Ellen and the Escapades

Ellen and the Escapades

Ellen and the Escapades are a British folk-pop band from Leeds, formed in 2009 and active until 2015. The group blends folk, pop and rock, and centres on Ellen Smith’s dusky vocals and well-crafted songs.

Career

In 2009, the band is selected by BBC Introducing to play Reading Festival and Leeds Festival. The following year they win the Q Magazine/Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition and perform on one of Glastonbury’s main stages. Their profile grows through support from BBC Radio 2, BBC 6 Music and Amazing Radio, and they receive airplay and playlisting on Amazing Radio for ten weeks.

The band supports artists including Josh T. Pearson, First Aid Kit and Paolo Nutini, and appears at a wide range of festivals. Their 2011 festival dates include Glastonbury, Bestival and Green Man, alongside smaller events such as 2000 Trees, Lounge On The Farm and Winterwell. Their Green Man set is played to a full-capacity crowd and draws press attention, including positive reviews from Clash Magazine and The Line of Best Fit.

Releases

The single When The Tide Creeps In reaches number one in the Amazon.co.uk Folk chart and the Amazon.co.uk Rock chart during its release week. The band later releases its debut album, All The Crooked Scenes. The album’s title track is issued as the first single.

Line-up

The band consists of Ellen Smith, Jeff Schneider, Chris Quick and James Warrender.