English rockers Keane play a unique brand of alternative rock that highlights the piano instead of the more traditionally favored guitar. The band is made up of lead singer Tom Chaplin, drummer Richard Hughes, bassist Jesse Quin and pianist Tim Rice-Oxley. Anyone who has been to a Keane concert tends to talk about the infectious excitement coming from the stage, with a fun light show in the background to add to the atmosphere. In particular, during the tour to promote their Strangeland album, even the ballads they performed were described by ticket holders as rousing and energetic.
The band is named after a family friend who at one time cared for and inspired some of the band members, most of whom met in England at a young age. Though Keane has gone through some changes since the beginning, including the departure of guitarist and founder Dominic Scott, the band managed to find success after releasing its first album, Hopes and Fears, in 2004. Some of the album's most popular songs included "Somewhere Only We Know," "Bend and Break" and "Everybody's Changing." In 2006, Under the Iron Sea was released, bringing with it the hit songs "Is It Any Wonder?" and "Atlantic." That album was followed by Perfect Symmetry in 2008, which brought back the use of the guitar and also increased the band's reliance on synthesizers.
Strangeland was released in 2010, becoming Keane's fifth album in a row to garner the No. 1 spot on the UK Albums Chart. After The Best of Keane album was released in 2013, the members of the band announced that they would be taking a break to relax after several busy years of making music.