Morning Parade

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Morning Parade

| image = Rotw.jpg

| caption = Morning Parade performing in 2010

| image_size =

| genre = Alternative rock, indie rock

| origin = Harlow, Essex, England

| years_active = 2007–2014

| label = Parlophone
Astralwerks

| current_members =

| past_members = Steve Sparrow
Chad Thomas
Phil Titus
Ben Giddings
Andy Hayes

| associated_acts = Anotherstory, Wing Commander, Goldfish

}}

Morning Parade were an English five-piece alternative rock band from Harlow, Essex that formed in 2007 before signing with Parlophone in 2010. Its self-titled debut album was released early in 2012. The line-up was composed of Steve Sparrow (lead vocals, piano and guitar), Phil Titus (bass), Chad Thomas (guitar), Ben Giddings (piano/synths), and Andrew Hayes (drums). The band broke up on 4 December 2014.

Early days and formation

Steve Sparrow and Phil Titus met as students at Burnt Mill Academy in Harlow. They later worked together as labourers. Steve then met Chad Thomas at Harlow College in 2003. The three formed an experimental rock band called Anotherstory{{cite web |author= |url=http://www.last.fm/music/anotherstory |title=Anotherstory – Discover music, videos, concerts, stats, & pictures at |publisher=Last.fm |date=2009-02-11 |access-date=2012-04-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235617/http://www.last.fm/music/anotherstory |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=live}} which featured Sparrow on lead vocals, piano and guitar, Titus on bass and backing vocals and Thomas on guitar and piano. The other two members were Mike Pope (guitar) and Charles Gadsdon (drums). Gadsdon now owns artist management company, The QE Company. The group's first single, called Traffic, was released independently prior to breaking up in 2007.

After the split, Sparrow toured the independent music scenes of Harlow and Bishop's Stortford. During this time, he met Andy Hayes (formerly of 13palms) and Ben Giddings, who became the final two members of Morning Parade that year.{{Cite web|url=http://www.i-donline.com/i-spy/i-ntroducing-morning-parade|title=i-ntroducing Morning Parade | i-D Online|date=7 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101207155951/http://www.i-donline.com/i-spy/i-ntroducing-morning-parade |access-date=19 March 2023|archive-date=7 December 2010 }} They started out away from the public eye, instead focusing on songwriting. When they began gigging in 2008 it took fewer than 20 dates before they were approached by a record label. The band eventually signed to Parlophone in May 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.joinerslive.co.uk/product.php?xProd=1336&xSec=1|title=Morning Parade|publisher=Joinerslive.co.uk|access-date=2012-04-01}}

Their name stems from the days when Titus was working as a plasterer and Sparrow was his labourer. It required early morning starts and travelling, which they referred to as doing the 'morning parade'.

Early tours

On 29 November 2010, Morning Parade announced their 2011 UK tour.{{Cite web |url=http://www.xfm.co.uk/news/2010/morning-parade-announce-uk-tour |title=Morning Parade Announce UK Tour - Xfm |access-date=5 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202054705/http://www.xfm.co.uk/news/2010/morning-parade-announce-uk-tour |archive-date=2 December 2010 |url-status=live}} Following a number of UK shows they toured Europe with The Wombats. Their UK dates included the V Festival in Chelmsford, a few miles from Harlow. A planned performance at the Belgian Pukkelpop festival in August 2011 was cancelled after the venue was hit by an unusually heavy storm, which collapsed trees, tents and stages, killing several people.{{cite news |author=David Batty |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/aug/18/pukkelpop-belgium-festival-killer-storm |title=Storm at Belgium's Pukkelpop music festival kills five after stage collapses | Music | guardian.co.uk |work=The Guardian|date=18 August 2011 |access-date=2012-04-01 |location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605054707/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/aug/18/pukkelpop-belgium-festival-killer-storm |archive-date=5 June 2016 |url-status=live}}

