Half bracing post-punk and half tuneful indie-pop, Glasgow's
We Were Promised Jetpacks features vocalist/guitarist
Adam Thompson, guitarist
Michael Palmer, bassist
Sean Smith, and drummer Darren Lackie. The group formed while the foursome was still attending an Edinburgh high school, where they won a battle of the bands contest with their very first gig. After graduation,
We Were Promised Jetpacks relocated to Glasgow, and their sound matured as well, moving from simple song structures and clean guitars to a more ambitious, anthemic approach. They were also inspired by fellow Glaswegians the
Twilight Sad and
Frightened Rabbit, and these influences could be heard on the three-song demo the band recorded, which received airplay on BBC, XFM, and Q Radio in the U.K., and KEXP in the States. In 2008,
We Were Promised Jetpacks toured as
Frightened Rabbit's opening act; that year, they were signed by Fat Cat Records (also home to both
Frightened Rabbit and the
Twilight Sad). In 2009, the band released two singles, Quiet Little Voices and"Roll Up Your Sleeves," before their full-length These Four Walls arrived that summer. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide