Alternative rock band, Snow Patrol was formed in 1994 by two students from Northern Ireland: vocalist/guitarist Gary Lightbody and bassist/keyboardist Mark McClelland. Originally called "Shrug", the band began performing gigs at and around Dundee University in Scotland before changing their name to "Polar Bear" (or "Polarbear") in 1995.

In 1997, Snow Patrol released the LP Starfighter Pilot, featuring Richard Colburn and Stuart Murdoch from the band Belle & Sebastian on the b-sides. Around this time, Jonny Quinn, also from Northern Ireland, joined the band on drums. The band’s single One Hundred Things You Should Have Done in Bed became a minor hit on the Indie charts, and led to high-profile television appearances, including a 1998 interview on MTV. After Snow Patrol was dropped by their label, Jeepster, guitarist Nathan Connolly joined the band. Snow Patrol then signed to music label, Polydor, which led to more mainstream success in the new millennium. 

In 2004, Snow Patrol released the successful album Final Straw, which racked up over a quarter of a million sales and became the 26th most popular British album of 2004 – beating David Bowie's Best of Bowie, Coldplay's Parachutes, and even The Beatles' Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

2005 was a busy year for Snow Patrol. One of the founding members, Mark McClelland left the band, and was replaced by former Terra Diablo member, Paul Wilson on bass. Later that year, the band declared longtime touring keyboardist Tom Simpson an official band member. Snow Patrol also joined U2 on their Vertigo Tour in Europe that summer, and played in London at Bob Geldof’s Live 8. On December 10, 2005, Snow Patrol released a new version of John Lennon's Isolation, as part of Amnesty International's campaign promoting music with a message. 

On  May 1, 2006, Snow Patrol released their album Eyes Open in the UK. Its single “Chasing Cars” became a popular download after it was featured on the second season finale of popular television show Grey's Anatomy in May 2006. A surprise hit, “Chasing Cars” was then re-recorded on video to include clips from the show. Continuing on the theme of medicine and music, the band’s song “Open Your Eyes” was heard on the season finale of yet another hospital series, ER.

After polyps were discovered on Gary Lightbody's vocal cords, Snow Patrol was forced to postpone three dates on their 2006 tour. More problems continued to plague the band when bassist, Paul Wilson injured his left arm and shoulder, causing appearances in Germany and France to be cancelled. In addition, Snow Patrol was forced to cancel two west coast festival appearances in mid-August, due to threats of terrorist attacks on US-bound flights departing from the UK. The band eventually arrived in Boston hours before show time – without their luggage. Despite the band’s logistical difficulties, as of November 26, 2006, Snow Patrol’s album Eyes Open is currently the best-selling album of the year in the UK.