The Lightyears

Last updated

The Lightyears
Origin London, England, UK
Genres Pop rock, rock, progressive rock, power pop
Years active2003 - present
LabelsIndependent
MembersGeorge Owens
Chris Russell
John Owens
Tony Lyons
Website http://www.thelightyears.com

The Lightyears are an English four-piece pop-rock band based in London, England, comprising George Owens (lead vocals and guitar), Chris Russell (vocals and piano), John Owens (bass) and Tony Lyons (vocals and drums). Though The Lightyears formed in 2003, Russell and Owens have been playing and writing together since the age of 13. [1]

Contents

Philadelphia-based radio station WXPN have described the band as "the bastard pop-child of The La's and Wham!". [2]

Awards and achievements

In 2007, The Lightyears won "Best Pop/Rock Act" at the first-ever INDY Awards ceremony at the Clapham Grand, which prompted the London Metro to write that they were "being widely touted as Next Big Things". [3] The band were nominated again the following year, this time for "Best Pop Act". [4] In light of these accolades, the record producer Hugh Padgham asked the band into his studio to record a selection of tracks. [5] Two of these recordings, "Emily" and "Sleepless", feature on The Lightyears' 2009 album London, England.

Press

BBC Oxford have called the band "incredibly talented", [1] and South African rugby player Robbie Fleck, interviewed at CapeTownTens.com, described The Lightyears' headline show in Cape Town as "without doubt the best party I have ever been to in my life". [6] In the US, PlayPhilly.com wrote "I haven't been this excited about British pop since I discovered The Beatles. The Lightyears, simply put, are incredible". [7]

Tours and appearances

The Lightyears have toured to the US, South Korea, Thailand, South Africa and mainland Europe. [5] They played Glastonbury Festival in both 2007 and 2008 [8] and have supported acts such as Mystery Jets [9] and The Levellers. [10] In September 2009, the band performed at Wembley Stadium to a crowd of 45,000 people. They appeared on the same bill as Diversity, winners of Britain's Got Talent . [11] Three further performances at Wembley were to follow, supporting acts such as Right Said Fred and Eliza Doolittle.

In November 2009, The Lightyears appeared in a national advertising campaign for T-Mobile. Chris and George wrote a song for the campaign (in collaboration with Josh's Band) called "Come With Me", which was released in January 2010 on Universal Records. [12]

In March 2011, The Lightyears were invited to perform at The Script's headline show at O2 Arena, appearing in the O2 blueroom. [13]

In October 2012, the band travelled to Gothenburg, Sweden, to perform with Roger Daltrey from The Who and Roger Taylor from Queen. [14]

Lightyears novel

In 2009, Chris Russell began work on his debut novel Mockstars, inspired by the story of how The Lightyears got together. [15] He was signed to leading literary agency Johnson & Alcock in November 2013, [16] and Mockstars was published the following summer by Red Button Publishing. [17] Russell has since begun work on a trilogy of teen novels entitled "Songs About A Girl", in which an ordinary teenage girl is invited to take backstage photos for the world's hottest boy band. The trilogy was bought by Hodder Children's in 2015, and has sold in multiple territories worldwide. [18]

Discography

Albums

EPs

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blur (band)</span> English rock band

Blur are an English rock band formed in London in 1988. The band consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bass guitarist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Their debut album, Leisure (1991), incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegaze. Following a stylistic change influenced by English guitar pop groups such as the Kinks, the Beatles and XTC, Blur released Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993), Parklife (1994) and The Great Escape (1995). As a result, the band helped to popularise the Britpop genre and achieved mass popularity in the UK, aided by a chart battle with rival band Oasis in 1995 dubbed "The Battle of Britpop".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supergrass</span> English rock band

Supergrass are an English rock band formed in 1993 in Oxford. For the majority of the band's tenure, the line-up consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes (keyboards), Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey. Originally a three-piece, Rob Coombes officially joined the band in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spandau Ballet</span> English new wave band

Spandau Ballet were an English new wave band formed in Islington, London, in 1979. Inspired by the capital's post-punk underground dance scene, they emerged at the start of the 1980s as the house band for the Blitz Kids, playing "European Dance Music" as "The Applause" for this new club culture's audience. They became one of the most successful groups of the New Romantic era of British pop and were part of the Second British Invasion of the Billboard Top 40 in the 1980s, selling 25 million albums and having 23 hit singles worldwide. The band have had eight UK top 10 albums, including three greatest hits compilations and an album of re-recorded material. Their musical influences ranged from punk rock and soul music to the American crooners Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muse (band)</span> English rock band

