Hundred Reasons
Hundred Reasons are an English alternative rock band from Aldershot, Hampshire, formed in 1999. The band consists of Colin Doran (vocals), Larry Hibbitt (guitar, vocals), Andy Gilmour (bass) and Andy Bews (drums).
Hundred Reasons | |
|---|---|
 Hundred Reasons in November 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Aldershot, Hampshire, UK |
| Genres | Emo, post-hardcore, alternative rock |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels | V2, Columbia |
| Associated acts | Freeze the Atlantic The Lucky Nine |
| Website | hundredreasons |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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Having toured almost constantly for 14 months throughout the UK and Europe in support of their first releases EP1 (Cerebra), EP2 (Remmus) and EP3, (I'll Find You), Hundred Reasons released their debut album, Ideas Above Our Station (2002), to critical acclaim and commercial success. The album yielded the singles, "I'll find you", "If I Could", "Silver" and "Falter", and was followed by Shatterproof Is Not a Challenge in 2004. After being dropped by Columbia Records, the band signed with V2 Records and released their third studio album, Kill Your Own (2006). Guitarist and vocalist Paul Townsend departed from the band following its release, and was replaced by Ben Doyle for the band's fourth and final studio album, Quick the Word, Sharp the Action (2007).
Following years of inactivity, the band reunited with Paul Townsend in 2012, and announced plans for a 10th anniversary tour to celebrate the release of Ideas Above Our Station.
Hundred Reasons have had 6 top 40 hit singles, 2 top 20 hit albums,[1] and have been nominated for several Awards, winning three Kerrang! awards for: "Best New Band" (2000), "Best Album" (2002) and "Best Unsigned Act" (2004).
Career
EP1, EP2 and EP3 (1999-2001)
The band had already built up a good Live reputation by early 2000 and had caught the attention of Fierce Panda Records, EP1 was released on Fierce Panda in July 2000, in support of this, the band toured for much of the rest of the year. Including an NME tour with Idlewild, they also went on to claim their first award, Best New Band at the Kerrang awards in London.
In early 2001 the band signed with Columbia Records and immediately entered the studio to record EP2. It was released in May 2001 followed by UK and European tours with Incubus and Muse. The band would finish the year with the release of EP3 and their first headline tour of the UK.
Ideas Above Our Station and Shatterproof is Not a Challenge (2002–2004)
The band's debut album, Ideas Above Our Station was recorded at Magic Shop Studio, New York City in August and September 2001 and was released on 20 May 2002. it peaked at No. 6 in the UK Albums Chart has achieved Gold status with sales of over 118,000 copies and spawned several Top 40 hits in the UK Singles Chart.[2] The band went on to tour extensively throughout Europe and Japan, ending the album tour with their first and only US show at SXSW music festival. This time period represents the heights of the band's success. They made over 50 festival appearances during 2002, 2003 and 2004, headlining many stages including the Radio 1 stage at Ozzfest, Donnington. They also made many TV appearances, including two performances on the legendary Top of the Pops in the UK. They won the award for Best Album at the Kerrang awards in August 2002. The winter headline tour of the UK would see them playing the biggest shows of their career, ending at the London Brixton Academy.
In early spring of 2003 the band relocated to Cornwall UK for a few months to finish writing their second album. Recording the Album took place in June and July, with the band again opting for Magic Shop Studio in New York City. Shatterproof Is Not A Challenge was released on 1 March 2004. The band headed out on a headline tour of the UK and a European arena tour with good friends Incubus. Despite successful tours and reaching Silver status with sales of more than 65,000 copies within 4 months of its release, the touring was cut short when they were dropped by Sony BMG in June 2004. Colin Doran has said "Our relationship soured with Sony when the MD left the company as he was the reason that we signed in the first place. We felt that decisions made after that event were impacting the band in a negative way, the support and drive was no longer there, so we were happy to leave the label and were banking on it." [3] The band would make a Main stage appearance at Reading and Leeds Festival in August with a back drop that read 'For Sale'
Kill Your Own and Townsend's departure (2005–2006)
Hundred Reasons signed to V2 Records in September 2005, having spent the best part of the year writing under a train arch in south London, the band entered Kore studios in London to record their third album. Kill Your Own - produced by guitarist Larry Hibbitt - was released on 20 March 2006. It was very well received by fans and critics alike. The band headed out on headline tours throughout Europe and Japan, they also toured with Jimmy Eat World and New Found Glory and made many festival appearances around Europe. They finished up the album campaign with a U.K. tour, culminating with a sold-out show at the London Koko
On 9 August 2006, it was announced on the band's official website that guitarist and vocalist Paul Townsend would be leaving the band following their tour of Japan in early September. Townsend's departure was said to be 'totally amicable', and Ben Doyle of The Lucky Nine joined the band as his replacement.
Quick the Word, Sharp the Action (2007–2009)
The band's fourth album Quick the Word, Sharp the Action, was recorded in February 2007 and released on 15 October 2007. The band again embarked on tours of Europe and Japan. However, less than a month after the album's release, V2 Records was purchased by Universal Records - leaving the band without a record label, the band describing the situation as: "depressingly similar to when Shatterproof was released in 2004. Lightning has struck, hard. Twice.. "[4] Larry Hibbit joked in interview that "if you count publishing, we have now had more record labels than albums."[5]
Since early 2008 Hundred Reasons have been fairly inactive. There was a short U.K. Tour in January 2009, in support of a reissue of QTWSTA. The band members have all gone on to pursue other interests within the music industry.
