Snow Patrol 'heartbroken' as two members quit

(L to R) Jonny Quinn, Johnny McDaid, Paul Wilson, Gary Lightbody and Nathan Connolly

Two members of Snow Patrol are leaving the band, but the other three will continue as a trio.

On Facebook, frontman Gary Lightbody paid tribute to Jonny Quinn and Paul Wilson and said the band wishes them nothing but happiness and success.

The remaining members are Gary Lightbody, Nathan Connolly and Johnny McDaid.

They confirmed a new Snow Patrol album, their eighth studio record, is still set for release next year.

The news comes just weeks after the band celebrated 20 years since their breakout album was released, The Final Straw.

'We are heartbroken'

Gary Lightbody, from Bangor in Northern Ireland, posted a heartfelt tribute to the two band members.

"We are heartbroken they have decided to leave us but we wish them nothing but happiness, success, joy, compassion and everything they want in all their future endeavours."

The band's frontman Gary Lightbody paid tribute to the two band members on Facebook

Lightbody said the band would continue as a trio: "Nate, JMD and myself will continue with SP and there will be a new album next year but more news of that will come at an appropriate time".

Speaking about Johnny Quinn, Lightbody said he was "more than a drummer".

With a background in band management and gig promotion, he also took up the role of "manager for us [Snow Patrol] many times during the last quarter century," he added.

Lightbody also revealed the drummer's nickname was "thunderclap" because he "hit the snare drum so hard he was prone to smash right through the drumskin".

On bassist Paul Wilson, Lightbody said he "played every instrument so bass was maybe a little restrictive for his many talents", adding that he was "one of the funniest guys I've ever known".

The band formed in 1994 in Dundee

Paying homage to the two band members, Lightbody said they deserved their own separate posts for a "proper and individual send off".

Snow Patrol was formed in Dundee in 1994 under the name Shrug, with an original line-up of Northern Ireland-born musicians Gary Lightbody, Mark McClelland and Michael Morrison.

After a brief period of performing under the name Polarbear, they adopted the name Snow Patrol in 1997.

Jonny Quinn joined the band as a drummer in the same year. In 2005, Paul Wilson joined as the bassist.

The band's big break came in the mid-2000s, with hits including Run and Chasing Cars, which was crowned as the most-played song of the 21st Century on UK radio in 2019.

Continuing members Nathan Connolly and Johnny McDaid joined the group as permanent members in 2002 and 2011, respectively.