No Little Thing

No Little Thing is a British rock band formed in London in 2011. Brought together by frontwoman Smoke Faulkner (lead vocals, guitar), the band's original and current lineup also includes Kip Dale (vocals, bass guitar, lead guitar) and Theo Parrish (lead guitar, piano).

Following the release of platinum-selling debut album "Shut The Door And Rock On" in 2011, the band have been credited with helping to bring rock music back to the mainstream charts.

Formation
Following the breakup of girl duo Whispers in 2009 amidst bitter arguing, Smoke Faulkner resolved to establish herself as a chart act with or without Angel Svensson. After several false starts, the brunette took out a full-page advertisement in the December 2010 edition of NME, advertising the formation of a band that "knew how to rock". After a surprisingly successful response to the ad, Faulkner welcomed two fortysomethings, Kip Dale and Theo Parrish, as her new bandmates. The trio began recording at the start of 2011, with promotion for their first single, "Toronto", beginning in March 2011.

Name
The band takes its name from a quote from Smoke Faulkner's favourite film, "Cool Runnings". In a hotel scene, one of the team members, Sanka Coffie, appears at the door of another, Yul Brenner, wearing a maid's uniform and carrying a feather duster. In response to the wackiness, Brenner states "Whatever's wrong with you... is no little thing."

May - October 2011: Shut The Door And Rock On
In March 2011, a guerilla marketing campaign to introduce No Little Thing to the world began, with stickers bearing the band's logo appearing throughout London without explanation. The stickers were particularly prevalent at concerts performed by other artists, and were described as "nuisance vandalism" by the Metropolitan Police.

This developed into a larger campaign to promote the band's debut single, "Toronto", with the group remaining anonymous but making threatening statements towards the Canadian embassy, warning Canadians to stay away from Trafalgar Square on April 29th, the date of the Royal Wedding. The band were condemned for using "terrorist" tactics to promote their single, while Smoke's former Whispers partner, Angel Svensson, accused the band's frontwoman of writing the angry breakup track about her. The group refuted the allegations. Midway through their campaign for "Toronto", NLT agreed an album deal with Esmeralda Dimuzio's Alias Records, who released the track on May 30th to a positive reception, entering the charts at #9.

"Barbie Doll" was chosen by Faulkner as the follow-up single, a condemnation of the music industry's fascination with pretty, dumb bimbos, and the overlooking of actual talent. The track took shots at several artists, including Candi, Blonde Ambition and Angel Svensson. However, it was Flaming SteffY who took most exception to the track's content, leading to an extended feud between the rock trio and the blonde. SteffY released a demo track entitled "Obsessed", styled as an "answer track" to "Barbie Doll", which prompted NLT to respond with a parody of SteffY's own single, "Shake Yer Tits!", entitled "Fake Yer Tits".

As this was going on, Alias Records was bought out by Syd Wolfe's Fusion Records, with NLT suffering a less-than-smooth transition from one set of offices to another. As well as leaks relating to the track, which the group accused their new label of being behind, footage filmed for the "Barbie Doll" video was "lost" shortly before it was due to be edited. The label rejected every one of No Little Thing's accusations as baseless, and was responsible for the organisation at very short notice of a concert in Trafalgar Square to replace the missing video footage. Thanks to their clout in the industry, Fusion arranged for star-studded cameos from all kinds of artists, including Ace Rejects, Romo, Monaco and Moodring's L'mondrea. The single was released through Fusion on July 18th, scoring the group their second top-ten hit with a #9 peak. It remains No Little Thing's biggest-selling single to date.

Despite the success of the single, Theo Parrish continued to voice his discontent with the group being signed to Fusion, explaining that he felt they were "the best at what they do, but not right for a rock band like NLT". Syd Wolfe took exception to the comments, unceremoniously firing the band from the label over Twitter, much to the chagrin of Smoke Faulkner and Kip Dale. Rumours that the group were to split in the wake of the firing were quickly quashed.

