Snow Patrol
This Irish/Scottish five piece have sold more than 11 million albums and have been responsible for several era-defining singles.
January 24, 2012, 3:29 p.m.
Are you new to Snow Patrol? Check out their new album, "Fallen Empires!" Over several months, the five piece - singer Gary Lightbody, guitarist Nathan Connolly, bassist Paul Wilson, drummer Jonny Quinn and keyboardist, Tom Simpson - began a musical road trip around California. As they traveled, they recorded tracks in many unique locations such as Eagles Watch and a topsy turvy house in Santa Monica with widescreen windows and panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean.
In hopes of redefining the band as a more ambitious, more expansive and creative force, many people contributed to this album such as a LA Inner City Mass 
Gospel Choir in south central LA, and R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe, US Singer Lissie and Queens of Stone Age guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen.
"We wanted to make a massively ambitious record," says Gary Lightbody. "Arcade Fire's last record (The Suburbs) made us realize that we had to up our game. It was amazing. We decided that we wanted to make a record unlike any other we've made before.”
"We started writing songs that were more playful, even rawer than before - we were brave enough to do what we wanted as a band, rather than what convention dictated to us. It was tough at times, we were out of our comfort zone for most of it, but I think it's given us a great album."
Their new album, "Fallen Empires," was released on January 10, 2012 and breaks new and exciting ground for the band. The overarching theme of the album is about home. Songs such as "The Garden Rules" and "Life-ning" are stories about the band’s childhood. "New York" is written about missed opportunities. Other songs such as "Called out in the Dark" (their new single) and "I’ll Never Let Go" are more upbeat, “night out” tracks.
"This feels like a proper record to me," says Gary. "A grown up record, but a fun record. I've always wanted to make an album that could rank with the ones that inspire me, and hopefully this one will. I'm really proud of this album. Listening to it thrills me and that is a beautiful thing indeed.”
In celebration of their new album, Snow Patrol announced their North American tour on January 9, 2012 with shows from March 29 until May 18, including a show in Cincinnati at Bogart’s on April 4.