Snow Patrol

Irish/Scottish alternative rock band Snow Patrol was formed in 1994. Originally dubbed Shrug, its lineup was Gary Lightbody, Mark McClelland and Michael Morrison. In 1996, Shrug became Polarbear, coinciding with Morrison’s exit. After the release of a second EP in 1997, Jonny Quinn joined the band and Polarbear evolved into “Snow Patrol.” Their first album, Songs for Polarbears, débuted in August of 1998 but received quite a tepid reception. The second album, When It's All Over We Still Have To Clear Up, did not live up to its expectations either. These were hard times for the band, especially when Jeepster Music failed to renew their contract. But their manager, Danny McIntosh, urged the four musicians to continue their adventures. Next, came the arrival of Nathan Connoly, in 2002. At this time, Snow Patrol signed with Fiction Records and made a third album, Final Straw, decidedly more pop-rock than its predecessors. In February 2004, Run, one of the singles from the album, reached Number 5 in the British charts. Chocolate and Spitting also did well. The album reflected this success, selling 1.5 million copies, signaling the beginning of Snow Patrol’s recognition by the general public. Fittingly so, they went on to win the Meteor Music Awards for “Best Band” and “Best Irish album.” McClelland left the band in 2005 but was promptly replaced by Paul Wilson. Next, in 2005, Snow Patrol supported U2 on their European Vertigo tour and, shortly after, released their next album, Eyes Open, which includes one of the band’s signature hits, Chasing Cars; you will find the piano score for this song on Noviscore, available for various skill levels. A Hundred Million Suns came out in 2008 but did not do as well as the band’s previous works. Snow Patrol has nevertheless regained ground with Fallen Empires, attaining the prestige of 3rd best-selling album in the UK.