Noticed by Richard Smernicki

During Lightbody and McClelland’s years at the University of Dundee, they had been noticed by Richard Smernicki, a senior student, and his brother Paul . Richard Smernicki graduated in 1996, two years before Lightbody and McClelland, and become Polydor’s Scottish A&R representative. Paul Smernicki became Polydor’s Press and Artist Development Manager and Fiction’s label manager. Jim Chancellor, an A&R executive for Fiction, and fellow talent scout Alex Close, approached Snow Patrol in Glasgow, listened to their demos, and judged them on “the quality of the songs”, according to Lightbody. Chancellor introduced them to producer Jacknife Lee , who despite having been a guitarist in 1990s punk rock band Compulsion , had no rock production experience at that point, being known instead for his work with Basement Jaxx and Eminem .