Crack the Shutters
Encyclopedia
"Crack the Shutters" is a song from alternative rock
band Snow Patrol
's fifth album A Hundred Million Suns
. It was released as the follow-up single to "Take Back the City
" on different dates in December 2008 depending on the region, and was the second single taken from the album. The lyrics were written by Gary Lightbody and the music was composed by Snow Patrol. The song was described by lyricist Lightbody as the purest love song he'd ever written. The single was received generally positively by music critics, the lyrics and vocals being praised in particular.
The single was quite successful in the charts, charting in the Top 20 in the Netherlands. Though it also entered the Top 30 in Sweden and Germany, it topped the Billboard
Triple A chart. "Crack the Shutters" is also the name of a photography exhibition held by Bradley Quinn
which primarily featured his photos taken at Snow Patrol concerts.
At the time of the release of the album, SP.com posted a section featuring lead singer and lyricist Gary Lightbody discussing the new songs, which was initially a Lightbody interview to RTÉ
. About "Crack the Shutters", he said it was the purest love song he'd ever written. The album A Hundred Million Suns is noted for its positive lyrics, as Lightbody was best known before for break-up songs. The song is the one of many positive songs that Lightbody wrote for the album. In an interview with The Sunday Times
, he said, "The problem I've always had with writing about love is that you don't really stop and think about it when it's occurring. This time, I made myself think about it — how to fit it into words. The new lyrics took a lot longer than usual, but I'm proud of them." Lightbody credited producer Jacknife Lee
with helping him with lyric writing. He praised him further, adding that it was Lee who taught him the importance of the lyrics sounding as good as they're well written.
The song was placed on BBC Radio 2
's "A List" playlist for the week commencing 6 December 2008, and subsequently got played twenty times a week. The song has also been featured on the 90210
episode "Help Me, Rhonda", which aired on 3 February 2009. Additionally, the band donated the song to be used in the soundtrack for a promotional video for the "Not in My Name" campaign.
The single was released in two physical formats: a CD single and a 7" Vinyl. The CD single, which saw a full release featured a new song, the previously unreleased b-side "Cubicles". The 7" Vinyl, which had a limited release featured a cover of Elbow
's "One Day Like This
", recorded on Jo Whiley
's "Live Lounge
on Tour". The pressing was limited to 500 copies, and was only available at HMV
Music Stores. An iTunes Store
bundle included the single and the "Haunts Remix" of the song. Another iTunes single was the "Kid Glove Remix" of the track. Both singles were made available digitally on 14 December 2008. The physical single was released on 12 December in Ireland, 15 December in the UK, and 16 December in Australia and Germany, and 19 December in the Netherlands.
. The video opens with the band playing the opening bars of the song on their respective instruments.
Gary Lightbody is then shown singing the lyrics with the camera focused on his lips. The camera zooms out, slowly revealing his full face. As the song reaches its chorus, the camera zooms out quickly to show the whole band and a crowd of people are shown running past. The people disappear as the chorus ends. Till the next chorus, there are interspersed shots of all five band members.
The second chorus again shows a crowd of people running past the band. As the second chorus nears its end, a crowd of people are shown approaching the band with flashlights in their hands. The shots then shown of the band performing appear as if it is a live performance in an arena. The band goes on to finish the song, and the video ends with a shot of Lightbody resting on his microphone.
"One Day Like This" is a cover of the song by Elbow
. Recorded on Jo Whiley's "Live Lounge on Tour".
's Jairne Gill reviewed the single positively, giving it 7 stars out of 10. In spite of this, he criticized Snow Patrol for "established the kind of ruthless commercial formula more commonly associated with corporations like Microsoft or Starbucks." He also said that "the first single back is always a semi-rocky, fidgety beast - as if to reassure people they are still an indie band at heart, you know - and is swiftly followed by a big, sweltering, lovelorn ballad designed to make housewives melt and bring US television executives in search of a season finale running to them with blank cheques." He went on the say the song was rather lovely. He praised the guitar and glockenspiel in the song, and called the chorus "a warm hug". He also felt that vocalist Gary Lightbody's feelings sound genuine in the song. The Sunday Mail
's Avril Cadden, though called the song "nothing new and typical Snow Patrol", but defended it, saying that it has "a cracking tune and the best from that album." To her, Snow Patrol were "back on form". She further praised the song, calling it "rousing and effective". She also called the lyrics "heartfelt" and the vocals "emotive", which "give you a warm glow". She awarded the single 4 stars out of 5. The Daily Record
's John Dingwall also gave the single 4 stars out of 5. He called the album "brilliant" and the song "cleverly-written". He felt the delivery of the vocals was "perfect" and Gary Lightbody's "emotive vocals" provided "the icing on the cake."
