Despite the seemingly obvious connection to the
Elton John classic from
Madman Across the Water (and more recent Almost Famous fame),
Tiny Dancers leader
David Kay claims in interviews that the young quintet from West Yorkshire is actually named after a cabal of evil dwarves in Roger Corman's 1964 adaptation of The Masque of the Red Death. In a similar kind of misdirection, although the band is based in the suddenly hip U.K. city of Sheffield,
Tiny Dancers have little in common musically with Yorkshire compatriots like
the Arctic Monkeys and
the Kaiser Chiefs. Instead, their largely acoustic, low-key pop is heavily informed by the likes of
the Band, post-
Pet Sounds Beach Boys,
Love, and
Harvest-era
Neil Young. More recent acts like
the Bees,
Cat Power, and
the Magic Numbers also come to mind.
Tiny Dancers formed in 2005 while their members were attending university: singer and acoustic guitarist
Kay, lead guitarist Chris Etherington, and drummer Duncan Morrison were school friends who had lost their previous band's bassist and main songwriter. With
Kay taking over primary songwriting duties, the addition of bassist Dale Wathey and multi-instrumentalist David Glover completed the newly christened
Tiny Dancers. The band was almost immediately signed to EMI's Parlophone label in early 2006, but its first two limited-edition vinyl singles, "Bonfire of the Night" and "Hannah We Know," were released on the faux indie Russian Doll label. The
Lions and Tigers and Lions EP was released on Parlophone in late 2006, followed by the U.K. Top 40 singles "I Will Wait for You" and a new recording of "Hannah We Know."
Tiny Dancers' debut album,
Free School Milk, was released in the summer of 2007. ~ Stewart Mason