Elliot Minor

Infobox musical artist
Name = Elliot Minor


Img_capt = Ali, Alex and Teddy mid-set in Nottingham.
Background = group_or_band
Origin = York, England, United Kingdom
Genre = Pop Rock
Classical
Alternative Rock
Pop Punk
Years_active = 2000-2005 (rehearsal) 2005-present (formation)| Current_members = Alexander Davies Edward Minton Daniel Hetherton Edward 'Teddy' Hetherton Alistair Paul
Label = Warner Bros. Records
URL = [http://www.elliotminor.com ElliotMinor.com]
Past_members =

Elliot Minor (formerly The Academy) are a classically influenced rock band formed in York, England. [ [http://therealjenleft.blogspot.com/2007/10/interview-elliot-minor.html Rock Blog: INTERVIEW: Elliot Minor ] ] [cite web |url=http://www.channel4.com/music/interviews/elliot-minor-interview-white-one.html |title= channel4 - Elliot Minor Interview |format= |work= ] [ [http://www.ukundercurrent.com/content/band.php?id=1897 :: Welcome to UKUndercurrent :: ] ] .
As vocalist Alex Davies said in an interview with music magazine NME, the band's name is a tribute to Elliot Reid from the TV show 'Scrubs' and also an indication of the band's musical style with lots of minor chords used.

In an issue of Rock Sound magazine, Alex Davies admits that he is a Christian and often prays before concerts.

The BBC's coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing used part of their song "Running Away" as the theme song to show what was coming up and had happened during the day.

Band history

Alex Davies and Ed Minton entered School House, Uppingham School in September 2000 as music scholars, where they were inevitably heavily involved in the school's formal musical activities as singers and instrumentalists. Spending a lot of time together, they quickly became close friends.

At one time the band's two leaders Alex and Ed were in two different rival bands. Many of the songs known today are taken from Alex's early bands which included a punk band called Give or Take in which he wrote The White One Is Evil, about an ex-girlfriend (the chorus in the original is the only recognizable tune in the current version) as well as many others. Tracks from Give or Take have been leaked on YouTube, about 5 tracks have been found, including the first recording of Quite Like Him, also known as One Wish. Also Breaking From Yesterday, also known as Breaking has been found. Soon Alex and Ed got together and began making early rough home made records at school using equipment like small drum machines and the like. The two soon started writing songs and performing as an acoustic duo in school concerts and soon found the drummer Dan Hetherton, forming The Academy UK. [ [http://www.hardrockhouse.com/Interviews/ElliotMinor.htm Elliot Minor Interview ] ]

During their last year at school, Alex and Ed built a simple recording studio in their attic flat, where they spent as much time as their A-level studies allowed them writing songs and recording demos. After leaving Uppingham, they both took a gap year to develop the band, during which time Alex built a more sophisticated studio in his garage.

In October 2005, Alex Davies and Ed Minton arranged to have a band practice in Alex's garage along with Dan Hetherton as the drummer. Hetherton was soon accepted as a regular member of the band, and the three began recording new songs, improving old songs and sending out demos.

During live performances both keyboard player and a bass player were needed, so the band recruited Ali Paul and Ed "Teddy" Hetherton, Dan's brother.

The members of Elliot Minor are all classically trained and between them play the violin, piano, clarinet, cello, double bass and saxophone. Alex, Dan and Ali were choristers at York Minster Choir School, while Ed Minton, born in Japan, began his education in England at the age of 8 as a chorister at St John's College, University of Cambridge, becoming head chorister in 1999/2000. [ [http://www.ukundercurrent.com/content/band.php?id=1897 :: Welcome to UKUndercurrent :: ] ]

Elliot Minor also filled in for Cobra Starship during Fall Out Boy's appearance in Edinburgh, where the bands met just the day before performing.

In November 2006, they flew out to Los Angeles to record the first single with producer Jim Wirt (Hoobastank, Incubus, Something Corporate, Jack’s Mannequin). After hearing the track, Neal Avron (Yellowcard, Fall Out Boy) offered to mix the record and, of course, the boys accepted.

Their debut album was eventually released on April 14th 2008, charting at number 6 in the UK album chart. They have toured vigorously since the album's release, and announced a 28 date tour of the UK for October and November on 4th June 2008. They will also play their first international headline shows before the end of the year, and will embark on a tour of UK beaches this summer, entitled the "Skimpies and Aviators" Tour. They have also played a number of festivals, including Download Festival , T in the Park and Ireland's Oxegen Festival. They are also headlining the Festival Republic Stage at Reading and Leeds Festival. The band was nominated for Best British Newcomer at the Kerrang Awards 2008. But lost to Slaves to Gravity

On September 12th, 2008, the band played a sold-out show in Tokyo, Japan, where they also filmed the video for their next single, Discover (Why The Love Hurts). The band will be touring the UK and Europe again in October, November and December. On 12th October Elliot Minor will play a charity gig in York in aid of York Against Cancer. The band have been described as the next big thing for 2009.

