Athlete released this song ten years ago. It was a relative success, doing well in Britain, topping off at number 4 of their singles charts. However, the song, and the band, have had very limited success in the U.S. I’m not sure why, though.
This song is easily one of my favorites, not just of theirs, but just one of my favorite songs period.
Athlete lead singer Joel Pott wrote the song as a result of the “harrowing” experience of almost losing someone you love. Turns out it was his daughter, who was born prematurely.
The London based band won significant praise after their first two albums, Vehicles and Animals and then Tourist, with ‘Wires’ coming from the latter. However, rather than sticking to the formula that was working so well for them, they decided to change their tune. They began exploring different types of music and have released a couple more albums. However, they have not matched the market success of either of their first two albums, although the critical acclaim has remained high.
Athlete’s work has been used on numerous television programs. ‘Wires’ itself has been on the soundtracks of One Tree Hill and The Vampire Diaries. It was also the theme song for a program on The Learning Channel called Diagnosis X. I guess the connection there is obvious.
I hope you enjoy Athlete as much as I.
Athlete with a clever photo shoot in support of their album ‘Black Swan.’ (Photo from http://www.athlete.mu/band)