Nick Levine of Digital Spy
, however reviewed the single negatively, giving it 2 stars out of five. He wrote that the single sounded similar to their earlier work, and that it "chugs along from intimate, piano-driven verses to choruses that are supposed to coax the mobile phones out of punters' pockets at their arena gigs". He criticized the chorus for not being "as rousing as it thinks it is". He ended saying fans should rather buy Take That
's album The Circus
instead. The Sun
's Poppy Cosyns called the single a "lok-key offering" and gave it 3 stars out of 5. She felt the lyrics were "littered with cliches and gooey romance".
The song was named the "Record of the Week" in the Netherlands for week 2 of 2009. The single was quite successful on the charts, charting in eight different countries around the world. The single peaked at #43 in the UK Singles Chart
, making it the band's first single to miss the UK Top 40 since the original release of "Spitting Games
", back in 2003. The single lasted eight weeks in the UK Top 75, and ten weeks in the UK Top 100. However, the song was a success in the Netherlands, reaching #14, as did Snow Patrol's other most successful Dutch single: "Shut Your Eyes
" but charting five weeks less than the latter. Furthermore, the single topped the Triple A chart in the United States, a feat previously achieved by "Take Back the City", the previous single released from A Hundred Million Suns. Till date, the single has spent a total of seventy weeks on record charts around the world.
Other personnel
Festival, organized by the Urban Arts Academy. Held at Gallery 2 of the Waterfront Hall
in Belfast
on 8 July 2009 until the end of the month, the exhibition featured photographer Bradley Quinn
's series of Snow Patrol concert photos, both onstage and offstage. Bradley is the brother of Snow Patrol drummer Jonny Quinn
and was classmates with Gary Lightbody in school. He has known the band members from before the band existed and was the one who took their first press shots.
Along with tour diaries and music videos, the exhibition showcased the sixteen minute animation for "The Lightning Strike", which the band has been playing at recent concerts like the Taking Back the Cities Tour. Indie rock
group Cashier No. 9, who supported Snow Patrol during their UK & Ireland Arena Tour of February–March 2009 also played a concert, which was open to all ages. To mark the event, SP.com organized a competition to give away five signed and unframed limited edition prints of Bradley's work. Fans were required to email in their details to participate.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
's fifth album A Hundred Million Suns
A Hundred Million Suns
A Hundred Million Suns is the fifth album by alternative rock band Snow Patrol. The album was written by Snow Patrol and was produced by long time producer Jacknife Lee who has previously produced albums for Bloc Party, R.E.M., and U2. The songs were recorded through the summer of 2008 in Hansa...
. It was released as the follow-up single to "Take Back the City
Take Back the City
"Take Back the City" is a song from alternative rock band Snow Patrol's fifth album A Hundred Million Suns. It was released as the lead single from the album on different dates in October 2008, depending on the region. The lyrics were written by Gary Lightbody and the music was composed by Snow...
" on different dates in December 2008 depending on the region, and was the second single taken from the album. The lyrics were written by Gary Lightbody and the music was composed by Snow Patrol. The song was described by lyricist Lightbody as the purest love song he'd ever written. The single was received generally positively by music critics, the lyrics and vocals being praised in particular.
The single was quite successful in the charts, charting in the Top 20 in the Netherlands. Though it also entered the Top 30 in Sweden and Germany, it topped the Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
Triple A chart. "Crack the Shutters" is also the name of a photography exhibition held by Bradley Quinn
Bradley Quinn
Bradley Quinn is a commercial photographer based in Holywood, Northern Ireland. He is the principal photographer of Northern Irish bands Snow Patrol and Cashier No. 9. He is younger brother to Jonny Quinn, the drummer for Snow Patrol. He worked under photographer before starting his own business,...
which primarily featured his photos taken at Snow Patrol concerts.