With the announcement of their third single, "Rise" (featuring L'mondrea), scheduled for release on September 12th 2011, No Little Thing also revealed that their debut album, "Shut The Door And Rock On", would share the release date. A special "Countdown To Rock" website was set up, with new content provided every day as the site counted down to the release date. A wide range of content, including exclusive interviews, track snippets and special offers were available through the website. Visitors to the site were also the first to know about the group being signed to their third label in as many singles, Saturdays Records, as well as the group mending bridges with Syd Wolfe, sitting down and talking their issues through.

"Rise" was well-received by critics as No Little Thing's first upbeat release following two rather negative, angsty singles. Some attributed this to the "fresh" sound provided by L'mondrea, whose smart verse helped turn the song's tone from one of angry defiance to one of self-celebration and pride. The track went on to become NLT's first ever top five hit, entering the charts at #5. "Shut The Door And Rock On", the album featuring all three of No Little Thing's singles released to date, was a surprise hit in the albums chart, entering at #1 and showing a surprising longevity. The album turned platinum in November 2011, and continued to sell well into 2012.

At this point, the band undertook their first UK tour with the support of their label. The "Band In A Van Tour" was scheduled to run for twelve dates throughout October, to support the release of a fourth single from the album, "Time Bomb". However, shortly after the tour was announced, Saturdays Records closed, leading to the cancellation of the single. The group pressed on with the tour regardless, given that it was designed to be as inexpensive as possible- literally the artists driving around in a van. They were joined by L'mondrea, Tiffany Amber and Ellie Dale, daughter of Kip, as supporting acts. However, disaster was to strike, with the disappearance of Ellie Dale, whose own single "Serious" was due for release at the end of the month, in Loughborough. The tour was suspended and then finally cancelled as the group aided with the search for the missing teen. Police confirmed they had found the teen's body on October 26th.

Following the untimely passing of Kip Dale's daughter, No Little Thing asked to be allowed a period to mourn the aging rocker's loss, disappearing from the public eye for several weeks.

November 2011 - April 2012: Christmas & Tango Challenge


No Little Thing's next two releases were tracks not featured on their album. The band returned to Trafalgar Square in mid-November to announce their attempt at snagging a Christmas #1 with "This Christmas", teasing a high-profile special guest. After a lot of speculation that the group were to be joined by the likes of Bella-May, L'mondrea, Ashley! or Flaming SteffY, their featured artist was revealed in "Bloke" magazine as Kleo on November 29th. Kleo had been one of the biggest breakthrough artists of 2011, and her appearance on the track led some to suggest that "This Christmas" was a real contender in a week of several releases. In conjunction with the release, NLT and Kleo unveiled an 18-day-long advent calendar entitled "Open The Door And Rock On", with "Christmas treats" hiding behind each door.

"This Christmas" entered the charts at #4 as the second-highest new release that week, with Chase Elite taking the Christmas #1. This represented a new highest-ever chart position for an NLT single. When the track finally dropped out of the Top 40 in the first week of February 2012, the release had gone silver, selling 169,602 copies. The group were also announced as the 44th Best Selling Overall Artist for 2011, with a combined total of just over one million sales between their singles and album releases.

At the turn of the year, NLT were in a self-confessed rut, with Smoke Faulkner declaring that after their tour difficulties and the Christmas single, "Shut The Door And Rock On" felt like "a long time ago", and that she was unsure whether she wanted the band to release further from it. There was a petition launched within the group's fanbase for the popular Syd Wolfe-penned track "Death Wish" to be released as a single, but instead it was announced that the band had decided to participate for the first time in the Tango Challenge.

