Morning Parade
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Defunct | 4 December 2014 |
| Headquarters | Harlow, Essex , England |
Area served | United Kingdom, Europe, United States |
Key people | Steve Sparrow (lead vocals, piano, guitar), Phil Titus (bass guitar), Chad Thomas (guitar), Ben Giddings (piano and synthesizers), Andrew Hayes (drums) |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
Morning Parade was a five-member alternative rock group originating from Harlow, Essex, England. Established in 2007, they secured a contract with Parlophone in 2010. Their debut album, which bore the band's name, was launched in early 2012. The ensemble consisted of Steve Sparrow (lead vocals, piano, guitar), Phil Titus (bass guitar), Chad Thomas (guitar), Ben Giddings (piano and synthesizers), and Andrew Hayes (drums). The band officially parted ways on 4 December 2014.
Early days and formation
Steve Sparrow and Phil Titus crossed paths at Burnt Mill Academy in Harlow and subsequently took on labor-intensive jobs. Sparrow later met Chad Thomas at Harlow College in 2003, leading to the creation of an experimental rock outfit called Anotherstory. In this group, Sparrow handled vocals and guitar, Titus played bass, and Thomas contributed on guitar and piano. Anotherstory independently released the single "Traffic" before disbanding in 2007.
Following this, Sparrow engaged with the local independent music circuit and connected with Andy Hayes (previously of 13palms) and Ben Giddings. These additions finalized Morning Parade’s lineup that same year. Initially, the band concentrated on composing songs away from public performances. After playing fewer than twenty shows starting in 2008, they gained attention from record labels and signed with Parlophone by May 2010.
The name "Morning Parade" was inspired by the early mornings and travel involved in Titus’s plastering work, during which Sparrow assisted him as a laborer—this routine was colloquially termed the 'morning parade.'
Early tours
On 29 November 2010, Morning Parade announced plans for a UK tour scheduled for 2011. Following several concerts across the UK, they embarked on a European tour supporting The Wombats. Among their UK engagements was an appearance at the V Festival held in Chelmsford, close to their hometown of Harlow. Their planned performance at Belgium’s Pukkelpop festival in August 2011 was cancelled due to a devastating storm that caused stage collapses and fatalities.
In 2012, Morning Parade made a US television debut on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and performed at London’s Hyde Park as part of the Olympic torch relay celebrations. Between October and December that year, they toured the United States opening for The Smashing Pumpkins; one of these concerts at New York’s Barclays Center was recorded in 3D.
Debut album
The band released their eponymous first album on 5 March 2012, following prior singles including "Under The Stars," "A&E," and "Us & Ourselves." Recording took place at 13 Studios—owned by Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz fame—with Jason Cox as producer.
On 8 December 2011, they held an exclusive live preview of the album at Camden Barfly in London for a limited audience. The album was made accessible on Spotify one month ahead of its physical release.
Track listing:
- "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
The single "Under the Stars" debuted on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio One show and was officially released on 29 November 2010. It appeared in the television series The Vampire Diaries, with its music video premiering on YouTube on 2 December 2010. This track received rotation on BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music, XFM, Absolute Radio, and Q Radio.
Another song, "Speechless," featured in season four of The Vampire Diaries, specifically in the episode titled "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street."
"Shake the Cage," taken from the album Pure Adulterated Joy, was included in Konami's football video game Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 and appeared within an official promotional trailer.
Morning Parade garnered commendations from major outlets such as MTV, Vogue, and AbsolutePunk, significantly boosting their visibility within prominent media channels.
Disbandment
The group declared their disbandment on 4 December 2014 through a post on Facebook.
Phil Titus, the former bassist, died on 9 March 2023 at the age of 36.
Albums
- Morning Parade (2012)
- Pure Adulterated Joy (2014)
EPs
- Alienation (2013)
Singles
| Year | Single | Highest chart ranking | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Under The Stars" | – | Non-album track |
| "In The Name" (Vinyl only) | – | ||
| "Your Majesty" (Vinyl only) | – | ||
| 2011 | "A&E" | – | |
| "On Your Shoulders" (Limited edition of 300 copies) | – | ||
| "Us & Ourselves" | – | Morning Parade | |
| 2012 | "Headlights" | 16 | |
| 2013 | "Alienation" | – | Alienation EP |
Videos
| Title | Year | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Under The Stars (Cambridge Junction)" | 2010 | |
| "Under The Stars" | ||
| "A&E" | 2011 | |
| "Us & Ourselves" | ||
| "Headlights" | 2012 | Sherice Griffiths |
| "Carousel" | ||
| "Running Down the Aisle" | ||
| "Alienation" | 2014 | Christopher Mills |
| "Culture Vulture (Acoustic)" | James Rhodes | |
| "Reality Dream (Acoustic)" |