Keane

The British rock group, which later was renamed Keane, began its artistic career in Battle, England. Initially, the band was called Lotus Eaters. The year of the band formation is 1995. Today’s name Keane was given to the group in 1997 when Thomas Chaplin joined in. Before Tom joined the band, Keane mostly performed covers of the hit songs by such famous groups as The Beatles and U2. Chaplin helped the band make a real breakthrough. Together they started creating their own songs. The first single recorded by the band was “Call Me What You Like” (1999). Together with “Closer Now” and “Rubbernecking”, it was featured in the band’s first amateur album, which sold only 500 copies. In 2001, using the money the band made from the first album sales, Keane recorded their second single “Wolf at the Door”. Things seemed to be going well but soon the leading guitarist, vocalist, and co-founder of the group, Dominic Scott, left the band due to some differences with other members.  After his leave, the group had to change the sound and use the piano as the leading instrument. This was the turning point, which helped Keane create an original style, which later brought them popularity. Following the suggestion of Simon Williams, an owner of a small label Fierce Panda, the group recorded a new single “Everybody's Changing”, which suddenly became very popular. It helped the band sign a contract with Island Records, with which in 2004, they recorded their debut studio album Hopes and Fears. The LP brought the band two BRIT awards and a top spot on the UK Albums Chart. By the end of the year, it was the second most sold album in the UK.

In 2005, the band performed in the USA with U2 and conquered the hearts of the American audience. It was even nominated for a Grammy but didn’t get the award. In 2005 and 2006, the band was working on a new album, Under the Iron Sea, which came out in August. By September, the LP achieved record sales. More than a million copies were sold worldwide. The band started going on world tours. In 2008, Keane recorded its third album, in which the members added the sound of guitar and organ. The band invited a bass guitarist Jessie Quin. The first song since 2001, which featured a guitar, was “She Sells Sanctuary”. After the release, the LP Perfect Symmetry immediately went platinum. In 2010, Keane released an EP Night Train. Some of the songs were recorded with the participation of a Canadian rapper K'naan and a Japanese singer Tigarah. In the spring of 2012, the band finished working on their fourth album Strangeland, which was a big hit among the fans but received a few negative comments from the critics. The leading single “Silenced By The Night” came out in March and reached the 46th spot on the UK Singles Chart. December 2012, at the UR1 Festival in Florida, Keane gave a concert, which seemed to be their last one. After releasing a hit collection in November 2013 called The Best of Keane, the band announced a break. In 2016, the band reunited and recorded “Tear Up This Town”, which was a soundtrack to the movie A Monster Calls.  A month later, Thomas Chaplin released his first solo album The Wave. This release created rumors about disbanding of Keane. However, they are still just rumors.