Initial releases

Their first single, "Parallel Worlds", was released on April 9th, 2007. Parallel Worlds is a rock track, driven by guitars, but woven together with violin and piano. The song is about the spooky/paranormal events that occurred in Alex and Ed's attic flat at school, which they claim was haunted. Drawers would fly open, lights would swing and posters would mysteriously peel off the wall. [ [http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1312079.mostviewed.interview_elliot_minor.php Interview Elliot Minor (from York Press) ] ] In the video for the single the boys rehearse the song in a spooky old room, and as they play the energy from the music is transferred to the objects around them. [ [http://youtube.com/watch?v=glERPMfMbwI YouTube - Elliot Minor - Parallel Worlds ] ] The single entered at number 31 on the UK Singles Charts where it featured for one week in April 2007, and number 5 on "100 Best Rock Bands Ever" on Kerrang! . [cite web |url= http://www.theofficialcharts.com/top40_singles_last.php?week=25&end=15/04/2007%20-%2021/04/2007|title= The Official UK Charts Company : TOP 40 SINGLES ARCHIVE :: WEEK 16 : 15/04/2007 - 21/04/2007|accessdate=2007-10-08 |format= |work= ] Prior to this it had already been playlisted on majorly commercial channels such as Kerrang! TV, MTV Two, The Box and The Hits.

Their second single, "Jessica", was released on August 6th, 2007. It was playlisted on Kerrang! TV, The Box, The Hits and MTV Hits, and was ranked 19th in the UK chart for one week in August 2007. [cite web
url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/top40_singles_last.php?week=8&end=12/08/2007%20-%2018/08/2007 |title= The Official UK Charts Company : TOP 40 SINGLES ARCHIVE :: WEEK 33 : 12/08/2007 - 18/08/2007|accessdate=2007-10-08 |format= |work= ] The band have said the song is about the star Jessica Alba. The song includes many references to Jessica and her career. The song was originally entitled "Walk With Me". [ [http://www.jhme.co.uk/chartchat/chartchat402.htm Chart Chat for music - Part of JHME - All things Entertainment ] ]

Elliot Minor's third single, titled "The White One Is Evil," was released on October 29th and reached number 27 in the UK Singles Chart on November 4th. [ [http://www.theofficialcharts.com/top40_singles_last.php?week=20&end=04/11/2007%20-%2010/11/2007 The Official UK Charts Company : TOP 40 SINGLES ARCHIVE :: WEEK 02 : 04/11/2007 - 10/11/2007 ] ] It only held its position for one week before dropping out of the top 40.

It was announced on November 14 2007 that "Still Figuring Out" would be the band's fourth single, to be released on January 28, 2008. It reached Elliot Minor's highest chart position to date at 17.

Their re-release of "Parallel Worlds" reached Number 22 in the UK Singles Charts, the band's third highest Chart position.The song was released almost a year after their original version of Parallel Worlds.

The fifth single, Time After Time, climbed to number 47 on the UK pop charts. The video idea was based on the film 'Groundhog Day' where the main character's day repeats throughout the film along with the video.

In a recent interview with Kerrang, the band confirmed that they have begun work on their second album. In late August they started work with producer Jim Wirt in a studio in Wales. The band have also stated that the video for their upcoming single "Discover (Why The Love Hurts)" has been filmed in Tokyo, Japan.

Discography

ingles

Albums

Band Members

*Alex Davies: Lead Vocals: Lead/Rhythm Guitars
*Ed Minton: Lead Vocals: Lead/Rhythm Guitars
*Dan Hetherton: Drums: Backing Vocals
*Ed 'Teddy' Hetherton: Bass Guitars
*Ali Paul: Keyboards/Synthesizing

External links

* [http://www.elliotminor.com ElliotMinor.com]
* [http://www.musicscoop.net/music/news/You-Me-At-Six-get-Elliot-Minor-support-slots.html Elliot Minor to tour with You Me at Six October 07 at musicscoop.net]
* [http://www.thestudentpocketguide.com/interviews/Elliot_Minor Elliot Minor Exclusive Student Pocket Guide Interview]
* [http://www.hardrockhouse.com/Interviews/ElliotMinor.htm Interview]
* [http://www.elliotminorfans.net ElliotMinorFans.net]
* [http://www.thebrokenminor.com The Broken Minor.com]