In 2012, Morning Parade performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in the US and at Hyde Park in London for the torch relay which opened that year's Olympic Games.{{cite web| work = New York Music News| title = CONCERT REVIEW: SMASHING PUMPKINS & MORNING PARADE(video) AT BARCLAYS CENTER DECEMBER 10, 2012| date = 26 April 2011| url = http://nymn.com/concert-review-smashing-pumpkins-morning-paradevideo-at-barclays-center-december-10-2012-new-york-music-news/| access-date = 11 December 2012| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130116102425/http://nymn.com/concert-review-smashing-pumpkins-morning-paradevideo-at-barclays-center-december-10-2012-new-york-music-news/| archive-date = 16 January 2013| url-status = dead}} Between October and December 2012 the band toured the United States, opening for The Smashing Pumpkins. One such show at the Barclays Center in New York was shot in 3D.

Debut album

Morning Parade's eponymous debut album was released on 5 March 2012, following the release of singles "Under The Stars", "A&E" and "Us & Ourselves". It was recorded at 13 Studios, owned by Blur and Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn, and in collaboration with producer Jason Cox.

On 8 December 2011, Morning Parade played the album in full at London's Camden Barfly to a small group of fans. On 6 February the following year, a month before its physical release, the album was made available on Spotify.{{cite web |last=Planas |first=Diego |url=http://www.spotify.com/uk/blog/archives/2012/02/06/pre-release-listen-to-morning-parades-debut-album/ |title=Exclusive Pre-release – Listen to Morning Parade's Debut Album |publisher=Spotify |date=2012-02-06 |access-date=2012-04-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310125033/https://www.spotify.com/uk/blog/archives/2012/02/06/pre-release-listen-to-morning-parades-debut-album/ |archive-date=10 March 2013 |url-status=live}}

The track listing was as follows:

"Blue Winter"
"Headlights"
"Carousel"
"Running Down The Aisle"
"Us & Ourselves"
"Under The Stars"
"Close To Your Heart"
"Half Litre Bottle"
"Monday Morning"
"Speechless"
"Born Alone"
"Youth"

Airplay, press and critical acclaim

"Under the Stars" was played on Zane Lowe's show on BBC Radio One,{{Cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/zanelowe/ |title=BBC - Radio 1 - Zane Lowe - Home |access-date=5 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060204015627/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/zanelowe/ |archive-date=4 February 2006 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.spinnermusic.co.uk/2010/11/25/morning-parade-interview/ |title=Morning Parade Aim for the Arenas - Spinner UK |access-date=5 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110211025659/http://www.spinnermusic.co.uk/2010/11/25/morning-parade-interview |archive-date=11 February 2011 |url-status=live}} and released on 29 November 2010. It was also featured on The Vampire Diaries. The band released the video for "Under the Stars" on 2 December 2010 on YouTube. The song has been played on Radio 1, BBC 6 Music, XFM, Absolute Radio and Q Radio.{{Cite web |url=http://www.music-news.com/showreview.asp?H=Morning-Parade-interview&nReviewID=6562 |title=Morning Parade interview - Steve Sparrow, Chad Thomas, Phil Titus, Ben Giddings, Andy Hayes - Music-News.com |access-date=5 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922203142/http://www.music-news.com/showreview.asp?H=Morning-Parade-interview&nReviewID=6562 |archive-date=22 September 2012 |url-status=live}}

"Speechless" was featured on The Vampire Diaries, in the episode "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street", of season 4

"Shake the Cage", from their new album, Pure Adulterated Joy, was featured in Konami's football video game Pro Evolution Soccer 2015, having been earlier featured in an official trailer.{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv13s6WFI-Y |title={title} |website=YouTube |access-date=30 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529094858/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv13s6WFI-Y |archive-date=29 May 2016 |url-status=live}}

They have also received praise from MTV,{{Cite web |url= http://www.mtv.co.uk/artists/morning-parade/news/239395-morning-parade-interview |title=Morning Parade Interview {{!}} Morning Parade {{!}} News |access-date=5 December 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101112031832/http://www.mtv.co.uk/artists/morning-parade/news/239395-morning-parade-interview |archive-date= 12 November 2010 |url-status=dead}} Vogue.,{{cite web |author= Susanna Cappellaro |url= http://www.vogue.it/en/people-are-talking-about/music-theatre-cinema/2010/12/morning-parade |title=Morning Parade |publisher= Vogue.it |access-date= 2012-04-01 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110716103756/http://www.vogue.it/en/people-are-talking-about/music-theatre-cinema/2010/12/morning-parade |archive-date=16 July 2011 |url-status=live}} and AbsolutePunk.

Breakup

In a Facebook posting, on 4 December 2014, the band announced they were breaking up.{{Cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/morningparade |title={title} |website=Facebook |access-date=4 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109181637/https://www.facebook.com/morningparade |archive-date=9 January 2016 |url-status=live}}

Their former bass guitarist, Phil Titus, died on 9 March 2023, at the age of 36.{{cite news |last1=Schumacher |first1=Lukas |title=Phil Titus ist tot |url=https://www.visions.de/news/morning-parade-bassist-phil-titus-ist-tot/ |access-date=19 March 2023 |publisher=Visions.de |date=14 March 2023}}

Discography

=Studio albums=

Morning Parade (2012)
Pure Adulterated Joy (2014)

=Extended plays=

Alienation (2013)

=Singles=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
scope="col" rowspan="2"\| Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:15em;"\| Single ! scope="col"\| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"\| Album
scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"\|US Alt
rowspan="3"\|2010 \| "Under The Stars" \| – \| rowspan="5"\|Non album track
"In The Name" (Vinyl release) \| –
"Your Majesty" (Vinyl release) \| –
rowspan="3"\|2011 \| "A&E" \| –
"On Your Shoulders (Limited to 300 copies) " \| –
"Us & Ourselves" \| – \| rowspan="2"\|Morning Parade
2012 \| "Headlights" \| 16
2013 \| "Alienation" \| – \| Alienation EP

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:15em;"| Single

! scope="col"| Peak chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album

scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"|US Alt

rowspan="3"|2010

| "Under The Stars"

| –

| rowspan="5"|Non album track

"In The Name" (Vinyl release)

| –

"Your Majesty" (Vinyl release)

| –

rowspan="3"|2011

| "A&E"

| –

"On Your Shoulders (Limited to 300 copies) "

| –

"Us & Ourselves"

| –

| rowspan="2"|Morning Parade

2012

| "Headlights"

| 16

2013

| "Alienation"

| –

| Alienation EP

=Music videos=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" \|+ List of music videos, showing year released and directors
scope="col" style="width:21.5em;"\| Title ! scope="col"\| Year ! scope="col"\| Director(s)
Under The Stars ! scope="row"\| "Under The Stars (Cambridge Junction)" \| rowspan="2"\|2010 \|
scope="row"\| "Under The Stars" \|
scope="row"\| "A&E" \| rowspan="2"\|2011 \|
scope="row"\| "Us & Ourselves" \|
scope="row"\| "Headlights" \| rowspan="3"\| 2012 \| Sherice Griffiths
scope="row"\| "Carousel" \|
scope="row"\| "Running Down the Aisle" \|
scope="row"\| "Alienation" \| rowspan="3"\| 2014 \| Christopher Mills
scope="row"\| "Culture Vulture (Acoustic)" \| rowspan="2"\|James Rhodes
scope="row"\| "Reality Dream (Acoustic)"

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+ List of music videos, showing year released and directors

scope="col" style="width:21.5em;"| Title

! scope="col"| Year

! scope="col"| Director(s)

Under The Stars

! scope="row"| "Under The Stars (Cambridge Junction)"

| rowspan="2"|2010

scope="row"| "Under The Stars"

scope="row"| "A&E"

| rowspan="2"|2011

scope="row"| "Us & Ourselves"