The great chasm for any musician is the distance between what they hear in their heads and what reaches listeners' ears. Unless you're a band committed to either effete esoterica or stage-humping feral lunacy, your success largely depends on how well you reconcile the purity of your musical ideas with an audience's need for hooks and melody. People in Planes is a five-piece indie pop outfit from Cardiff, Wales, that makes lush modern rock with an ambitious attitude. Friends since their youth in Porthcawl, vocalist Gareth Jones and guitarist Peter Roberts were first inspired to form a band in their early teens after listening nonstop to Supergrass' 1995 album I Should Coco. This early and tight musical bond was later rounded out in People in Planes with bassist Kris Blight, drummer John Maloney, and keyboardist Ian Russell. Originally called Tetra Splendour, the group released Splendid Animation in 2002 on the EMI imprint Wishakismo. Touring with Fun Lovin' Criminals and Biffy Clyro followed, as did a spot at the 2002 Reading Festival. After things with EMI didn't work out for the long run, the group re-energized with new ideas and, after adding Russell on keyboards, christened themselves with their aerodynamic moniker. They recorded their debut album, As Far as the Eye Can See, with producer Sam Williams, who, incidentally, also produced the album that had such an influence on the band, I Should Coco. Their first American show occurred at New York's Mercury Lounge amid a growing buzz, and led to somewhat of a bidding war for the band. The group wound up inking a deal with Wind-Up Records in spring 2005; a self-titled EP came next before their full-length was released worldwide in March 2006. People in Planes played a slot at South by Southwest before heading out on a subsequent tour with Blue October. Actor and fan Joaquin Phoenix also directed the video for the album's first single, "If You Talk Too Much (My Head Will Explode)." Corey Apar, All Music Guide.
