This Manchester, England-based quintet purveys atmospheric, epic rock music for the new millennium. Guy Garvey (b. 6 March 1974, Bury, Lancashire, England; guitar/vocals), Mark Potter (guitar), Craig Potter (keyboards), Pete Turner (b. August 1974, England; bass), and Richard Jupp (drums) met at the start of the 90s at sixth form college in Bury. They formed the funk-fusion outfit Mr. Soft, before relocating to Manchester and fashioning a new rock-orientated sound as Elbow. The quintet signed a contract with Island Records in 1998, but was still in the process of recording their debut album when Island was taken over by Universal and their contract was terminated. The Manchester-based independent label Ugly Man Records released two EPs, New Born and Any Day Now, which generated renewed interest in the band. A new recording contract with V2 Records followed in late 2000. The band remixed five of the tracks from their abortive Island album and recorded six new songs for Asleep In The Back, which was released in May 2001. The intricate textures and slow-burn intensity of the music drew on a rich heritage, from Steve Miller to Talk Talk, while the lyrics balanced the realities of urban living with an underlying optimism.
Neither Cast Of Thousands (2003) or Leaders Of The Free World (2005) was able to replicate the majestic cohesiveness of Elbow's debut, although both were fine albums in their own right. Elbow remains one of the more interesting outfits to originate from Manchester in recent years.
