A Welsh indie rock band formed in the late 90s by Gareth Jones (vocals/guitar), Pete Roberts (guitar/vocals), Kris Blight (bass) and John Maloney (drums). Based in the South Wales coast town of Porthcawl, the quartet originally recorded under the Robots In The Sky moniker. The 7-inch single "E.T.A." was released via Complete Contol Music, the label set up by the Community Music Wales scheme to promote home grown musical talent. After signing a recording contract with the EMI Records offshoot Wishakismo, the quartet changed their name to Tetra Splendour and relocated to the Welsh capital, Cardiff. The EMI album Splendid Animation (2002) followed two single releases for Wishakismo, but this disjointed effort failed to rise above the band's rather telegraphed musical influences.
Personnel changes at EMI resulted in Tetra Splendour being dropped from the label. The members opted to flesh out their line-up by hiring keyboard player Ian Russell, and changed their band name once again, this time to People In Planes. The limited-edition single "Talking Heads" was released in 2005 and was the first material to emerge from recording sessions for a new album. Opting for a slicker alt pop sound, the band attracted the attention of US label Wind-Up Records, who agreed to release the band's completed new album. A re-released version of "Talking Heads" (retitled "If You Talk Too Much (My Head Will Explode)") enjoyed some success on the Billboard Modern Rock chart, while the deliciously eclectic As Far As The Eye Can See attracted strong reviews in American media circles. In 2006, the band made a cameo appearance in the movie John Tucker Must Die.
DISCOGRAPHY: as Tetra Splendour Splendid Animation (EMI 2002)***, As Far As The Eye Can See (Wind-Up 2006)****.

Encyclopedia of Popular Music
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