Elbow

Injecting a wider range of emotions into their music than most of their guitar-based British peers, Elbow have been known to refer to their orchestral, grandiose sound as "prog without the solos." The members of the band -- vocalist Guy Garvey, drummer Richard Jupp, organist Craig Potter, guitarist Mark Potter, and bassist Pete Turner -- met during the early '90s while attending college in Bury.

After moving several miles south to Manchester proper, the band went through a couple of developmental stages before attracting the interest of Island Records, who signed the group in 1998.

Island was bought out by Universal several months later, though, and Elbow found themselves dropped from the label as a result.

After a partnership with EMI also dissolved, the guys linked up with local independent label Uglyman and released two EPs, Newborn and Any Day Now.

The acclaimed EPs gained the band a contract with V2, which released 2001's equally tipped Asleep in the Back.

The record was short-listed as a nominee for 2001's Mercury Prize and was issued in the States in early 2002.

Cast of Thousands, which appeared in 2004, proved to be a strong, critically acclaimed follow-up.

Leaders of the Free World, inspired by political events and behavior in the media, was released in fall 2005, with The Seldom Seen Kid following in 2008.

Although all three of Elbow's past albums had enjoyed significant popularity in the U.K., The Seldom Seen Kid was the band's first album to go multi-platinum, eventually selling over one million copies and winning the 2008 Mercury Prize.

Writing sessions for a new album began in 2010, and Build a Rocket Boys! was released one year later.

~ Andy Kellman, Rovi

The working title of Elbow's forthcoming fifth album, which will reference themes of growing up is 'Lippy Kids'.

(BANG) -

The working title of Elbow's new album is 'Lippy Kids'.

The British indie band are presently working on the follow up to their breakthrough album 'The Seldom Seen Kid' and frontman Guy Garvey said the working title is a reference to the record's theme of growing up through your teens.

He told BBC 6 Music: "It's quite a nostalgic thing. I've got a thing about growing up, not needing to, but a certain period of your life when - well kids are called 'hoodies' these days aren't they when they reach their teens. I remember it being an amazing important time, so I've written a lot about that."

The group claim to have around three quarters of the material they hope to include on their fifth album written and have taken on board influences of shoegaze and psychedelia. Sessions for the album were started on the Scottish island of Mull.

Of the writing sessions, Guy added: "We're all buzzing off it. You have periods of nervousness and then you have periods of elation. And we're all buzzing off it at the minute."

Elbow are hoping that their next album will be released this year as recording is going well.

(BANG) -

Elbow hope to release a full-length album this year.

The 'Grounds for Divorce' singers revealed that they were excited about their new recordings.

The band's drummer, Richard Jupp, said: "We're rabid for it. The last one was astronomical for us. Using that springboard... I'd love to get the album finished and get it out on the road before 2010 ends."

Discussing rumours that the band were experimenting with a psychedelic sound, which was suggested by lead singer Guy Garvey, he added: "It's at an experimental stage. We're loving being back in the studio, it's really exciting. We're just ploughing through it now. Let's just say Garvey's comments are inaccurate."

Jupp also revealed that the band's plans to write a children's album was still happening.

He said to NME.com: "We'll get this one out first, but it's still there."

The news will come as a relief to the band's fans, as they had previously suggested it could take up to five years to write their next record.

Bassist Peter Turner said: "If it's three, four or five years time, this next album has got to be the absolute 'dog's' so we'll see. It's almost like a second album, this next album."

Elbow singer Guy Garvey is astonished by the band's success and has promised bigger and better live shows to support their next record.

(BANG) -

Elbow have promised "big extravaganzas" with their next tour.

The 'Grounds for Divorce' hitmakers are preparing to embark on a hiatus following their homecoming show in Manchester tonight (18.09.09) but frontman Guy Garvey has pledged they will return bigger and better than ever.

He said: "It's at the forefront of Elbow's collective brain that - because we're an album band and they're a dwindling species - we almost have an obligation to make sure that the shows that accompany the next record are big extravaganzas.

"Playing with the Halle during Manchester International Festival was inspiring - not that we'd take an orchestra on tour. Imagine the amount of honey-roast nuts you'd need on the rider. But I am looking forward to drawing on our prog roots next time round."

The group have experienced massive success with their last album, 'The Seldom-Seen Kid' and Guy admits their newfound success has taken a while to get used to.

He added to LiverpoolConfidential.com: "It's a strange feeling to have anything firm in music," he says. "We won ten major awards for 'The Seldom-Seen Kid'. Our record company won marketing and A and R awards, and Craig Potter won two producer awards. It's as though every facet of the record has been celebrated. The best feeling now is that, whatever happens next, nobody can ever take that away."