Elliot Minor Biography

Alex Davies - lead vocals / guitar
Ed Minton - guitar / vocals
Ed Hetherton - bass
Dan Hetherton - drums / backing vocals
Ali Paul - keyboard

Elliot Minor reaped the rewards that their devoted hard work, infectious songwriting and natural musicianship deserved when they infiltrated the mainstream with five Top 20 singles and their eponymously titled Top 10 album. With the release this summer of the first single “Solaris” from their 2nd Album to be released in October Elliot Minor are enthused about what 2009 will bring for them.

It was the depth of songwriting, a fresh approach to production, the renowned explosive live performances on the underground circuit, which was rapidly building a strong fan base that first drew the attention of Repossession Records with whom the bands recordings have been released since day 1.

“We’d spent so long honing our craft, developing our songwriting and travelling around the country carrying our gear in the back of our cars doing gigs,” recalls vocalist, guitarist and main songwriter Alex Davies. “Signing that deal affirmed that our self-belief was justified and that the sacrifices we’d made would pay off.”

From that point on, Elliot Minor’s career ascended at a frenetic pace. Their self-titled debut album hit #6 in the charts as the third highest new entry of the week and a succession of singles including ‘Parallel Worlds’, ‘Jessica’ and ‘Still Figuring It Out’ - all mainstays on the music video channels - launched themselves into the upper reaches of the charts. The band’s wide appeal was reflected in their wide press coverage.

“Obviously we really enjoy being in the charts and we really appreciate that our fans make the effort to buy our records,” says Davies. “But we’re a live band, that’s what we’ll be remembered for and that’s where we’ve come from. Plus delivering a killer live show is the best way to repay our fans’ commitment.”

“It’s real honour to play these festivals as we’re usually sharing the bill with some of the biggest bands around often some of the biggest bands of all time,” enthuses Davies. “Festivals are a challenge as you’re not necessarily playing to your own fans, but I’m proud to say that we’ve won over the audience every time.”

February 2009 saw Elliot Minor as the headline band for the Myspace School Invasions tour promotion, with the digital giveaway of the new track “Discover” and the release of the video shot over two nights on handheld cameras in the bright lights and dark alleys of Tokyo with director Frank Borin. The promotion culminated in the band playing 5 packed shows in schools across England in April.

Elliot Minor was formed by five school friends who share a passion for music. The influence of the likes of Green Day, Blink 182 and NOFX is prevalent in Elliot Minor’s rollicking melodies, infectious choruses and soaring vocal harmonies, but the band’s sound stretches far beyond the simple pigeonholing of the pop-punk genre. A love of the likes of The Used, Audioslave and Lostprophets adds elements of thunderous straight-up rock and contemporary emo, but it’s the band’s musicianship that rises to the fore as orchestration and string
arrangements add a cinematic dimension that differentiates them from the pack.

“Our songs are often based on the kind of harmonies you’d find in classical music. I’d say that John Williams, James Horner and Eric Rigler are as important influences as any rock band,” explains Davies. “When you combine that with the power and aggression of a live band, it’s clear that we offer something different.”

With the process started as soon as the band came off the road in December last year, songwriter Alex Davies has put together a collection of new material which pulls from his modern experiences of making the first album, touring and promoting it. Ever meticulous in the studio Davies and the band chose to once again record with producer Jim Wirt (Something Corporate, Incubus). This second collaboration meant that the band and Jim knew what had worked before but gave them a lot of room to add new creative ideas and to push into bold new territory. Mixing this time around, is handled by veteran Tom Lord-Alge.

“Our first album was written over a period of 5 years and many different influences” says Davies “To pull from my recent experiences and having the time pressure to write an album, was a new approach and one that was long hours, excepting and rejecting ideas but also allowing myself to go off into fantasies to pull the ideas from. ‘Solaris’ is an uplifting song about not being in such a great time but having a friend bringing in the light to appreciate where you are.”