by JT Griffith Turin Brakes is a modern folk pop duo that hails from Britain. Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian were friends in elementary school and decided to try out for the cathedral choir because it would perform in front of the Queen of England, which it eventually did. The two childhood friends formed a band together and would record their freewheeling jam sessions. One of those sessions became their first release, the EP The Door, which was released on Anvil Records in 1999 and only in the U.K. Among the influences of Turin Brakes' early years were Sebadoh, Truman's Water, Prince, and the Black Crowes. The State of Things EP followed in August of 2000 (U.K. only). Turin Brakes began playing full-band live shows at the Reading and Leeds festivals. A third U.K.-only EP followed in October when the band opened for bands including Kathryn Williams, Doves, and Lowgold. The band's debut full-length album, he Optimist LP, was released worldwide in May of 2001 on Astralwerks. EMI released the LP, which includes some songs from the earlier EPs, with a bonus disc in France. The successful Ether Song from 2003 brought the group more fans and was followed by the more polished Jackinabox two years later. Turin Brakes has often been compared to such quietcore bands as Coldplay, Travis, and the Norwegian band the Kings of Convenience, whose 2001 album entitled Quiet Is the New Loud describes Turin Brakes well too.