GIFTED songwriter Ed Minton is the first to admit the past few years have been a rollercoaster ride – his music has taken him on a journey all over the world.
From humble beginnings recording songs in a home-made studio in an attic flat while still at school in York, his indie rock band Elliott Minor has blazed into the public eye and his music has even managed airtime in the Army’s operational theatres.
“I have so much respect for the men and women serving their country, and it is amazing to hear that some of them have been listening to our music,” 21-year-old Minton told Soldier. “It means a lot that they enjoy what we do and that makes me happy.
“We’ve been very fortunate to have had so much support – Kerrang TV and Radio 1 have come on board and are playing our stuff. The band has been having a ball.”
By any standards, Elliot Minor have come a long way in a short time. It is just a few years since the original singer-songwriter duo of Minton and long-time friend Alex Davies were joined by drummer Dan Hetherton. They initially gigged together as The Academy after finishing their A Levels.
Having taken a gap year after school to develop the band and write new material, the bass guitarist’s brother, Teddy Hetherton, and keyboard guru Ali Paul joined the trio for live performances, completing the line-up of the re-named Elliot Minor.
Having made their mark performing, the quintet secured a record deal and released the single Parallel Worlds, which rocketed to number one in the UK indie chart in 2007. Their self-titled debut album, launched in April, broke into the top ten of the national chart and claimed the number six slot.
The band have worked closely with top US producer Jim Wirt in Los Angeles and have received a wealth of critical acclaim for their clutch of distinctive recordings.
Despite being a rock-driven act, however, the five classically-trained musicians have forged their unique sound by mixing an array of traditional instruments, including cello, violin and piano, into their music. The mix gives an edge to the album’s 11 tracks.
The group cite influences as far reaching as Brit Award winners Muse and classic bands Queen and the Beach Boys, to the movie scores of American composers such as James Horner, as the inspiration for their musical repertoire.
“To be honest, we all have our different styles. I grew up with American punk pop and Teddy is into heavy music while Alex actually likes film soundtracks,” said Minton. “Ali is into dance stuff although obviously we all listen to a number of different styles in addition to the music that we prefer.
“The classical edge to the music really comes in the harmonies although forming the band has been a long process and we don’t want to be pigeon-holed into one style. It gets annoying when you are defined by what people call your music.”
The diversity, however, seems to have played to the advantage of Elliot Minor. This slightly more leftfield outfit quickly gained a loyal fan base from their album and have been attracting scores of converts after a series of live gigs all over the country. They are also well-backed on the internet through their own MySpace page.
“We’ve had great fun hitting the venues in the UK. We’re continuing our time on the road in October and November and our long-term plans are to tour Europe towards the end of this year,” said Minton. “The travelling is absolutely great and we’re enjoying going to all these new places. We’re also looking forward to our second album.”
As for the future, Minton said he would not rule out donning helmet and body armour and putting the band forward to entertain soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan.
“We’ve come a long way already and the ride has been great fun so far,” he added. “As for performing out on operations – why not? It is something that appeals and I am very honoured to hear that British soldiers are listening to our music out there.”