The draw for the competition saw No Little Thing paired with Polish Tango veteran Kazimiera in what was described as a "highly unlikely" duo. There seemed to be very little common ground between the dance diva's style and that of the rock trio, which made it all the more surprising that the two acts hit it off. Kip Dale was elected to sing vocals alongside Kazimiera, the first time Smoke Faulkner had not taken the lead on an NLT release, and whilst the age disparity made the duet a little on the creepy side, the response to "Not My Scene" was overwhelmingly positive. Rather than fight the fact that their styles were so different, the two acts embraced their differences, delivering a song described by Smoke as "not just a Tango song, but the Tango song", telling the story of the performers being in unfamiliar territory.

<!--

2012 - present: [ ]Like [ ]Hate [ ]Want To Have Sex
It is known that Candi's second studio album has been mostly completed since summer 2011, however it's release date has always been set for Summer 2012. When her tour began in April 2012, a song from the new album was included on the setlist. On 23 April 2012, it was revealed that Candi's best friend Crystal Barker had recorded a new version of her album track "Summer Nights" with Candi, and is releasing it as her album's third single. As it is a joint release, it is expected to act as the first single from Candi's second album. The following single is due for release in the summer, and has been described as a "club stomper".

Personal life
Candi is a regular fixture in the British and American media. During an interview with MTV on February 23 2011, Candi met presenter and model Chad Heintenson, and the pair immedietly began dating. Their relationship was followed by the media. However on March 10, Candi was rushed to Hospital, following an arguement with Heintenson regarding Candi's closeness to Dante member Callum Andrews, which led to him reportedly pushing her down three flights of stairs. The following day, Andrews offered Candi support, and she moved in with him briefly, as they became an official couple. The couple have earned the nickname "Candum" from the press and public. On 27 May, the couple recieved a large amount of media focus, with rumours suggesting the pair had got engaged. On 28 June, over a month later, Andrews released a statement revealing the pair were engaged, and that he had proposed to Candi on the night of 26 June, at a party for Candi's brother. The wedding is expected to take place in 2012. The couple were voted the #1 most popular celebrity couple of 2011.

On March 08, 2011, a photographer stuck his camera up Candi's skirt. Candi took the man to court on March 11, and was succesfully granted a restraining order against him.

Candi is known to be very good friends with Blonde Ambition, Jason Adams, Crystal Barker and Ben Johnston. On the other hand, she is somewhat enemies with Kenya, who has publically attacked her on several occasions, describing her as "a spoilt white brat" who is "vapid and dumb" and gets everything "handed to her by her daddy". Candi responded to the attack by stating that she doesn't need to personally attack people to sell records like Kenya, as she lets the music do the talking.

Candi also hit the headlines in April, when it was revealed Candi's father had funded Riley Brendan's tour. Reports suggested that Riley had managed to find out who the top secret featured artist to Candi's single Gold was, and blackmailed her father into paying him to keep quiet. Riley later claimed that he was simply a family friend to the Elite's, something Candi was completely unaware of.

Candi also has a pet chihuahua, named "Babycakes Tiara Cutiepie Glitter Andrews-Elite" which was bought for her by her fiance Callum Andrews (on the night of his proposal).

On August 20, 2011 it was announced that Candi's eldest brother, Carter Elite was suffering from lung cancer, leading to Candi cancelling several promotional appearances in order to support her brother. On December 01, 2011 he lost his battle with the disease.

Other endeavours
Candi has a range of products to her name, including a range of eyelashes and a personally designed blackberry (named pinkberry). In May 2012 she also released a brand of candles, alongside best friend Crystal Barker, named "Candal by Candal", as the media call the duo Candal.

Television
In 2011, Candi signed up for the first series of an MTV aired series entitled Sweet Like Candi. The series follows the life of Candi as she promotes her debut single. The critical reaction to the documentary was suprisingly positive. Los Angeles Times stated the series was "a charming, yet bizzare insight into the world of the ultimate airhead.". The series was a global phenomenon, and broke MTV records both in the UK and US for it's launch. The series also helped launched Candi's brother Chase Elite into the spotlight. A DVD of the first series has been released. The second season premiered on January 15, 2012 and was once again a massive hit, however it was revealed in May 2012 that Candi was unhappy with MTV for airing parts of her life she claimed were 'too private for TV' (such as when she heard her brother had died) and therefore refused to sign on for a third season.

Candi starred in the one-off ITV2 special Ghosthunting with Blonde and Friends. She is also the narrator for the MTV series Geordie Shore, which first aired on MTV on May 24, 2011. She narrated all six episodes of the first season as well as the two part Magaluf special, but decided due to the show's negative press that she would not return for the show's second main season that began in January 2012.

On 07 April 2011, Candi revealed via twitter that she had a massive television project lined up for later in the year, however this project was reportedly moved to 2012. In June 2011, Candi featured as a guest judge on Week 6 of URAPS Idol 12. On 18 July 2011, Candi was announced as the host of the highly anticipated ITV music competition The G Factor, however during the live finals it was revealed Ginger had fixed the phone lines in order to let her acts win, meaning Candi along with the judges L'mondrea and Paulo quit the show. For the final week on URAPS Big Brother 2011 each of the finalist was allowed a day dedicated to them. Candi's chihuahua Babycakes (who was a finalist) was allowed to have Candi visit the house for 12 hours, on 07 November 2011.

On 24 December, 2011, ITV will air a one-off Christmas special titled "Candi's Christmas Gift" in which Candi visits five families living in poor conditions, and gives them all a "christmas gift", to ensure they have a christmas to remember. The show was a success, being watched by just over 9 million.

In early 2012, Candi shall serve as the 'Head Judge' on the Music competition "The Uraps Factor". She was mentor to the girls category. She achieved massive success in doing so, having all 4 of her girls make into the top 4 in the competition. In Janaury 2012 she also made a guest appearance on the anime "Pokémon", voicing a character based on her, named "Candi Lane" who owned a Jigglypuff. The appearance was to promote her single "Jigglypuff".

In May 2012, after refusing to re-new "Sweet Like Candi", Candi signed up for a new cartoon on Cartoon Network, which was based around her life.

Fashion
Candi is often regarded by the media as a somewhat fashion icon. The star has expressed love of her fashion, and even her interest in starting her own fashion label. In March 2011, Candi designed five "That's Hot" inspired T-shirts, to promote her debut single. The t-shirts were sold via her online website and had several celebrities fans.

In Winter 2011, Candi launched "Hope", a fashion line for dogs, with Babycakes acting as the model for the brand. In march 2012, she also launched a handbag line, named "Handi by Candi". The brand is in two ranges, a highstreet range, costing up to £150, and a deluxe range pricing up to £7,300.

Songwritting
Candi is also a promising songwritter. The singer writes the majority of her music herself, including her #1 debut single. She has also confirmed that she has began writting for other artists, with a track (and fan favourite) being written for Bella-May's second album serving as track 01 on the album, and several for Chase Elite's debut album. It was also revealed she had written a song for Difused's debut album, which was chosen as the album's second single, "What's A Boy To Do?".

Philanthropy
Candi has always been very vocal in her beliefs to help the less fortunate. In early 2011, Japan was met with a number of natural disasters that left the country devestated. Candi organised an album titled "Rising Sun" where all proceeds would go towards the country. It went to #1 and sold over 200,000 copies. A small percentage of each copy of her debut single "That's Hot" also went towards the country.

She also does a large number of work with animal charities, due to her love of animals. She has posed with her pet Babycakes to support various animal causes. In December 2011, Candi hosted a TV show titled "Candi's Christmas Gift" in which she helped out the less forutnate by buying them things such as their very own house. Also, in the same month, Candi's elder brother died of lung cancer, causing the star to begin support various cancer charities.

Discography
Main article: Candi Discography

Albums
2011: First Signs Of Sunlight

Awards and honors
-->