Biography

Bastille (stylised as B?STILLE) are an English rock band formed in London in 2010. They began as a solo project by singer-songwriter Dan Smith, who later decided to form a band. The four-piece consists of members Daniel Smith, Chris Wood, William Farquarson and Kyle Simmons. The name of the band derives from Bastille Day – an event celebrated on Daniel Smith’s birthday, 14 July.

In December 2010, EMI Music announced that they had offered Bastille a record contract with Virgin Records. Their debut single, “Overjoyed” was subsequently released in April 2012. Their second single, “Bad Blood” – which shares the same title as the band’s first studio album, followed in August 2012, and achieved moderate success in the United Kingdom, charting at number ninety. The third track to be taken from Bad Blood, titled “Flaws”, became the group’s first to enter the charts inside the Top 40, debuting at number twenty-one.

In February 2013, ahead of the release of their debut album, the band’s fourth single, “Pompeii”, was released to huge demand, charting at number two in the UK and number ten in the US. Their first studio album, titled Bad Blood, was released in March 2013 and debuted atop the UK Albums Chart. The band has been nominated for four Brit Awards, including for British Group, British Breakthrough Act, and British Album of the Year, at the 2014 BRIT Awards.