The Enemy claim they originally formed the band "out of boredom" living in the English Midlands but, for whatever reason, it paid off as their energetic, slightly rebellious, anthemic punk-flavoured rock quickly found an enthusiastic audience in an equally disaffected youth market. Until then, Tom Clarke and Andy Hopkins, who went to school together, had been selling TVs for a living, while Liam Watts temped in an office. They built a reputation locally after appearing at Coventry's Godiva festival in 2006, returning the following year as second on the bill to Super Furry Animals. That year they joined the Rock & Roll Riot Tour organised by NME magazine, which predicted they were the band "most likely to break your windows" and had their first hit singles "Away from Here" and "Had Enough". They also impressed on support tours with Manic Street Preachers, Kasabian, Ash, The Fratellis and Oasis, who sang their praises and invited them on their 2009 arena tour. Despite a public falling-out with radio presenter Alex Zane, their following grew and they followed their chart-topping 2007 album We'll Live and Die in These Towns with 2009's successful Music for the People, which reached number 2 on UK Albums chart. After a short hiatus from touring, the band released their third studio album Streets in the Sky in 2012, continuing their UK top-10 streak, followed by It’s Automatic in 2015 — their fourth full-length. In 2016, citing a combination of factors including changing radio exposure, personal responsibilities and health, Tom Clarke announced that the band would split up, culminating in a series of farewell shows in Coventry that year. After a six-year hiatus, the original lineup reunited in 2022 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their breakthrough debut with a sold-out UK reunion tour and festival appearances. They sustained momentum in 2023 with sets at major UK festivals and headlining bills. In 2024, the band returned to the studio and played select shows as part of the Radio X Indie Til I Die tour with peers like The Subways and The Holloways. In February 2026, they released their first studio album in over a decade, Social Disguises, including lead single "Not Going Your Way."