Background
The song came into being when Gary Lightbody was "tinkering" with the piano with some ideas the band had, and played the first bars of the song. The band laid the song in the studio the same day, which came out quite "fully formed". The initial version of the song has the same structure as the version that appears on the album. The lyric 'crack the shutters open wide' was the first that came to Lightbody, who further commented that its "the most natural song on the album, it's about the most natural thing in the world".At the time of the release of the album, SP.com posted a section featuring lead singer and lyricist Gary Lightbody discussing the new songs, which was initially a Lightbody interview to RTÉ
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
. About "Crack the Shutters", he said it was the purest love song he'd ever written. The album A Hundred Million Suns is noted for its positive lyrics, as Lightbody was best known before for break-up songs. The song is the one of many positive songs that Lightbody wrote for the album. In an interview with The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, he said, "The problem I've always had with writing about love is that you don't really stop and think about it when it's occurring. This time, I made myself think about it — how to fit it into words. The new lyrics took a lot longer than usual, but I'm proud of them." Lightbody credited producer Jacknife Lee
Jacknife Lee
Garret "Jacknife" Lee is an Irish music producer and mixer. He has worked with a variety of artists, including The Cars, U2, R.E.M., Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, AFI, The Hives, Weezer, Vega4 and Editors.-Biography:...
with helping him with lyric writing. He praised him further, adding that it was Lee who taught him the importance of the lyrics sounding as good as they're well written.
Promotion and release
The song became a fan favorite on the Take Back the Cities Tour. SP.com organized a competition for fans to design the artwork for the single. The only rule was to have "Snow Patrol" and "Crack the Shutters" on the artwork. The winning entry was used on the official website only remix version of the single and the band themselves chose the winner.The song was placed on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
's "A List" playlist for the week commencing 6 December 2008, and subsequently got played twenty times a week. The song has also been featured on the 90210
90210 (TV series)
90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS...
episode "Help Me, Rhonda", which aired on 3 February 2009. Additionally, the band donated the song to be used in the soundtrack for a promotional video for the "Not in My Name" campaign.
The single was released in two physical formats: a CD single and a 7" Vinyl. The CD single, which saw a full release featured a new song, the previously unreleased b-side "Cubicles". The 7" Vinyl, which had a limited release featured a cover of Elbow
Elbow (band)
Elbow are an English rock band. They have played together since 1990 and recorded five studio albums, the most recent of which is Build a Rocket Boys!, released in March 2011...
's "One Day Like This
One Day Like This
"One Day Like This" is the second single from Elbow's fourth album The Seldom Seen Kid, released on 2 June 2008 on two 7" vinyl records and one CD single. "One Day Like This" debuted at #39 in the UK Singles Chart on 8 June 2008, marking Elbow's seventh UK Top 40 single. After 14 weeks, the single...
", recorded on Jo Whiley
Jo Whiley
Johanne "Jo" Whiley is a British radio disc jockey and television presenter. She was the host of the long running weekday Jo Whiley Show on Radio 1.-Early life and education:...
's "Live Lounge
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
on Tour". The pressing was limited to 500 copies, and was only available at HMV
HMV Group
HMV is a British global entertainment retail chain and is the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company also operates in Hong Kong and Singapore. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE Fledgling Index...
Music Stores. An iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
bundle included the single and the "Haunts Remix" of the song. Another iTunes single was the "Kid Glove Remix" of the track. Both singles were made available digitally on 14 December 2008. The physical single was released on 12 December in Ireland, 15 December in the UK, and 16 December in Australia and Germany, and 19 December in the Netherlands.
Music video
The music video for the song was shot after the band finished the Take Back the Cities whistle-stop tour. It was produced by Suza Horvat and directed by Kevin GodleyKevin Godley
Kevin Godley is a British musician and music video director.He was born in a family of Jewish descent, and went to North Cestrian Grammar School in Altrincham....
. The video opens with the band playing the opening bars of the song on their respective instruments.
Gary Lightbody is then shown singing the lyrics with the camera focused on his lips. The camera zooms out, slowly revealing his full face. As the song reaches its chorus, the camera zooms out quickly to show the whole band and a crowd of people are shown running past. The people disappear as the chorus ends. Till the next chorus, there are interspersed shots of all five band members.
The second chorus again shows a crowd of people running past the band. As the second chorus nears its end, a crowd of people are shown approaching the band with flashlights in their hands. The shots then shown of the band performing appear as if it is a live performance in an arena. The band goes on to finish the song, and the video ends with a shot of Lightbody resting on his microphone.
Track listing
- UK/Australian CD Single:
- "Crack the Shutters" – 3:20
- "Cubicles" – 3:11
- European CD:
- "Crack the Shutters" – 3:20
- "Cubicles" – 3:11
- "Crack the Shutters" (Haunts Remix) – 5:01
- "Crack the Shutters" (Kid Glove Remix) – 4:16
- "Take Back the City" (Video)
- SP.com Exclusive:
- "Crack the Shutters" (Kid Glove Remix) - 4:16
- 7" Vinyl:
- A: "Crack the Shutters" – 3:20
- B: "One Day Like This" (Live) – 5:03
"One Day Like This" is a cover of the song by Elbow
Elbow (band)
Elbow are an English rock band. They have played together since 1990 and recorded five studio albums, the most recent of which is Build a Rocket Boys!, released in March 2011...