Muse are an English rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme, and Dominic Howard (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Australian Pink Floyd Show</span> Pink Floyd tribute band

The Australian Pink Floyd Show, more frequently referred to as the Australian Pink Floyd, is a Pink Floyd tribute band formed in 1988 in Adelaide, South Australia. Their live shows attempt to recreate the look, feel, and sound of Pink Floyd's later world tours, employing visual aids such as lasers, inflatables and a large display panel similar to Mr Screen. The Australian Pink Floyd Show plays venues worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lostprophets</span> Welsh rock band

Lostprophets were a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997 by singer and lyricist Ian Watkins and guitarist Lee Gaze. The group was founded after their former band Fleshbind broke up. They later recruited Mike Lewis on guitars and Mike Chiplin on drums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wembley Arena</span> Indoor arena in Wembley, London

Wembley Arena is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England. The 12,500-seat facility is London's second-largest indoor arena after The O2 Arena, and the ninth-largest in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elbow (band)</span> English alternative rock band

Elbow are an English rock band formed in Bury, Greater Manchester in 1997. The band consists of Guy Garvey, Craig Potter, Mark Potter and Pete Turner. They have played together since 1990, adopting the name Elbow in 1997. Drummer Alex Reeves replaced Richard Jupp in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bowling for Soup</span> American rock band

Bowling for Soup is an American rock band formed in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1994. The band consists of Jaret Reddick, the group's lead vocalist and guitarist, Chris Burney, the group's guitarist and a backing vocalist, Gary Wiseman, the group's drummer and percussionist, and Rob Felicetti, the group's bassist, acoustic guitarist and backing vocalist. The band is best known for its singles "Girl All the Bad Guys Want", "1985", "Almost" and "High School Never Ends". The band is also known for performing the theme song for the Disney Channel TV show Phineas and Ferb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biffy Clyro</span> Scottish rock band

Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band that formed in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, composed of Simon Neil, James Johnston, and Ben Johnston. Currently signed to 14th Floor Records, they have released nine studio albums, six of which reached the top five in the UK Albums Chart, with their sixth studio album, Opposites claiming their first UK No. 1 album. Three consecutive studio albums peaked at number one in the UK official albums chart. After their first three albums, the band expanded their following significantly in 2007 with the release of their fourth album, Puzzle, creating more mainstream songs with simpler rhythms and distancing themselves from the more unusual dissonant style present in their previous three albums. Puzzle peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart on 16 June 2007. The album went platinum in the UK in 2012, having sold over 300,000 copies. In the early 2010’s, they built up a reputation of being one of the biggest rock bands in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Editors (band)</span> English rock band

Editors are an English rock band, formed in 2002 in Birmingham. Previously known as Pilot, The Pride and Snowfield, the band currently consists of Tom Smith, Russell Leetch, Ed Lay, Justin Lockey, Elliott Williams, and Benjamin John Power.

Son of Dork were a British pop punk band formed by James Bourne after his previous band, Busted, split in January 2005. The name of the band came from a scene in the 1990 film Problem Child where the chant "Son of Dork" is used. Their debut single, "Ticket Outta Loserville", was released in November 2005, reaching No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. Their second single, "Eddie's Song", reached No. 10 in January 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grown at Home</span>

Grown at Home was a British ska punk band, tipped as "the new market leaders for their genre in this country, with a nationwide fanbase to back their unsurmountable popularity". The band formed in 2002 in Stafford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly</span> Musical artist

Sam Duckworth is an English musician who performs as Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. He is also sometimes referred to as Get Cape, Cape, GCWCF and Slam Dunkworth. According to Duckworth, his original stage name came from Retro Gamer magazine, from an article about superhero games such as Batman containing the heading "Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly", although a Calvin & Hobbes cartoon by Bill Watterson has also been cited. In addition to the Get Cape name, and his given name, Duckworth has released music under the moniker Recreations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wembley Stadium</span> Football stadium in London, England

Wembley Stadium is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 2002 to 2003. The stadium hosts major football matches including home matches of the England national football team, and the FA Cup Final. Wembley Stadium is owned by the governing body of English football, the Football Association, whose headquarters are in the stadium, through its subsidiary Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL). With 90,000 seats, it is the largest stadium in the UK and the second-largest stadium in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Lies (band)</span> English post-punk band

