Elbow (band)

Elbow
Elbow performing at Manchester Arena in 2014
Elbow performing at Manchester Arena in 2014
Background information
Also known asMr. Soft, Soft
OriginBury, Greater Manchester, England
Genres
Years active1990–present (renamed Elbow in 1997)
Labels
Members
Past members
  • Richard Jupp
Websiteelbow.co.uk

Elbow are an English rock band formed (initially under a different name) in Bury, Greater Manchester, in 1990. The band consists of Guy Garvey (lead vocals, guitar), Craig Potter (keyboard, piano, backing vocals), Mark Potter (guitar, backing vocals) and Pete Turner (bass guitar, backing vocals). They have played together since 1990, adopting the name Elbow in 1997. Drummer Alex Reeves replaced Richard Jupp in 2016 as a touring and session musician at first, before becoming a full member in 2024.[1][2]

The band have released ten studio albums: Asleep in the Back (2001), Cast of Thousands (2003), Leaders of the Free World (2005), The Seldom Seen Kid (2008), Build a Rocket Boys! (2011), The Take Off and Landing of Everything (2014), Little Fictions (2017), Giants of All Sizes (2019), Flying Dream 1 (2021) and Audio Vertigo (2024). Their studio albums, as well as their B-sides compilation Dead in the Boot (2012), all reached the top 15 of the UK Albums Chart.[3][4] Seven of their singles placed in the top 40 of the British singles chart.[5] Their most recent album, Audio Vertigo, was released on 22 March 2024.

In 2008, Elbow won the Mercury Music Prize for their album The Seldom Seen Kid. In 2009, they won the Brit Award for Best British Group.[6] The same year, the song "One Day Like This" won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. In October 2011 NME placed it at number 41 on its list of "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[7] After featuring in the 2012 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony, the single peaked at No. 4 in the UK Singles Chart. In 2012, they released "First Steps", the BBC theme for the 2012 London Olympics.[8]

  1. ^ "Elbow – In Session 2019 – Past Daily Soundbooth – Past Daily: News, History, Music And An Enormous Sound Archive". Pastdaily.com. 11 October 2019.
  2. ^ "Elbow Bend with the Times on 'Audio Vertigo'". www.popmatters.com. 25 March 2024. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  3. ^ Roberts, David, ed. (2 June 2007). British Hit Singles and Albums (20th (revised) ed.). London: Guinness World Records Ltd. ISBN 978-1-904994-10-7.
  4. ^ "Elbow". Billboard. US: Billboard Publications. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  5. ^ "Elbow". Official Charts Company. UK. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  6. ^ "Elbow: BRITs Profile". Brit Awards. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  7. ^ "150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years". NME. 16 July 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference First Steps was invoked but never defined (see the help page).