Hope of the States
Encyclopedia
Hope of the States were an English
post rock-influenced indie
band
from Chichester
.
All instruments
are as listed in the sleeve notes for the band's second album
, Left.
in the United States
. They were discovered after sending a demo to the Planet Sound
teletext page, and were signed to Sony BMG
. Scott R. Walker left the band after the first initial releases and then went on to form KASMs
. The band's guitarist James Lawrence committed suicide
in January 2004, shortly before the release of their first album, The Lost Riots
, which reached the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart
. The band's first single
, "Black Dollar Bills", was packaged in a hessian sleeve, each hand-sewn by a band member. The band's most extensive UK tour started in October 2004, beginning with a date in Belfast
's Mandela Hall.
Much of 2005 was spent recording the follow-up to The Lost Riots, and the band only made six live appearances. The band performed some songs to be included on their second album at an acoustic performance in London. The band worked with fansite "The Halfway Home" to produce an advent calendar for Christmas 2005. The only studio recording released in 2005 was the track 'Shalom', included as Day 24 on the calendar.
In April 2006 the band released a new EP, Blood Meridian, accompanied by a low-key UK tour beginning in The Cockpit in Leeds
. The EP was limited to 2000 copies, available on vinyl, and was also available for download. The single "Sing it Out" was released in June 2006, reaching #39 in the UK Singles Chart
, and their second album Left followed on 19 June.
The band appeared at T in the Park
on 8 July, and then the Reading and Leeds Festivals
in August, where they played on the BBC Radio 1
/NME
stage. During their set on 27 August at Reading, it emerged it may be their last ever show as the band were splitting up. This was suggested further later in the day by friends Broken Social Scene
, who dedicated their festival set to the band. On 30 August, Sam Herlihy made a statement on the band's forum confirming the split and that Reading was their last show.
Some members of the band have gone on to form The Northwestern
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
post rock-influenced indie
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
from Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
.
Members
- Sam Herlihy - vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, music boxes, glockenspielGlockenspielA glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
s, mellotronMellotronThe Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
, samplerSampler (musical instrument)A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
, celesteCelestaThe celesta or celeste is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. Its appearance is similar to that of an upright piano or of a large wooden music box . The keys are connected to hammers which strike a graduated set of metal plates suspended over wooden resonators...
, harmoniumHarmoniumA harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion... - Michael Hibbert - guitar, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Simon Jones - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, glockenspiel, backing vocals - Michael Siddell - violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, farfisaFarfisaFarfisa is a manufacturer of electronics based in Osimo, Italy.The Farfisa brand name is commonly associated with a series of compact electronic organs, and later, a series of multi-timbral synthesizers. At the height of its production, Farfisa operated three factories to produce instruments, in...
, glockenspiel, backing vocals - Anthony Theaker - guitar, piano, hammond organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, farfisa, celeste, laptopLaptopA laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit...
, music box, moog synthesizerMoog synthesizerMoog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
, glockenspiel, mellotronMellotronThe Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music... - Paul Wilson - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals
All instruments
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
are as listed in the sleeve notes for the band's second album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Left.
Former members
- Jimmi Lawrence - guitar
- Keith Seymour - bass guitar
- Scott R Walker - bass guitar
History
The band formed in 2000, naming themselves after a 1930s paper on the state of mental healthcareMental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They were discovered after sending a demo to the Planet Sound
Planet Sound
Planet Sound was a Teletext music page on ITV and Channel 4 in the UK. It was broadcast on analogue Teletext from page 340, and on digital Teletext from page 820. From May 24, 2007, Planet Sound was also available to read online via the Teletext website...
teletext page, and were signed to Sony BMG
Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Sony BMG Music Entertainment was a recorded music company, which was a 50–50 joint venture between the Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann AG...
. Scott R. Walker left the band after the first initial releases and then went on to form KASMs
KASMs
KASMs are a Dalston based post-punk quartet. The band consists of Rachel Mary Callaghan , Scott Walker , Rory Brattwell - born Attwell - and Gemma Fleet . The group formed in late 2007 and signed to Trouble Records in early 2008...
. The band's guitarist James Lawrence committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in January 2004, shortly before the release of their first album, The Lost Riots
The Lost Riots
The Lost Riots is the debut album by Chichester-based rock band Hope of the States. Released to widespread critical acclaim in 2004, it was a bittersweet moment for the band following the suicide of guitarist James Lawrence in January 2004...