. Recorded on Jo Whiley's "Live Lounge on Tour".
- iTunes Bundle:
- "Crack the Shutters" – 3:20
- "Crack the Shutters" (Haunts Remix) – 5:01
- iTunes Digital Download:
- "Crack the Shutters" (Kid Glove Remix) – 4:16
- Promo CD:
- "Crack the Shutters" – 3:24
Reception
Critical reception towards the single was generally positive. Yahoo! MusicYahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
's Jairne Gill reviewed the single positively, giving it 7 stars out of 10. In spite of this, he criticized Snow Patrol for "established the kind of ruthless commercial formula more commonly associated with corporations like Microsoft or Starbucks." He also said that "the first single back is always a semi-rocky, fidgety beast - as if to reassure people they are still an indie band at heart, you know - and is swiftly followed by a big, sweltering, lovelorn ballad designed to make housewives melt and bring US television executives in search of a season finale running to them with blank cheques." He went on the say the song was rather lovely. He praised the guitar and glockenspiel in the song, and called the chorus "a warm hug". He also felt that vocalist Gary Lightbody's feelings sound genuine in the song. The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail (Scotland)
The Sunday Mail is a Scottish tabloid newspaper published every Sunday. It is the sister paper of the Daily Record and is owned by Trinity Mirror and as such has a left-wing outlook which in turn tends to guide Scottish political debate in that direction.The Sunday Mail is read by over one million...
's Avril Cadden, though called the song "nothing new and typical Snow Patrol", but defended it, saying that it has "a cracking tune and the best from that album." To her, Snow Patrol were "back on form". She further praised the song, calling it "rousing and effective". She also called the lyrics "heartfelt" and the vocals "emotive", which "give you a warm glow". She awarded the single 4 stars out of 5. The Daily Record
Daily Record (Scotland)
The Daily Record is a Scottish tabloid newspaper based in Glasgow. It had been the best-selling daily paper in Scotland for many years with a paid circulation in August 2011 of 307,794 . It is now outsold by its arch-rival the Scottish Sun which in September 2010 had a circulation of 339,586 in...
's John Dingwall also gave the single 4 stars out of 5. He called the album "brilliant" and the song "cleverly-written". He felt the delivery of the vocals was "perfect" and Gary Lightbody's "emotive vocals" provided "the icing on the cake."
Nick Levine of Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
, however reviewed the single negatively, giving it 2 stars out of five. He wrote that the single sounded similar to their earlier work, and that it "chugs along from intimate, piano-driven verses to choruses that are supposed to coax the mobile phones out of punters' pockets at their arena gigs". He criticized the chorus for not being "as rousing as it thinks it is". He ended saying fans should rather buy Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
's album The Circus
The Circus (Take That album)
The Circus is the fifth studio album from the British pop band Take That. The album was released on 1 December 2008.- Album information :...
instead. The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
's Poppy Cosyns called the single a "lok-key offering" and gave it 3 stars out of 5. She felt the lyrics were "littered with cliches and gooey romance".
The song was named the "Record of the Week" in the Netherlands for week 2 of 2009. The single was quite successful on the charts, charting in eight different countries around the world. The single peaked at #43 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, making it the band's first single to miss the UK Top 40 since the original release of "Spitting Games
Spitting Games
"Spitting Games" is the lead single from Snow Patrol's third album, Final Straw, released on 15 September 2003.It was featured on the video game MVP Baseball 2004 and numerous Club Football 2005 titles. The track was also featured in "Everything Changes", the first episode of the Doctor Who...
", back in 2003. The single lasted eight weeks in the UK Top 75, and ten weeks in the UK Top 100. However, the song was a success in the Netherlands, reaching #14, as did Snow Patrol's other most successful Dutch single: "Shut Your Eyes
Shut Your Eyes
"Shut Your Eyes" is a song by the UK band Snow Patrol. Initially a track on their 2006 album Eyes Open, it was released as a single in several countries in 2007....
" but charting five weeks less than the latter. Furthermore, the single topped the Triple A chart in the United States, a feat previously achieved by "Take Back the City", the previous single released from A Hundred Million Suns. Till date, the single has spent a total of seventy weeks on record charts around the world.
