SOME of the country’s biggest artists are products of a school in Southend.

Members from both The Horrors and Nothing But Thieves attended the Westcliff High School for Boys in Kenilworth Gardens, Southend.

Guitarist of The Horrors, Josh Hayward, from Canvey and drummer, Joe Spurgeon spent their teenage years at the school and almost ten years later, the town’s new crop of arena rockers, Nothing But Thieves guitarist, Joe Langridge-Brown and singer, Connor Mason, met at the school.

The young Southend rockers who are set to release their second album, Broken Machine this week, got together at the school to start the band that eventually evolved into Nothing But Thieves.

Joe said: “Myself and Connor met while we were at school and then I started to jam with Dom (Craik) a couple times because we knew each other outside of school and our bass player came in after that.

“We are from all over the area; Southend, Leigh, Thorpe Bay, Rayleigh and Hadleigh.”

“We were lucky that this band seemed to happen at the right time.”

The Horrors did not kick off their career until the group met in London after being involved in a small scene there.

Josh, from the band, said: “I am from Canvey but I started going out to clubs in London about 16 years ago. We all met over time as we were involved around there.

“We grew up together in the London music scene and we would come back to play venues like Chinnerys when we had the opportunity.

“Our drummer actually still lives in Leigh now. I have not been back for a while but it is nice to go back from time-to-time.”

The historic venue on the Marine Parade in Southend holds great memories for both the bands as they were developing.

Joe said: “We would play at Chinnerys and we rehearsed at Maple Studios, I guess that makes us a proper Southend band.

“It is an inspiration being from the area with all the great artists that have come from here.”

Nothing But Thieves is the second band that the group put together after they re-branded to become the act they are today.

The band made a very welcome return to Southend in July as they made an appearance at Village Green Festival in Chalkwell Park.

Joe added: “We would love to come home and play whenever we can, that show was amazing.”

The homecoming was a very different experience to one show which Joe has never forgotten.

On one of the band’s first tours, they arrived at the Duchess in York.

Joe said: “The show was just us, a sound guy and a guy who was sat at the bar.”

The Horrors, unlike Nothing But Thieves, did not evolve from the Southend music scene. However, they do feel an influence from Essex legends from years gone by.

Speaking after supporting legendary Basildon band, Depeche Mode at the London Stadium, Josh said: “Watching them, it feels like they live just down the road from us.

“It feels the same when you think of bands like Dr Feelgood.

“I think Southend had some angry bands about at that time, I feel on a subconscious level that has affected the way that a couple of us write.”

Both acts have embraced their home town and are hoping that can help them to take their music to an even wider audience. Joe said: “The more people we get to know our band and listen to us, the bigger we will get as a band.”