2017-Tommy LonghurstVocals2017-
Andrew (Roo) BurgeBass2017-
Marcus YatesDrums2017-
Jarred PhilipsGuitar2017-2021
Clem CherryGuitar2021-
Only the Poets frontman Tommy Longhurst grew up in the Reading suburb of Woodley, in the shadow of one of Britain's most iconic music events: the Reading Festival. Seeing world-famous acts take the stage just a few miles from home transformed rock stardom from a distant fantasy into a tangible goal.
"Reading Festival was on our doorstep and incredibly inspiring for us as teens,"
Longhurst told Rolling Stone UK. "Watching bands like Arctic Monkeys play so close to home made the impossible feel achievable."
That realization inspired Longhurst to move beyond his roots as a solo singer-songwriter and form a full band.
The first piece of the puzzle was bassist Andrew "Roo" Burge. After Burge's previous group split up, the two musicians began writing songs and jamming together, laying the foundations for what would eventually become Only The Poets.
After cycling through multiple guitarists and drummers without finding the right fit, Longhurst and Burge were connected - through their mutual manager Sam Jackson - to Marcus Yates and Jarred Philips, members of the Reading indie band Pixel Fix. The two had built up years of experience together before that band wound down. When Philips departed Only The Poets in 2021, his slot was filled by Clem Cherry - another former Pixel Fix member.
After releasing their debut single, "Ceasefire," in February 2017 and following it with a handful of well-received tracks, Only The Poets were suddenly forced into a period of silence. First came a legal dispute that blocked them from releasing new music, followed by the global COVID-19 lockdowns.
When they finally emerged from the gridlock, Tommy Longhurst channeled the frustration, anxiety, and emotional toll of those years directly into the songwriting for their debut EP, Speak Out. The grueling experience deepened the band's commitment to honest, unfiltered lyricism, a defining quality of everything they have released since.
In an era when many artists chase viral moments, Only The Poets took a deliberately different path, building their fanbase through relentless touring and grassroots connection rather than social media algorithms. Their label, Capitol UK, highlighted this approach as a defining characteristic. The band spent years putting in the road work and playing show after show in what Capitol described as "increasingly the path less trodden within the music industry."
When Only The Poets played their very first gig, they charged just £1 entry - partly because, as Longhurst explained, they only had a couple of songs, and anything more felt dishonest. Seven years later, in a gesture that made national headlines, they announced they would headline the O2 Academy Brixton on February 2, 2026 - days after releasing their debut album - for the exact same symbolic price. An additional £1 per ticket was donated to The LIVE Trust, supporting access to live music for people of all backgrounds.
And I'd Do It Again, released on January 30, 2026, gave Only The Poets their first UK Top 10 album when it peaked at #9. The record also made significant international impact, reaching #4 in Belgium, #6 in Germany, #15 in Austria, and #19 in the Netherlands in its first week. Capitol UK president Jo Charrington called it "a huge moment for Only The Poets, their fans and everyone involved."
