Morning Runner
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2003 in Reading, Berkshire, England |
| Defunct | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Reading , England |
| Products | Alternative rock music |
Number of employees | 4 |
Morning Runner was an English alternative rock group established in 2003 in Reading, Berkshire. The band consisted of vocalist and guitarist Matthew Jonathan Greener, drummer Ali Clewer, bassist Tom Derrett, and pianist Chris "Fields" Wheatcroft.
They produced a single album titled Wilderness Is Paradise Now, which included the top 20 hit "Burning Benches". The band dissolved in late 2007, primarily due to commercial challenges imposed by their record label, Parlophone.
Formation and initial phase (2003–2005)
Originating in Reading, Berkshire, Morning Runner featured pianist Chris "Fields" Wheatcroft, who moved from Salisbury after leaving a classical music program. Vocalist and guitarist Matthew Jonathan Greener, originally from Nottingham, relocated to Reading with his family during his teenage years. Drummer Ali Clewer and bassist Tom Derrett were both natives of Reading.
Before forming Morning Runner, Greener had experience as a drummer in another band and performed solo. When he was invited to join a band again, he quickly brought together Derrett and Clewer, who had previously played in the Reading-based band Jericho. At their first live performance, Fields joined the lineup, contributing a melodic element that Derrett credited as transformative: "The three of us were playing as loud as possible," he recalled, "then Fields arrived and introduced melody."
Initially performing under Greener’s name, the group soon adopted the name "Morning Runner," inspired by Greener’s observation of early morning joggers symbolizing personal growth despite life's fleeting nature.
In 2003, they signed with Manchester’s independent label Faith & Hope and released The Great Escape in 2004. Their increasing momentum led to a contract with major label Parlophone in November 2004, paving the way for extensive touring opportunities.
During 2005, Morning Runner embarked on numerous tours supporting artists such as Ian Brown, Bloc Party, The Magic Numbers, The Pogues, and notably served as opening act for Coldplay on several dates of their Twisted Logic Tour, thereby strengthening their audience base.
Wilderness Is Paradise Now era (2005–2006)
Following some initial difficulties, Morning Runner teamed up with producer John Cornfield to create their debut album. In May, they released their first EP under Parlophone, titled Drawing Shapes, which received acclaim from NME, The Guardian, Steve Lamacq, and Jo Whiley. The EP's name derived from lead singer/guitarist Matthew Greener’s inspiration drawn from observing simple geometric forms during an amusing weekend. This was succeeded by their debut single "Gone Up in Flames" in August.
At the start of 2006, the band embarked on a three-month headline tour across the UK to support their upcoming album. February saw the release of the single "Burning Benches", which reached the UK top 20 and was selected as single of the week by multiple BBC Radio 1 presenters. Their debut album, Wilderness Is Paradise Now, launched on 6 March 2006 to generally positive critical feedback but modest commercial performance.
Mike Pattenden of The Times praised the album's strong introduction and highlighted its slower tracks for possessing a "transcendent quality," indicating promising longevity. Despite this, some critics accused the band of resembling piano-centric groups such as Coldplay and Keane, although others contested this comparison; NME’s Paul McNamee suggested they could surpass Keane’s success, while Phil Mongredien of Q contended that likening them to Coldplay was unfair.
Throughout summer 2006, Morning Runner maintained their reputation for compelling live shows by appearing at prominent UK festivals including the Isle of Wight Festival, T in the Park, V Festival, and Guilfest. They also supported Embrace during the Forestry Commission's 'Forest Tours 2006'. The promotional activities for Wilderness Is Paradise Now concluded in August with a hometown performance in Reading followed by a headline appearance at Manifest in Mexico.
Development of a sophomore album and Morning Runner's dissolution (2006–2007)
In September 2006, the group initiated work on their follow-up album, showcasing fresh tracks during small-scale performances in January and February 2007. They continued performing through the middle of 2007 and were close to completing the songwriting process by August when they began searching for a producer. Nevertheless, on 10 October, Morning Runner declared their disbandment, attributing it to pressure from their label, Parlophone, which considered their sound "not commercially viable" and demanded a hit single following the "relative commercial underperformance" of their debut release. Reflecting on this challenging period, Matthew Greener later described the strain they faced. The band also mentioned the possibility of Greener and Ali Clewer collaborating further and expressed gratitude to their supporters.
Following the breakup, several Morning Runner songs received notable exposure: "Gone Up in Flames" was selected as the theme for E4's The Inbetweeners, featured in Setanta Sports' IPL broadcasts, and included on the FIFA 07 soundtrack; meanwhile, "Burning Benches" was utilized in Adidas' 'Impossible is Nothing' advertising campaign.
After the breakup
Once the band had parted ways, Greener spoke about potentially releasing demos from their unfinished second album. He performed solo acoustic shows before partnering with Clewer in 2011 to form Glass, an electronic-focused project. Glass supported Pete & The Pirates on tour before rebranding as Perfect Life in 2012; however, they disbanded in early 2014 without any commercial releases. During this time, Clewer moved to Berlin. Greener maintained occasional solo appearances while managing his own heating and plumbing enterprise, Greener Heating & Plumbing.
Morning Runner briefly reunited in February 2014 for an informal free performance at Oakford Social Club in Reading.
Members
The lineup consisted of:
- Matthew Greener – lead vocals and guitar
- Tom Derrett – bass guitar and backing vocals
- Chris "Fields" Wheatcroft – piano/keyboard and backing vocals
- Ali Clewer – drums and percussion
Albums
- Wilderness Is Paradise Now (6 March 2006), released through Parlophone / Faith & Hope – reached No. 25 on UK charts
EPs
- The Great Escape (21 June 2004), Faith & Hope
- Drawing Shapes (23 May 2005), Parlophone / Faith & Hope – peaked at No. 70 UK
Singles
| Title | Release date | Album | Label | Highest UK Chart Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Gone Up in Flames" | 1 August 2005 | Wilderness Is Paradise Now | Parlophone / Faith & Hope | 39 |
| "Be All You Want Me to Be" | 24 October 2005 | Wilderness Is Paradise Now | Parlophone / Faith & Hope | 44 |
| "Have a Good Time" (Limited edition) | 12 December 2005 | Wilderness Is Paradise Now | Faith & Hope | — |
| "Burning Benches" | 20 February 2006 | Wilderness Is Paradise Now | Parlophone / Faith & Hope | 19 |
| "The Great Escape" (Limited edition) | 15 May 2006 | Wilderness Is Paradise Now | Parlophone / Faith & Hope | 56 |
| "Oceans" (Limited edition) | 14 August 2006 | Wilderness Is Paradise Now | Parlophone / Faith & Hope | — |