The Electric Soft Parade

by Johnny LoftusThe Electric Soft Parade began in Brighton, where brothers Alex White (vocals/guitar) and Tom White (drums) recorded sloppy four-track albums and sold them to locals under the moniker Feltro Media. One of these recordings caught the attention of indie DB, which signed the siblings in 2001. Renamed the Electric Soft Parade and enlisting the aid of bassist Matt Thwaites and keyboardist Steve Large, that April the group issued the single "Silent to the Dark," which showcased their mix of latter-day Britpop sensibilities with doses of American-style modern rock and psychedelia. DB issued the full-length Holes in the Wall in early 2002, and extensive touring followed. There was even a bit of Oasis-style brotherly strife to spark the interest of the British music press. The Electric Soft Parade jumped to BMG for The American Adventure, which was issued in the U.K. in October 2003. Large left the band during this period, and drummer Matthew Priest was brought into the fold. The band went on the road throughout the next year, sharing the stage with bands like Elbow, Starsailor, and the Who. They then returned to the studio and recorded the Human Body EP, which arrived in 2006. The band's third full-length effort, No Need to Be Down-Hearted, came out a year later.