White Lies are an English post-punk revival band from Ealing, London. Formerly known as Fear of Flying, the core band members are Harry McVeigh, Charles Cave, and Jack Lawrence-Brown (drums). The band performs live as a four-piece, when they are joined by Tommy Bowen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Saturdays</span> British-Irish girl group

The Saturdays are an English-Irish girl group based in London, England. The group formed during the summer of 2007 and has been on hiatus since 2014. The lineup consists of Frankie Bridge, Una Healy, Rochelle Humes, Mollie King, and Vanessa White. They were formed through Fascination Records, a sub-division of Polydor Records, which gave them an instant record deal with the label. As soon as the contract was finalized, the Saturdays went on tour with Girls Aloud during their Tangled Up Tour. The group's music style is pop, but throughout their career, their management has experimented with dance-pop and electropop. Songwriters and producers Ina Wroldsen, Steve Mac, Camille Purcell, and Quiz & Larossi have helped create their music. In July 2008, The Saturdays released their debut single and first Top Ten hit, "If This Is Love". Their debut album, Chasing Lights, released the same year, charted at number nine on the UK Albums Chart; it was certified platinum by the BPI and produced three more top ten singles: "Up", "Issues", and "Just Can't Get Enough". "Work" was also released from the album. The group's first concert tour, The Work Tour, took place in 2009. The group's second album, Wordshaker, produced the Top Ten hits "Forever Is Over" and "Ego". In 2010, the Saturdays released a mini album, Headlines!, which contained the top 10 hits "Missing You" and "Higher", the latter of which featured guest vocals from Flo Rida. The mini-album was supported by the group's second concert tour, The Headlines Tour. Their third album, On Your Radar, was released in 2011 and resulted in two top 10 singles: "Notorious" and "All Fired Up".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Me at Six</span> English rock band

You Me at Six are an English rock band from Weybridge, Surrey. The band consists of lead singer Josh Franceschi, guitarists Max Helyer and Chris Miller, bassist Matt Barnes and drummer Daniel Flint. Formed in 2004, the name for the group originated as an abbreviation for the group making Friday night plans after a concert. The band has released seven studio albums and one live album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Up All Night (Take That song)</span> 2009 single by Take That

"Up All Night" is the second single from British group Take That's fifth studio album, The Circus (2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hold Up a Light</span> 2009 single by Take That

"Hold Up a Light" is the fifth and final single from British group Take That's fifth studio album, The Circus. It was released to promote Take That's first live album The Greatest Day – Take That Presents: The Circus Live.

References

  1. 1 2 "BBC - Oxford Music - The Lightyears Review". BBC Oxford. 6 April 2004. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
  2. "The Lightyears". Some Velvet Blog. 9 February 2006. Archived from the original on 27 October 2006. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
  3. "Indy Stars Shine at Awards". Metro.co.uk. 17 May 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
  4. "Lightyears ahead". Getreading.co.uk. 21 February 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  5. 1 2 "The Lightyears to Headline at CT Tens". Capetowntens.com. 19 January 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
  6. "Fleck: Thank You Cape Town". Capetowntens.com. 12 February 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
  7. "PlayPhilly.com - Hot Sheet". Playphilly.com. 3 July 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
  8. "BBC Berkshire". Bbc.co.uk. 30 June 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
  9. "Mystery Jets to play intimate London show". Nme.com. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
  10. "Local Band Feature: The Lightyears". Bbc.co.uk. 1 December 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
  11. "Sarries make history with Wembley win". Hemeltoday.co.uk. 14 September 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  12. "Band featured in TV advert for phone firm". Henleystandard.co.uk. 5 January 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  13. "Lightyears go from Wembley to memorial hall for charity bash". Windsorexpress.co.uk. 11 August 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  14. "Jamey's House of Music is the Philadelphia region's premiere intimate live concert venue, restaurant and bar". Jameyshouseofmusic.com. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  15. "The Fourth Meal". Content.yudu.com. 11 August 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  16. "Chris Lightyear signs to top literary agent". Thelightyears.com. 2 November 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  17. "Mockstars by Christopher Russell". Redbuttonpublishing.net. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  18. "Hodder signs three with musician Chris Russell". Thebookseller.com. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.