A LEIGH band feel like they have won the Lottery after signing a major trans-Atlantic record deal.

Indie pop four-piece The Lottery Winners have been snapped up by Warner Bros. Records and their American label Sire Records on the back of being labelled ‘the best band since The Smiths’ by renowned talent scout Seymour Stein.

Music industry entrepreneur Stein, the co-founder and chairman of Sire Records, has previously signed legendary Mancunian band The Smiths as well as Talking Heads, the Ramones and American superstar Madonna.

And after accepting Stein's record contract offer The Lottery Winners have joined the likes of Eric Clapton, Blur, Foals and Biffy Clyro on Warner’s books.

Frontman Thom Rylance, 26, said: “I am absolutely amazed by all of this.

“I have a lot of mixed emotions. We now have this amazing deal and we have worked hard to get here, and people are saying we have done it the ‘right way' by gigging and working our way up, so in that sense I am really happy.

“But on the other hand I now feel this pressure to get our album right, not just for the record company but for the fans who have supported us, because now it is make or break.

“It is incredibly exciting but scary as well.”

Thom and bandmate Rob Lally, 27, both play the guitar and are from Leigh, while bass player Katie Lloyd and drummer Joe Singleton are both 23 and from Lowton.

The band formed seven years ago and they have since made waves on the north west and national music scenes with their distinctive retro and melodic sound and shared the stage with Madness, The Charlatans and jazz pianist Jamie Cullum.

They will open for indie rock group Starsailor – who like The Lottery Winners studied at Wigan and Leigh College – at their homecoming gig at Robin Park in Wigan tomorrow, Wednesday.

Then on Friday they will be at Tyldesley Top Chapel for a free signing event.

They also have various UK festivals on the horizon and are busy working on their first album for Warner and Sire as they bid to make the most of their opportunity to become household names in both the UK and America.

Thom said: “We gigged at Liverpool Sound City in 2015 and at the end of our set Seymour Stein just came up to us and asked ‘have you lot got a record deal?’.

"We answered no and he said ‘well you do now’ and handed us his card.

“It has been a whirlwind and taken time to get to this point.

"But now we are starting our album, which will be produced by Danton Supple, who has produced all of Coldplay’s albums, so we are in excellent hands.

“I am my worst critic but he loves the songs.”

The band released debut EP The Meaning of Life earlier this year and have recorded a video for upcoming single Pillows.

They announced their major record deal on Facebook on Friday, saying: "It’s been such an incredible journey and we can’t thank you all enough for your measureless support. We are on top of the world, we truly are."

They added that they cried when Stein described them as the best band since The Smiths.

To find out more about the band visit facebook.com/thelotterywinners or click play below.