Passenger

Passenger, a group whose electronica-tinged balladry riffed on the pop pathos of bands like Coldplay and Snow Patrol, formed in Brighton, England, as a collaboration between singer/songwriter Mike Rosenberg and composer Andrew Phillips. Working out of Phillips' studio, the duo recorded the songs that would become Wicked Man's Rest, Passenger's debut album. The disc was released on ChalkMark in 2007 and spawned several singles, including "Wicked Man's Rest" (the album's title track), "Walk You Home," "Do What You Like," and "Table for One." Passenger opened up for several high-profile indie acts throughout the U.K. that year, including Kate Nash and the Hold Steady. The following year found the band providing the soundtrack to the film Where Have I Been All Your Life, and performing at the 2008 SXSW festival in Austin, TX.