Elbow - Band biography

Taken from Absolute radio. Areas that may be important, I have highlighted.

Elbow biography

After 18 years together and minor commercial success, Elbow really hit the big time after winning the coveted Mercury Prize in 2008 for their fourth album The Seldom Seen Kid. The record debuted at number 5 in the UK and went double Platinum in Britain. The band went on to pick up more prestigious prizes, including two Ivor Novello's for song-writing, and BRIT and NME awards, making the Manchester lad's evocative and emotional brand of alternative rock one of the 21st Century powerhouses of British music.

Early years

Back in 1990, future lead singer and front man Guy Garvey invited a teenage guitarist named Mark Potter to join him in a band with drummer Richard Jupp and bassist Pete Turner. They called themselves Mr. Soft, and then simply Soft. The band first played together at The Corner Pin pub in Ramsbottom, in Bury, Greater Manchester. By 1997, Mark's brother Craig (keyboards) had joined the band too and they finally settled on a name that stuck: Elbow. After years of gigging heavily and honing their collaborative writing style, the band released an EP named Noisebox on their own label, before being spotted by Island Records, who signed them up for an album. The band immediately set about recording, and things looked pretty rosy, until fate intervened.

Dark days

Island Records were bought out by the bigger label Universal in 1999 and the band was dropped, having never released their album. Elbow have referenced this period as one of the most difficult of their career. They managed to pick themselves off the floor though and in 2000 got together with independent Manchester label Ugly Man to release an EP that featured the track Newborn, which was championed across various radio shows and music pages. Another EP (Any Day Now) followed with the same label, and Elbow were back in demand, being hailed as one of the bright new hopes for British music in the 21st century. They signed to V2 music at the end of the year 2000.

Asleep in the Back

After a headline UK tour, Elbow finally got down to recording their debut album Asleep in the Back which was released in May 2001 to rave reviews. It went gold in the UK despite only reaching number 14 and was nominated for a prestigious Mercury Music Prize. The band was also nominated for a BRIT Award for Best British Newcomer, but the prize went to boyband Blue instead. Still very much a niche 'muso' act, Elbow became a rousing staple at festivals including Glastonbury, and it was over two years before they released their follow up album Cast of Thousands.

Cast of Thousands

When Elbow's second album Cast of Thousands came out in August 2003, they became a byword for British musical innovation; for example by using a special microphone attached to Guy Garvey's neck to record some vocals, and using crowd sound effects from a festival performance. The band was aiming for a 'bigger' sound and they also expressed a larger world view through their lyrics. A memorable Brixton Academy date gave the band confidence that they were now a genuine force to be reckoned with.

Leaders of the Free World

In 2004, unorthodox as ever, the band decided their next step would be an unofficial tour of Cuba, which was filmed by a documentary maker. Their third album was also created in an untraditional way, as it was entirely self produced, deciding to record Leaders of the Free World while they were still halfway around the world themselves. It was even more experimental and involved a simultaneous music and video DVD release in September 2005. It wasn't a commercial success though, and despite still being championed by some critics and radio shows, Elbow were dropped from their label the following year.

Breakthrough: The Seldom Seen Kid

By the end of 2007, Elbow had finished work on their fourth studio album, the record which was finally to accelerate their success into the mainstream. The Seldom Seen Kid was released on March 17 2008, with a lyrical focus on love and loss on a very 'grown up' collection of songs, now that band members had become fathers. Although it spawned some very widely played and acclaimed singles (including 'One Day Like This,' 'Grounds for Divorce' and 'Mirrorball'), the album is designed to be listened to as a whole, as marked a new pinnacle for Elbow's musical innovation. Live performances continued to be massively successful for the band, including appearances at Glastonbury and Latitude Festival in the summer of 2008.

Awards and touring

When the band won the Mercury Music Prize in September 2008, their lives had already changed forever; Elbow were now one of the biggest bands in Britain.

In March 2009, they played their biggest live concert so far, at Wembley Arena and two months later, they won two prestigious Ivor Novello Awards for song-writing for One Day Like This and Grounds For Divorce.

In July, during the Manchester International Festival, they performed two particularly memorable performances at the Bridgewater Hall with The Hallé Orchestra and Youth Choir. They also played Oxegen in Ireland, then T in the Park in Scotland, and FIB 2009 in Spain. As part of the quest to break North America, Elbow opened for Coldplay on several occasions, and performed at festivals as well as holding their own shows in the US and Canada. In August, they also were the opening act for another gigantic band, U2, at Wembley Stadium in London and the Sheffield Don Valley Stadium.

Build a Rocket Boys!

After some time out during 2010 for a well deserved break and to work on new material, Elbow returned with their fifth studio album, Build a Rocket Boys! which was released in early 2011. It peaked at number two in the UK album charts and just like their hugely successful predecessor, it was self produced. Shortly after its release, Elbow embarked on a UK tour, with planned gigs in Ireland and Europe along the way, and a trip to America to perform at the Coachella Festival. It was also announced in 2011 that Elbow would perform before U2 at Glastonbury in June, and ahead of headliners Muse on the main stage at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August.