"I don't know who the man is that lives inside my body... but I'm so glad he turns up." - Thom Rylance.

Chatting with Chris in this episode is Thom Rylance of The Lottery Winners. The indie-pop 4 piece from Greater Manchester took their cues from bands like The Smiths and Orange Juice as well as the Britpop scene and have quickly risen to the top. Such is their wide-ranging appeal they've collaborated and toured with acts as diverse as Tom Jones, Sean Ryder, Boy George, Paul Weller and Sir Stephen Fry. And they've also just landed their second consecutive UK number 1 album with 'Koko'.

Topics in this engaging conversation include the influence of stadium-smashing frontmen like Freddie Mercury and Robbie Williams, the importance of Manchester Apollo and how teachers can change lives. Plus there's a great story about Johnny Marr.

Find out more about The Lottery Winners' new album and tour here: https://www.thelotterywinners.co.uk/

Discover more about the amazing work of Help Musicians here:

https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/

'I Never Thought It Would Happen' is produced by Ian Callaghan and Ben Jones for Gimme Sugar Productions.

www.gimmesugar.co.uk