, which reached the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. The band's first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Black Dollar Bills", was packaged in a hessian sleeve, each hand-sewn by a band member. The band's most extensive UK tour started in October 2004, beginning with a date in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
's Mandela Hall.
Much of 2005 was spent recording the follow-up to The Lost Riots, and the band only made six live appearances. The band performed some songs to be included on their second album at an acoustic performance in London. The band worked with fansite "The Halfway Home" to produce an advent calendar for Christmas 2005. The only studio recording released in 2005 was the track 'Shalom', included as Day 24 on the calendar.
In April 2006 the band released a new EP, Blood Meridian, accompanied by a low-key UK tour beginning in The Cockpit in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. The EP was limited to 2000 copies, available on vinyl, and was also available for download. The single "Sing it Out" was released in June 2006, reaching #39 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and their second album Left followed on 19 June.
The band appeared at T in the Park
T in the Park
T in the Park is a major British music festival that has been held annually since 1994. It is named after its main sponsor, the brewing company Tennents. It was originally held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire but since 1997 has been held at a disused airfield in Balado, Kinross-shire...
on 8 July, and then the Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
in August, where they played on the BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
/NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
stage. During their set on 27 August at Reading, it emerged it may be their last ever show as the band were splitting up. This was suggested further later in the day by friends Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed in 1999 by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto...
, who dedicated their festival set to the band. On 30 August, Sam Herlihy made a statement on the band's forum confirming the split and that Reading was their last show.
Some members of the band have gone on to form The Northwestern
The Northwestern (band)
The Northwestern are a British guitar based, indie rock band, formed by Sam Herilhy and Simon Jones, who were members of the post-rock band Hope of the States....
.
Albums
- The Lost RiotsThe Lost RiotsThe Lost Riots is the debut album by Chichester-based rock band Hope of the States. Released to widespread critical acclaim in 2004, it was a bittersweet moment for the band following the suicide of guitarist James Lawrence in January 2004...
(2004, CD/12"/Ltd CD) - Left (2006, CD/10"/Dual Disc)
Demos, singles and EPs
- Untitled 8-track demo (CDR) (not 9 tracks, as some sources suggest)
- Untitled 2-track demo (Black Dollar Bills/Three Days In The West) (CDR)
- Untitled "Fingerprints" demo (CD limited to 10 copies)
- Black Dollar Bills (March 3, 2003) (CD limited to 2000 copies)
- "AMM=IBM" (MP3 download)
- Enemies/Friends (September 29, 2003) (CD/7")
- The Red The White The Black The Blue (May 24, 2004) (CD/Ltd. CD/7")
- Nehemiah (August 16, 2004) (CD/7", both in heat reactive sleeves; partially focused on the life of Nehemiah 'Skip' JamesSkip JamesNehemiah Curtis "Skip" James was an American Delta blues singer, guitarist, pianist and songwriter, born in Bentonia, Mississippi, died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
) - Winter Riot Dust Rackets EP (August 19, 2004) (CD) [Japan/USA only; both have different tracklists]
- L'Ark Pour Les Enfants Terribles (December 2004) (Ltd. Tour CD)
- Blood Meridian EP (April 3, 2006) (10")
- Sing It Out (June 5, 2006) (CD/7"/7")
- Left (Single) (August 21, 2006) (CD/7"/7")
Singles
| Year | Song | UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
UK Download Chart | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | "Black Dollar Bills" | - | - | The Lost Riots The Lost Riots The Lost Riots is the debut album by Chichester-based rock band Hope of the States. Released to widespread critical acclaim in 2004, it was a bittersweet moment for the band following the suicide of guitarist James Lawrence in January 2004... |
| 2003 | "Enemies/Friends" | #25 | - | The Lost Riots |
| 2003 | "The Red the White the Black the Blue" | #15 | - | The Lost Riots |
| 2004 | "Nehemiah" | #30 | - | The Lost Riots |
| 2006 | "Blood Meridian" | - | - | Left |
| 2006 | "Sing It Out" | #39 | - | Left |
| 2006 | "Left" | #63 | - | Left |
External links
- hopeofthestates.com - Official Website
- Hope of the States at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Audiojunkies Interview with Hope of the States