Snow Patrol originally formed in 1994 under the name Shrug. In 1995, they released an extended play titled The Yogurt vs. Yogurt Debate. That year, the band changed their name to Polar Bear and released a second EP, Starfighter Pilot. Drummer Jonny Quinn joined the group, and the band signed to Jeepster Records the same year. They then underwent their final name change to Snow Patrol. Their first two albums for the label failed to do well commercially. Subsequently, the band was dropped by the label. Guitarist Nathan Connolly joined in 2002. Their third studio album, Final Straw, was released in 2003 and was a commercial success. “Run” became their breakthrough single in the United Kingdom, charting in the Top 5 on the singles chart. Their next album, Eyes Open, released in 2006, was more successful. Sales of the album were boosted by the success of the Grammy-nominated “Chasing Cars,” which reached the Top 10 in the U.K. and number five on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. It sold over two million copies in the U.K. and achieved platinum status in the United States. In 2008, the band released their fifth studio album, A Hundred Million Suns. The album debuted at number two in the U.K., narrowly missing the top spot. The album reached number nine on the U.S. Billboard 200 Albums chart and was certified platinum in the U.K.. During the course of their career, Snow Patrol has won five Meteor Ireland Music Awards and have been nominated for three BRIT Awards. They released Fallen Empires in 2011, and they continue to tour the globe.
