This
UK band shot to prominence on the back of excitable comparisons to Jeff Buckley
and Radiohead, for many commentators the twin figureheads of tortured white rock
music in the late 90s. In reality, Coldplay's inoffensive and slightly bland
acoustic rock songs bear stronger comparison to the hugely successful Travis.
The band was formed in January 1998 by UCL students Chris Martin (b. 2 March
1977, Exeter, Devon, England; vocals), Jon Buckland (b. 11 September 1977,
London, England; guitar), Guy Berryman (b. 12 April 1978, Kirkcaldy, Scotland;
bass) and Will Champion (b. 31 July 1978, Southampton, Hampshire, England;
drums). Self-financed demo sessions were productive enough to warrant the
release of the Safety EP in May. One of the tracks on the EP, "Bigger Stronger',
earned the band excellent notices in the UK press. They appeared at September's
In The City showcase for unsigned bands, but a performance at London's Camden
Falcon in December, where they were watched by influential journalist and Fierce
Panda Records" co-founder Simon Williams, provided the band with their big
breakthrough. A one-off single for Fierce Panda, "Brothers And Sisters", broke
into the UK Top 100 at the start of 1999. The same May the band signed a major
label deal with Parlophone Records. Following their appearance at the
Glastonbury Festival the band released The Blue Room EP and concentrated on
recording their debut album. In 2000, short tours with fellow newcomers Terris
and Muse, and breakthrough hits with "Shiver", "Yellow" (number 4) and "Trouble"
helped maintain the hype level prior to the release of their chart-topping debut
album, Parachutes, in July. The band was also nominated for the Mercury Music
Prize.Coldplay received a lot of press during the recording of their second album, with Martin stating that if it was not up to standard then they would give up. A Rush Of Blood To The Head turned out to be a strong follow-up, with tracks such as "In My Place", "The Scientist" and the stunning "Clocks" matching the freshness of their debut. The album helped break the band in the USA, and its multi-platinum status cemented their reputation as one of the new millennium's biggest rock acts. Martin married American actress Gwyneth Paltrow in December 2003. The following February, "Clocks" won a Grammy for record of the year.
Encyclopedia of Popular Music http://www.musicstrands.com/action/detailArtistBio/artistId/53089
