Coldplay’s first extended play, released in 1998, was Safety.
The band recorded Safety on 1 and 2 February 1998 at Sync City Studios in London, shortly after its live debut. It was self-released on 25 May 1998, making it both Coldplay’s first EP and first public release. Manager and longtime friend Phil Harvey helped finance the project with £1,500, and only 500 copies were pressed.
Most copies were given to record-company executives, friends and family; roughly 150 were sold publicly. The limited run helped turn original copies into collectors’ items. Safety contains three songs: “Bigger Stronger,” “Such a Rush” and “No More Keeping My Feet on the Ground.”
The EP is sometimes confused with The Blue Room, released in 1999. The Blue Room was Coldplay’s second EP and first release for Parlophone, while Safety predates the record deal. Songs from Safety later reappeared on other releases, connecting the tiny early project with the band’s breakthrough period.