Elegant Irish pop/rock band Director balances their sound between the stylish urgency of the Strokes or the Killers and the more earnest, mature pop of Coldplay and their followers. Forming in their native Dublin in 2004, Director consists of Canadian-born singer and rhythm guitarist Michael Moloney, lead guitarist Eoin Aherne, bassist Rowan Averill, and drummer Shea Lawlor. Director signed with Atlantic Records in 2005 and released their first single, "Reconnect," in April of the following year. That single and its pair of follow-ups, "Come with a Friend" and "Leave It to Me," were all chart hits in Ireland, and all included on the band's debut album, We Thrive on Big Cities. Released in Ireland in the fall of 2006, We Thrive on Big Cities was released in the United Kingdom and the United States in early 2007.