Dave Sweetmore's Blog - Thursday 29th May 2025

When Tameside Radio and the Not Really Here Group launched the hugely successful ‘Local Music Spotlight’ feature back in January 2023, Craig Lee and The Humblebees were one of the very first acts to feature. Fast forward two years and the band have finally released their long-awaited debut album ‘Come What May’. 

Craig Lee and his band are unique and like no other, and with their obvious love for the great 50s rock ‘n’ roll scene, their music is entwined with modern Indie rock. The band’s main aim has always been to have fans singing along to their somehow familiar and instantly memorable choruses, and on every track released so far, it works. 

The North Manchester based three-piece band have had a busy few years, they were one of the highlights of our Local Music Spotlight Live nights at Whittles Live Music Venue in Oldham, and have recently gone on to support the likes of Chesney Hawkes, The Bluetones, Chris Helme from The Seahorses, Crash Test Dummies, The Undertones and Blue. 

Singles released so far - including ‘Built On Bones’, ‘King For The Day’, ‘Simply Because’ ‘By Your Side’, and ‘He Can’t Help Looking At The Time’ - have received thousands of streams on Spotify, and the band have been played on many radio stations too. 

The band’s music has also been played regularly at local football stadiums such as Oldham Athletics Boundary Park and Rochdale AFC’s Crown Oil Arena,  and they now also count legendary singer songwriter Tom Robinson and UFC superstar Paddy ‘The Baddy’ as fans. 

Their debut album has been something which fans have been waiting a long time for and working on this album with the much-loved Dean Glover at Vibe Recording Studios in Manchester, it’s definitely been worth the wait. 

The album name ‘Come What May’ is taken from the chorus of the classic Buddy Holly song ‘Everyday’ , with Buddy being one of Craig’s main influences. Craig told me: “I chose that title because not only does it give the nod to Buddy, but also encapsulates how we never really knew where this was heading, but we have loved every minute of it despite having to overcome the challenges and obstacles that every new band now faces. We are here, stronger than ever.” 

Craig Lee and The Humblebees are a band who are impossible not to love, and I really recommend this album to all music fans. 

The band are hoping to release the album in a physical format at a later date, I really hope they do, but in the meantime you can hear it on Spotify, Amazon and iTunes. 

You can also follow the band on social media to find out where they are playing live @humblebees59. Congratulations to Craig Lee and The Humblebees on the release of their debut album ‘Come What May’, like all fans of the band, I’m buzzing it’s landed. Please do check it out.