Manchester Orchestra

Manchester Orchestra (formed in 2005)

Manchester Orchestra is an American alternative rock band.

Manchester Orchestra: Formation & Career

Manchester Orchestra formed in Atlanta, Georgia. The band's leader, Andy Hull, had become alienated by what he calls his 'small-town-Georgia, Christian high school" (Province Christian Academy) so he studied at home for his senior year of high school. During that year (2004), he wrote and recorded his first album.

Early in the formation of Manchester Orchestra, an album entitled Nobody Sings Anymore was recorded. It was never released, though, due to a number of line-up alterations and changes in the band's musical direction. The lineup of the band has since stabilized to include Andy Hull on vocals, guitar and piano, Jeremiah Edmond on drums, Chris Freeman on vocals, keyboards and drums, Jonathon Corley on bass and Robert McDowell and vocals and guitar.

Some of the tracks written for that early album ended up on I Brainstorm, You Brainstorm, but Brilliance Needs a Good Editor. The EP was released on Favourite Gentleman Recordings in 2005. The title of the track 'Play It Again, Sam! You Don't Have Any Feathers' was taken from a Woody Allen film.

Manchester Orchestra's debut was entitled I'm Like A Virgin Losing A Child. It was released in 2006 to mixed reviews but caught the attention of many within the music industry and resulted in the band signing with Canvasback.

The band's next studio EP was entitled Let My Pride Be What's Left Behind and was released in October 2008.

Manchester Orchestra's second album was recorded with the producer Joe Chicarelli, who has previously worked with the Shins and My Morning Jacket. In September 2008, the band announced that the title of the album would be Mean Everything to Nothing. The album was finally released in April 2009 and prior to its release, Manchester Orchestra posted a free MP3 of one of the tracks, 'I've Got Friends' on their website. The track 'Wolves At Night' was chosen to appear on the video game, NHL 08.

Manchester Orchestra have appeared on a number of TV shows, such as Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night With Conan O'Brien. In addition to these performances, a number of their songs have been chosen to appear on the soundtrack of TV shows, such as Gossip Girl ('I Can Feel A Hot One') and One Tree Hill (Mean Everything to Nothing').