Arctic Monkeys were formed in mid-2002 by friends Alex Turner , Matt

Arctic Monkeys were formed in mid-2002 by friends Alex Turner , Matt Helders , and Andy Nicholson (who left the band shortly after their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not , was released). Turner and Helders were neighbours and close friends, and they met Nicholson in secondary school. Turner, who had grown up in a musical household as his father was a music teacher, played guitar in the then-instrumental-only band, with Helders on drums, Nicholson on bass and a new band member, Jamie Cook, as a second guitarist. Initially, Turner was reluctant when it came to being the lead singer. As time passed, Turner became the lead singer and frontman of the band as he had “a thing for words”, according to Helders.