The Traitor

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The band's formation began in August 2006 when Jack Delany and guitarist Stephen Whitworth met in Luton, Bedfordshire. Early instability saw bassist Ian Cubbon depart due to musical differences a year later. Their breakthrough came after releasing their debut EP, By Sunset, on the underground label Thirty Days of Night Records, which secured them a seven-day UK tour supporting Godless Crusade. A headline winter 2007 tour with death-metal band Aortic Dissection caught the eye of Listenable Records, leading to a three-album deal. The release of their debut album, A Clear Perception, on 6 February 2009, saw them appointed main support for Gojira's UK dates. Production by Ed Sokolowski at EAS Studios in Milton Keynes defined this era.

In Their Own Story

By early 2010, the band faced significant turnover as Paul Waudby left to pursue a non-music career just two weeks before studio sessions for their second album. Jack Moulsdale stepped in as bassist to record Breathless, released in July 2010. This lineup featured only original members Delany and Brennan. Following extensive touring with The Chariot and Iwrestledabearonce across Europe starting 9 April 2010, the band prepared a four-track EP of re-recorded material including "Under Siege" and "Escape These Walls." However, production stalled due to mixing guitarist Justin Lowe's commitments with As I Lay Dying. In late 2011, they toured with Heart in Hand and Martyr Defiled, selling their limited 200-copy The Disease EP exclusively at shows before making it free via Front magazine on 9 November.

Reader's Guide

Following the announcement of a hiatus on 20 November 2011, the band's members scattered. Sam Brennan joined Heart in Hand, while Jack Delany formed Rivers and Brave the Moment, eventually joining Empires Fade. The group attempted a return with one-off shows in Madrid on 4 May 2012 with Caliban and at Ghostfest 2012 on 1 July. For these performances, former bassist Tom Hollings returned alongside Alex Green from The Arusha Accord, who handled clean vocals. Although the band had been writing a third studio album during their break, they officially split up in 2015, ending their journey that began with an average member age of just 17 at their first EP release.

Did You Know?

• The band's name was inspired by a conversation held while watching Star Wars.
• By the time their first EP was released in 2007, the average age of the members was only 17.
• They signed with Listenable Records after being acknowledged following a tour with Aortic Dissection in winter 2007.
• The final lineup maintained only vocalist Jack Delany and drummer Sam Brennan from the original group by their second album, Breathless.
• Their second EP, The Disease EP, was limited to just 200 copies and initially sold only at live shows.