The Night Café was a British

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...

band, formed in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

in 2014 by Sean Martin (vocals/guitar), Josh Higgins (guitar), Arran O'Connell-Whittle (bass) and Carl Dillon (drums). Up until their disbandment, the band released three EPs: ''Get Away from the Feeling'' (2017), ''Bunkbed'' (2018) and ''For Better Days'' (2021), and the studio album '' 0151'' (2019).

History

The band's name comes from the Vincent van Gogh painting of the same name (originally known as ''Le Café de nuit''). The band formed in 2014 while the members were still in

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

, and bonded over mutual musical interests such as

Title Fight Title Fight is an American rock band from Kingston, Pennsylvania, formed in 2003. They released three studio albums —''Shed'' (2011), '' Floral Green'' (2012), and '' Hyperview'' (2015) — gradually shifting from a hardcore punk–oriented s ...

and

Kings Of Leon Kings of Leon is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, in 1999. The band includes brothers Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill and their cousin Matthew Followill. The band's early music was a blend of Southern roc ...

. The quartet recorded their first singles, "Growing Up" and "Addicted", at the Whitewood Recording Studio in

, which were both produced by Robert Whiteley. The band released their debut EP, ''Get Away From The Feeling'', in 2017, which was followed by opening for the band

Sundara Karma Sundara Karma were an English rock music, rock band formed in 2011 in Reading, Berkshire. The band consisted of lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Oscar Pollock, lead guitarist Ally Baty, bassist Dom Cordell and drummer Haydn Evans. The ba ...

during the summer 2017. The following year, the band released ''Bunkbed'', their second EP. On 8 May 2019, the band announced their debut studio album, '' 0151'', which was released on 23 August 2019. On 22 April 2021, the band released their final EP ''For Better Days''. Martin described the EP's title as "what it says on the tin", mentioning "this last year has been a tough one so we were making rammers to cheer us up to be hopeful for the better days to come".

Death of Sean Martin

Prior to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the band's frontman Sean Martin had been diagnosed with

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that each last from days to weeks, and in ...

and had previously attempted

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

. In 2020, during the pandemic, Martin was exposed to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

and began to experience intense chronic migraines. Due to the constant pain, Martin was forced to take a break from making music, with his mother Catherine mentioning how he "was desperate to get back to his music" but "the fact he was so ill ..had an impact on his mental health". In April 2022, the band pulled out of a tour with

The Wombats The Wombats are an English indie rock band formed in Liverpool in 2003, consisting of Matthew Murphy (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Tord Øverland Knudsen (bass, backing vocals, keyboards), and Dan Haggis (drums, backing vocals, keyboards). ...

due to Martin's condition, which had recently been diagnosed and required surgery. He had been receiving care at The Walton Centre's neurology department but by 2023, he had "given up all hope of recovery". On 3 November 2023, Martin's parents performed a

wellness check A wellness check (also known as a welfare check or a safe and well check) is a colloquial term for an in-person visit from one or more persons, usually by law enforcement officer, law enforcement or public safety officers, conducted in respons ...

on Martin and entered his home with the help of a

locksmith Locksmithing is the work of creating and bypassing locks. Locksmithing is a traditional trade and in many countries requires completion of an apprenticeship. The level of formal education legally required varies by country, ranging from no formal ...

. They found Martin and two notebooks containing suicide notes. Martin's cause of death was ruled as

suicide by hanging Suicide by hanging is the intentional killing of oneself (suicide) via suspension from an anchor-point such as an overhead beam or hook, by a rope or cord or by jumping from a height with a noose around the neck. Hanging is often considered to ...

. On 6 November, the band publicly announced his death at age 26, saying he "was not just our band mate, he was our childhood best friend". The Wombats released a statement the same day, calling Martin "the nicest, most lovely guy to have around on tour". Martin's

funeral A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...

took place on 24 November at St Mary's Church in Liverpool, before he was

cremated Cremation is a method of Disposal of human corpses, final disposition of a corpse through Combustion, burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India, Nepal, and ...

at Springwood Crematorium. In April 2024, Martin's mother Catherine performed a

walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an "inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults over ...

to raise money for The Migraine Trust, with over £5,000 raised as of 2025. In February 2025, she shared an article by Ben Parr discussing Martin's mental health and his legacy which confirmed the band had disbanded.

Discography

Studio albums

* '' 0151'' (2019) – No. 84 UK

Extended plays

* ''Get Away from the Feeling'' (2017) * ''Bunkbed'' (2018) * ''For Better Days'' (2021)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Night Cafe, The English rock music groups English indie rock groups Musical groups established in 2014 British musical quartets 2014 establishments in England Musical groups from Liverpool 2023 deaths Musical groups disestablished due to the COVID-19 pandemic Musical groups disestablished in 2023