30 years later, the Northern Irish-Scottish band is still chasing magic.
Abu Dhabi has been on a roll this year, welcoming the likes of Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Usher, and many more. One band that made its way to the capital was Snow Patrol. The Northern Irish-Scottish band opened Club Social 2025, proving once again why they’ve remained one of the most quietly powerful forces in music.
Snow Patrol, originally formed at the University of Dundee in 1994, is a band synonymous with emotional anthems. From Run to Chasing Cars, they’ve carved out a space that blends alternative, rock, ballad, and a whole lot more. With over three decades of performing under their belt, the band shows no signs of slowing down.
Ahead of their UAE return, FACT caught up with Snow Patrol to talk evolution, endurance, and their new album The Forest Is the Path—an emotional record many fans are calling their best work yet.
“We’ve always tried to do something different album to album,” they share. “Eyes Open doesn’t sound like Final Straw, 100 Million Suns doesn’t sound like Eyes Open and that’s intentional. We don’t like to repeat ourselves, lyrically or musically.”
It’s this constant reinvention that’s kept Snow Patrol from fading into nostalgia. While many bands from the early 2000s have drifted out of the spotlight, Snow Patrol continues to captivate new audiences while staying true to themselves rather than being boxed between genres. “We’ve always kind of existed in between categories,” they explain. “We make the music that comes naturally to us.”
This commitment to authenticity has been key to Snow Patrol’s relevance. Unlike artists who chase trends or tailor their sound to fit expectations, the band is not trying to compete with fresh talent and neither are they clinging to past glory. “If we needed the validation of being spoken about in the same sentence as the new artists, then maybe that would indicate we hadn’t learned anything from the last 30 years. But we have,” they explained.
And that experience shows. Snow Patrol has been performing for over 30 years, and they’ve managed to stay on the radio for a solid 15 years, which is “ten years more than most bands get,” as they put it — and they’re genuinely grateful for the continued support. They understand the nature of the industry, where “the newest noise is the loudest noise and always should be,” but that hasn’t stopped them from creating and sharing new music of their own.00
Snow Patrol’s honesty extends to how they view their own legacy. Many bands have had their ups and downs and Snow Patrol has faced some tough battles as well. “We actually recorded The Forest Is the Path twice and the first time, we were a five-piece band,” they said. Upon recording it the second time, as a three-piece, they wondered if it was time for them to disband.
“Once we had the initial conversations, it was clear we weren’t done,” they confirmed. “We just had to figure out how to move forward. And when we recorded the album again, as a three-piece, it was a joy.” Snow Patrol currently consists of Gary Lightbody, Nathan Connolly and Johnny McDaid.
Looking back, Snow Patrol has no regrets. “We would have written or recorded the earlier songs differently if we were doing them now, but that’s a very normal thing,” they explained. “It sounds like a band trying to find their way, but it was, so that’s okay.”
It’s evident that for Snow Patrol, it’s not about nostalgia or reclaiming the spotlight. They’re far more interested in what’s next. The band is touring throughout the summer and has plans to create more music. And while they’ve come a long way since their early days in Scotland, they haven’t lost sight of what matters most to them, which is giving it their all, every time.
“We approach every show with the mindset of leaving it all on the field,” they say. “We give everything we have. No exceptions.”
Ending on if they’d be happy if this was their last album, the band said, “We aren’t done yet, so we’d be disappointed if it was our last album, as we’ve got a lot more to say, but we are also at peace. So should it be our last album, then so be it.” But they hope it’s not the final one.
After three decades, Snow Patrol has learned to embrace change without losing its core. And if you caught them live at Club Social in Abu Dhabi, you already know that the band’s still got it, and they’re not letting go anytime soon.
GO: Visit https://snowpatrol.com for more information.