Air Traffic

Formed in Bournemouth in 2003, Air Traffic brings together Chris Wall, Tom Pritchard, David Ryan Jordan and Jim Maddock around a British alternative rock sound in which the piano plays a central role, balancing indie rock energy with nervy pop songwriting. After notable beginnings with the double A-side single Just Abuse Me / Charlotte in 2006 and the Never Even Told Me Her Name EP in the same year, the band settled in London, signed to EMI and quickly established itself in the circuit of new British acts in the second half of the 2000s, with BBC radio play and live appearances alongside Snow Patrol or Elbow. Air Traffic released its debut album, Fractured Life, in 2007, propelled especially by the tracks Charlotte, Shooting Star and No More Running Away, with a direct, melodic and taut sound, defined by the meeting of incisive guitars, a very present piano and expressive vocals. After several tours in the United Kingdom, Europe and festival appearances such as Rock Werchter, the band slowed its activity at the end of the 2000s, following the departure of David Ryan Jordan and an announced pause in 2010. Air Traffic reformed occasionally from 2017 for a series of concerts tied to the Fractured Life anniversary, then returned with new dates and a few tracks released after this initial period, including Almost Human in 2017 and Ocean Life in 2019.