Elliot Minor

This article is about about the band. For the debut album, see Elliot Minor (album).

Elliot Minor

Elliot Minor (formerly The Academy) are a classically influenced pop rock band from York, England. The group consists of Alex Davies (lead vocals, guitar), Ed Minton (vocals, guitar), Dan Hetherton (drums, backing vocals), Ed 'Teddy' Hetherton (bass), and Ali Paul (keyboard).

History and formation

Elliot Minor started as a duo, Alex Davies and Ed Minton, who met at Uppingham School in 2000. They started writing music and recording together, and performed acoustic covers at the school. In 2005, after leaving Uppingham, both Davies and Minton took a gap year from their studies to concentrate on writing and recording their own songs. Later that year Davies ran into childhood friend Dan Hetherton at the the Minster School in York, where they were both picking up younger brothers, and invited him to a band practice. Hetherton joined as the band's drummer. They also recruited Dan Hetherton's brother Ed to play bass. Davies kept in contact with another childhood friend, Ali Paul, a keyboardist, and from time to time sent Paul piano parts to their songs. Paul had been watching the band's progress on MySpace and was half-learning the songs while showing up to a few gigs to play keyboard for them. Paul officially joined the band shortly after. They named themselves 'The Academy', although later on changed their name to Elliot Minor for legal reasons. Davies built a simple recording studio at his home, called Mavehole Studios, in which they started to record more songs.

In 2006 Elliot Minor won a competition hosted by McFly through MySpace, and had the opportunity to support them in Newcastle upon Tyne to an audience of over 13,000. They signed to Repossession Records, an indie label run by their manager, Gary Ashley, although later signed a deal with Warner Bros. Records. The band recorded their début single, "Parallel Worlds", in 2006 in Los Angeles with Jim Wirt, producer for Hoobastank, Incubus, Something Corporate, Jack's Mannequin, and others. The single was released in April 2007 and reached #31 on the UK Top 40. Subsequent singles, "Jessica", "The White One Is Evil" and "Still Figuring Out" all reached the Top 30. "Parallel Worlds" was reissued, and followed by "Time After Time".

Their eponymous debut album was released in April 2008 and reached #6 on the UK Albums Chart. The same year Elliot Minor played at several large music festivals, including Download Festival, T in the Park, Oxegen Festival and Reading and Leeds Festival. They made an appearance on Jo Whiley's Radio 1 programme, recording a cover version of the Take That song "Rule the World", which was later released on the compilation album Radio 1's Live Lounge – Volume 3. Their song "Running Away" was featured on the BBC coverage of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

In August 2008 the band recorded three new songs, including "Discover (Why the Love Hurts)", in Wales with Jim Wirt.

In March 2009 they began recording a second album, again with Jim Wirt, in Lincolnshire. They have described their untitled album as "funky," "a lot more epic," and "a bit more raw." "Jacky Jules," a fan favorite, will be included on the second album, along with "Blinding Light," "The Courtoom," "Electric High," "I Believe," and "Solaris," which is the band's next single. "Solaris" was mixed by three-time Grammy-Award winning Tom Lord-Alge, and is currently playing on all major radio stations.

In the past Elliot Minor have toured with McFly, Simple Plan and Fall Out Boy, and have had support from bands such as Furthest Drive Home, Anberlin, The Hot Melts, The Electric City, The Higher, Freak Bazar, The Days, Third Conduct, Enjoy Destroy, Shibby (Eleven Eleven), Kids in Glass Houses, Fox Avenue and Saving Aimee. In 2009 Elliot Minor headlined MySpace's School Invasions Tour and are embarking on a 12-date tour across the UK in June and July with Canadian pop/new wave band The Mission District. Additionally they will play at Wakestock Festival and headline hometown Copmanthorpe Carnival for charity.

On June 24, 2009, the band announced that they have left their partnership with Warner Bros. Records and will return to releasing singles themselves with their indie label, Repossession Records, as they did with the original release of "Parallel Worlds" and "Jessica." Because of this transition, the "Solaris" single release date has been pushed back to August 10, 2009. Another single will follow in mid-October, with their second album released a week later.

Musical background and style

The members of Elliot Minor are all classically trained music students and between them play the violin, piano, clarinet, cello, double bass, saxophone, guitar and drums. Davies, Paul, Dan and Ed Hetherton were choristers at the Minster School in York and Minton was a member of the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge, becoming head chorister in 1999.

Their music is described as "symphonic rock," or "pop/rock with a lot of classical harmonies," and is known for being rich in minor and dissonant chords. Many of their songs are characterized by "stunning vocal harmonies that betray the band's origins in the chamber choir." Their recorded songs are rich in complex string and choral arrangements, all written by Davies, which are difficult to replicate live without a proper orchestra; thus, their live shows are a stripped-down version of their songs, with a more rock edge than classical, although they have been known in the past to include Davies' violin solo during "Jessica" and Ed Hetherton's cello parts during "The Liar Is You." They frequently perform a rock version of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D minor."

The band is known for strong fan interaction and often post updates and video blogs to their MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube accounts. Once getting signed the option of hiring someone else to take over their MySpace became available, but the band opted out and continues to maintain their own official sites.

Influences

They are influenced by Rory the racing car and Noddy who lives in toy ladn [RIP].

Discography

Singles

Date	Single	Album	UK	UK Indie
April 9, 2007	"Parallel Worlds"	Elliot Minor	31	1 (1)
August 6, 2007	"Jessica"		19	1 (1)
October 29, 2007	"The White One Is Evil"		27	N/A
January 28, 2008	"Still Figuring Out"		17	N/A
April 7, 2008	"Parallel Worlds" (re-release)		22	N/A
June 23, 2008	"Time After Time"		47	N/A
March 2009	"Discover (Why the Love Hurts)"	TBA	N/A	N/A
August 10 2009	"Solaris"		N/A	N/A

Albums

Date	Album	UK	UK Indie
April 14, 2008	Elliot Minor	6	N/A
Oct 2009	TBA	N/A	N/A

Band members

• Alexander 'Alex' Davies: lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, violin, string/choral/orchestral arrangements, main songwriter has a girlfriend in glasgow ;)
• Edward 'Ed' Minton: vocals, guitar, violin
• Daniel 'Dan' Hetherton: drums, backing vocals
• Edward 'Teddy' Hetherton: bass, cello
• Alistair 'Ali' Paul: keyboards, synthesizer

External links

• Elliot Minor Official MySpace
• Elliot Minor Official Twitter