Creeper (band)

2014–16: Formation and early years

Creeper were formed in Southampton in 2014 by lead vocalist Will Gould and guitarist and backing vocalist Ian Miles, who had previously worked together as members of post-hardcore band Our Time Down Here, along with second guitarist Sina Nemati, bassist and backing vocalist Sean Scott, and drummer Dan Bratton.^[1] The quartet independently released their self-titled debut EP on 19 June 2014, which was later issued as a limited edition 12" vinyl by Palm Reader Records on 18 December.^[2] The band played their first headline show at the Joiners Arms on 1 August,^[3] followed by their first performance in London at The Old Blue Last on 13 September and a stint supporting Welsh group Funeral for a Friend.^[4][5] In June 2015 the group signed with Roadrunner Records and played at Download Festival for the first time.^[6] The band's second EP, The Callous Heart, was released on 18 September 2015 and launched at a special show three days before at the Old Blue Last.^[7][8] Later in the year, the group toured with Misfits and later Moose Blood, as well as performing at the UK Warped Tour in October.^[7]

In December 2015, it was announced that Nemati had left Creeper in order to "concentrate on his sound engineering career in London", while touring keyboardist Hannah Greenwood was upgraded to a full-time member.^[1][9] The group's third EP, The Stranger, was released on 19 February 2016 and entered the UK Albums Chart at number 130.^[10] The EP was promoted on a headline tour with Scottish support band Grader, as well as dates supporting Neck Deep and WSTR.^[1][9] In May 2016, Creeper supported Black Veil Brides vocalist Andy Biersack on his Homecoming Tour,^[11] as well as performing second on the bill for Funeral for a Friend at their final show on 21 May at the O2 Forum.^[12] In June, the group contributed a cover of Iron Maiden's "The Evil That Men Do" to Kerrang! magazine's Maiden Heaven Volume 2: An All-Star Tribute To Iron Maiden album,^[13] and in August they contributed a recording of My Chemical Romance's "This Is How I Disappear" to the Rock Sound free release Rock Sound Presents... The Black Parade.^[14]

2016–present: Eternity, in Your Arms

Keyboardist Hannah Greenwood, formerly a touring musician for the band, joined Creeper full-time in late 2015.

After Creeper performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August 2016, the band's Twitter account began posting images of white noise, before their personal accounts were hidden or removed.^[15] A Southampton phone number used to promote The Stranger then featured a new voicemail message, which provided a link to a website detailing "the disappearance of James Scythe", featuring references to the band's EPs.^[15] In October, the band resurfaced with the announcement of their debut full-length album Eternity, in Your Arms, along with the release of its first track and video "Suzanne".^[16] Gould offered the following explanation of the album's inspiration: "Eternity, in Your Arms is a record, this time not only about being young and heartbroken, but about transition, about age and loss. Not only the loss of life, but the loss of ourselves. The pieces of the people we were."^[16] The band later supported Pierce the Veil alongside Letlive on a tour of the UK and Europe, which started on 29 October and ran until 6 December.^[17]

"Hiding with Boys" was released as the second track from Eternity, in Your Arms on 11 December 2016 when it was premiered on the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show, with a music video released for the track the following day.^[18] In promotion of the album, Creeper embarked on a headline tour on 25 March 2017 which included dates throughout Europe running into mid-April,^[19] alongside support acts Milk Teeth, Puppy and Energy.^[20] At the end of 2016, Creeper topped the Rock Sound readers' poll for Best British Newcomer,^[21] as well as being featured at seventh place in the poll for Best British Band and at fourth place in the Worst British Band poll.^[22] The magazine ranked The Stranger as its 36th best release of the year.^[23] The third song and video from Eternity, in Your Arms, entitled "Black Rain", were released on 14 February 2017.^[24]

Upon its release, Eternity, in Your Arms debuted in the top 20 of the UK Albums Chart, at number 18.^[25] It also debuted at number 1 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart,^[26] and at number 17 on the Scottish Albums Chart.^[27] In April 2017, Creeper were nominated in the category of Breakthrough Band in the Alternative Press Music Awards.^[28] They were also nominated in the category of Best UK Band at the inaugural Heavy Music Awards,^[29] and headlined the awards ceremony on 24 August at the House of Vans in London.^[30] The band continued touring throughout 2017, including their first appearance on the main stage of Download Festival and all dates of the 2017 Warped Tour in the US and Canada between June and August.^[31][32] In June they announced another headline UK tour for the end of the year, The Theatre of Fear, which was described in its announcement as "a one-of-a-kind production being brought to six theatres across the country".^[33] The band have also worked on a book titled The Last Days of James Scythe, based on the ongoing story of the eponymous character, which is to be released on 30 November 2017 by independent publishers 404 Ink.^[34]

Creeper released Christmas on 8 December 2017, a holiday EP which includes covers of "Fairytale of New York" and "Blue Christmas", as well as the original track "Same Time Next Year?"^[35] The band have supported Neck Deep on a North American tour which ended on 28 February 2018,^[36] and recently finished a tour supporting All Time Low on their Young Renegades Tour in March.^[37] Later in the year they are set to perform at several festivals, including 2000 Trees in July,^[38] and Reading and Leeds in August.^[39]