Formation The band formed in 2018 in
Liverpool. Throughout 2019 and 2020, the band released multiple singles including "David Byrne's Badside" and "Football", both of which received a limited run double A-side 7" record via Nice Swan Records. They released their debut
extended play,
Grand National, in April 2021.
Guitar Music On 5 April 2022, Courting released the song "Tennis" as the lead single to their yet-unannounced debut album. The track, described by
NME as tongue-in-cheek, was afforded rotation on
BBC Radio 1. The second single, "Loaded", was released on 25 May 2022. On 16 August 2022 the band released the third single "Jumper" in promotion of the album. In an interview with
DIY, the band described the song as "an outlier on the album". Sean Murphy-O’Neil further said of the album that it "is a gentle story of true unrequited love, meant to playout like a 2006
romcom." On 23 September 2022 Courting released their debut studio album
Guitar Music to critical acclaim.
NME described the album as "a raucously fun debut that serves all aces". The albums release was supported by an extensive UK tour.
New Last Name Over the course of 2023, Courting played various one off 'roadtesting' shows around the UK and Europe, debuting many new songs live. On 13 February the band played a sold out show titled The Wedding. Two live tracks from this session, versions of "Tennis" and "Jumper", were later released on the group's
Bandcamp page, as well as a cover of the
Icona Pop and
Charli XCX track "
I Love It". The band also supported
Circa Waves on their 2023 UK tour. On 7 July 2023 Courting released the song "Flex" as the first single off of their upcoming second studio album, which was reviewed positively by critics. In late 2023, the band started teasing a one-off tie-in project, 'The Throwbecks' as a way of promoting the album. The band performed a single show billed as 'The Throwbecks' on 16 November 2021 at the
Kazimer in Liverpool. On 8 November 2023, the second single off the album, "Throw", was premiered on
BBC Radio 1, as well as the band's second album
New Last Name being announced for a 26 January 2024 release. Despite
New Last Name being a studio album, the band stated that it "came together as a play" and while the record is connected by a narrative, it is mainly a collection of the band's "most contained pop songs, and strangest experiments sat side by side". On 14 December 2023 Courting released "Emily G" as the third single from
New Last Name. On 8 January 2024 the album's fourth and final single "We Look Good Together (Big Words)" premiered on BBC Radio 6. On 23 January 2024, Courting did a live session as part of BBC Radio 1's
Maida Vale Studios sessions series, including live renditions of "Throw" and "We Look Good Together". The band also teased fans on social media and on the radio that they would also be covering a song by
the 1975. Instead, the group played the opening riff to their hit single "
It's Not Living (If It's Not with You)" before transitioning into a cover of
Olivia Rodrigo's hit single "
Bad Idea Right?". On 26 January 2024, Courting released
New Last Name.
Lust for Life On 20 November 2024, Courting announced the forthcoming release of their third studio album,
''Lust for Life, Or: 'How to Thread the Needle and Come Out the Other Side to Tell the Story. Its lead single, "Pause at You", was issued on the same day.' The album was released on 14 March 2025. == Style and songwriting motifs ==