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
50 |
| Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
29 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
43 |
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100... |
11 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Canadian Digital Singles | 58 |
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
| Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
32 |
| Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders Flanders Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp... ) |
42 |
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
14 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 32 |
| Media Control Charts Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
28 |
| Swiss Charts Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
72 |
| Ultratip (Wallonia) | 19 |
| UK Singles Charts | 50 |
| U.S. Billboard Triple A Tracks Adult album alternative Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats.... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts... |
37 |
| U.S. Billboard European Hot 100 Singles Eurochart Hot 100 Singles The European Hot 100 Singles has been compiled by Billboard and Music & Media magazine since March, 1984. The chart is based on national singles sales charts in 15 European countries: Austria, Belgium , Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden,... |
65 |
| U.S. Billboard Japan Hot 100 Japan Hot 100 The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com .... |
67 |
Personnel
Snow Patrol- Gary LightbodyGary LightbodyGary Lightbody is an Northern Irish musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Snow Patrol.- Early life :...
– vocals, guitar, backing vocals - Nathan ConnollyNathan ConnollyNathan Connolly is a Northern Irish musician, who is best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for alternative rock band Snow Patrol.-Early life:...
– guitar, backing vocals - Paul WilsonPaul Wilson (musician)Paul "Pablo" Wilson is a Scottish musician, who is best known as the bass guitarist for Northern Irish alternative rock band Snow Patrol. He previously played guitar in Glasgow band Terra Diablo from 2000–2005. In March 2005, he replaced bassist Mark McClelland in Snow Patrol and switched...
– bass guitar, backing vocals - Jonny QuinnJonny QuinnJonathan Graham "Jonny" Quinn is a Northern Irish drummer, born in Bangor. He is best known as the drummer for alternative rock band Snow Patrol, and was previously a member of bands like The Mighty Fall, The New Brontes and Disraeli Gears. As drummer for Snow Patrol, he has played on all releases...
– drums - Tom SimpsonTom Simpson (musician)Tom Simpson is a Scottish DJ and musician, best known as the keyboardist of the Northern Irish alternative rock band Snow Patrol. He has been with Snow Patrol as a touring member since 1997 and became a permanent one in 2005. In 2007, he was arrested on drug charges, but was later...
– keyboards
Other personnel
- Jacknife LeeJacknife LeeGarret "Jacknife" Lee is an Irish music producer and mixer. He has worked with a variety of artists, including The Cars, U2, R.E.M., Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, AFI, The Hives, Weezer, Vega4 and Editors.-Biography:...
– producer - Cenzo Townshend – mixing
- Neil Comber – mixing (assistant)
- John Davis – mastering
Release history
| Country/Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 12 December 2008 | Compact disc |
| Worldwide | 14 December 2008 | iTunes |
| United Kingdom | 15 December 2008 | Compact disc, 7" vinyl |
| Australia | 16 December 2008 | Compact disc |
| Germany | ||
| Netherlands | 19 December 2008 |
Exhibition
"Crack the Shutters" is also the name of an exhibition held at the annual TransTrans (Festival)
trans is an annual, non-commercial arts festival held in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is Linked with the Urban Arts Academy and is organised by the Belfast Waterfront Hall...
Festival, organized by the Urban Arts Academy. Held at Gallery 2 of the Waterfront Hall
Waterfront Hall
The Waterfront Hall is a multi-purpose facility, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by local architects' firm Robinson McIlwaine. Practice partner Peter McGukin was the project architect....
in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
on 8 July 2009 until the end of the month, the exhibition featured photographer Bradley Quinn
Bradley Quinn
Bradley Quinn is a commercial photographer based in Holywood, Northern Ireland. He is the principal photographer of Northern Irish bands Snow Patrol and Cashier No. 9. He is younger brother to Jonny Quinn, the drummer for Snow Patrol. He worked under photographer before starting his own business,...
's series of Snow Patrol concert photos, both onstage and offstage. Bradley is the brother of Snow Patrol drummer Jonny Quinn
Jonny Quinn
Jonathan Graham "Jonny" Quinn is a Northern Irish drummer, born in Bangor. He is best known as the drummer for alternative rock band Snow Patrol, and was previously a member of bands like The Mighty Fall, The New Brontes and Disraeli Gears. As drummer for Snow Patrol, he has played on all releases...
and was classmates with Gary Lightbody in school. He has known the band members from before the band existed and was the one who took their first press shots.
Along with tour diaries and music videos, the exhibition showcased the sixteen minute animation for "The Lightning Strike", which the band has been playing at recent concerts like the Taking Back the Cities Tour. Indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
group Cashier No. 9, who supported Snow Patrol during their UK & Ireland Arena Tour of February–March 2009 also played a concert, which was open to all ages. To mark the event, SP.com organized a competition to give away five signed and unframed limited edition prints of Bradley's work. Fans were required to email in their details to participate.