cinematic fusion of synths and guitars, which blends melancholic rock with uplifting pop hooks – frequently compared to the likes of Joy Division, Echo & the Bunnymen, and Talking Heads.

Ahead of the release of their debut album To Lose My Life…, White Lies were featured in numerous polls which cited them as the up-and-coming “ones to watch” for 2009. Since then, the band have released three additional studio albums, including 2016’s Friends.

White Lies consists of vocalist and guitarist Harry McVeigh, bassist and lyricist Charles Cave, and drummer Jack Lawrence-Brown.