Ideas Above Our Station anniversary shows (2012)
In early 2012, the band posted a photograph online featuring founding guitarist Paul Townsend amongst its line-up, with a caption reading, "6 years later..." It was later confirmed that Townsend had rejoined Hundred Reasons and that the band were "immensely super-pleased about this."[6] Regarding the band's return, guitarist Larry Hibbitt noted, "We sort of fizzled out a little bit and never went out with a bang or split up. We’ve been talking about trying to get together to try and mark the anniversary – it’s not even a reunion, it’s not a comeback, I don’t know what it is!"[7]
Hibbitt noted that the band will not record a fifth studio album: "We’d have to change our lives so much to put ourselves in a position where we’d make a good Hundred Reasons record. We could toss off an average Hundred Reasons record, but there’s no desire to do that. I don’t think that any of us want to do it full-time again. We’re being realistic. Six months of hard work to make an album is not really on the cards."[7]
In April 2012, the band announced that they would be performing at both Banquet Records Big Day Out and 2000Trees, and that the overall number of anniversary shows would be limited due to the availability of each band member. Hell is for Heroes drummer Joe Birch will be performing with the band in the summer, due to drummer Andy Bews' prior commitments, with the band stating, "In the winter, there’ll be a special thing with Bewsy and then that will be it for the foreseeable future."[8]
On 8 May, the band revealed that guitarist Paul Townsend would no longer be performing with the band at 2000Trees or Big Day Out.[9]
In November 2012 the band played their Ideas Above Our Station 10th anniversary shows, starting with a warm up show at the Exeter Cavern club. They then went on to play three sold-out shows at the London Coronet, Manchester Academy and London Forum.
Hundred Reasons are currently on an indefinite hiatus.
On 19 and 20 November 2017, two members of Hundred Reasons performed an acoustic set at Koko in London as the support act to My Vitriol, this newly renamed "Undead Raisins" (featuring Colin and Andy Gilmour), then played acoustics versions of Hundred Reasons songs in the Summer of 2018 at Notting Hill Arts Club, the Summer Westival and 2000 Trees. This was followed by the announcement in August of a six date UK tour with Holiday Oscar in October/November 2018.
Members
Current
- Andy Bews – drums (1999–present)
- Colin Doran – lead vocals (1999–present)
- Andy Gilmour – bass (1999–present)
- Larry Hibbitt – guitar, vocals (1999–present)
Former
- Paul Townsend – guitar, vocals (1999–2006, 2012)
- Ben Doyle – guitar (2006–2012)
Touring musicians
- Curtis Mead - bass (UK, 2008)
- Joe Birch – drums (festival appearances, 2012, 2014)
- Cal Owen – guitar (all shows, 2012, 2014)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certification | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | UK Rock | UK Indie | SCO | |||
| 2002 | Ideas Above Our Station
|
6 | 1 | - | 7 |
|
| 2004 | Shatterproof Is Not A Challenge
|
20 | 1 | - | 22 | |
| 2006 | Kill Your Own
|
79 | 3 | 4 | 94 | |
| 2007 | Quick The Word, Sharp The Action
|
100 | 4 | - | - | |
Live albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2004 | Live Bootleg
|
| 2005 | Live at Freakscene
|
| 2012 | Year Ten: Live At The Forum
|
Extended Plays
| Year | EP details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | SCO | ||
| 2000 | EpOne
|
90 | — |
| 2001 | EpTwo
|
47 | 42 |
Garrison / Hundred Reasons
|
— | — | |
EpThree
|
37 | 38 | |
Singles Chart
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | UK Rock |
UK Indie |
SCO | |||
| 2002 | "If I Could" | 19 | 3 | — | 19 | Ideas Above Our Station |
| "Silver" | 15 | 2 | — | 18 | ||
| "Falter" | 38 | 5 | — | 44 | ||
| 2003 | "The Great Test" | 29 | 4 | — | 29 | Shatterproof Is Not A Challenge |
| 2004 | "What You Get" | 30 | 1 | — | 32 | |
| "How Soon Is Now?" | 47 | 6 | — | 46 | Non Album | |
| 2006 | "Kill Your Own" | 45 | 2 | 2 | 23 | Kill Your Own |
| "The Perfect Gift" | 111 | 3 | 11 | 46 | ||
| "The Chance/Live Fast, Die Ugly" | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007 | "No Way Back" | — | — | — | — | Quick The Word, Sharp The Action |
| 2009 | "I'll Never Know" | — | — | — | — | |
| "Break The Glass" | — | — | — | — | ||
Promotional Singles
| Year | Title | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | "Check Before Leaving" | *Released as "Singles Club 1" Fan club only release | |
| 2002 | "Lamps Collapsing" | *Released as "Singles Club 2" Fan club only release | |
Music Videos
| Year | Title | Director | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "Cerebra" | David Goodchild | |
| 2001 | "Remmus" | ||
| 2001 | "I'll Find You" | ||
| 2002 | "If I Could" | ||
| 2002 | "Silver" | ||
| 2002 | "Falter" | ||
| 2003 | "The Great Test" | ||
| 2004 | "What You Get" | ||
| 2004 | "Harmony" | ||
| 2006 | "Kill Your Own" | ||
| 2006 | "The Perfect Gift" | ||
| 2006 | "The Chance" | ||
| 2007 | "No Way Back" | ||
| 2009 | "I'll Never Know" | ||
| 2009 | "Break The Glass" | ||
Compilation albums
- The Dead Cheap Fierce Panda Sampler - (September 2000, features "Cerebra")
- Born To Do It Better - (October 2000, features "Change Of Season")
- Rumours, Ridicule and the Profit Motive - (January 2001, features "Counting The Days")
- Please Take Off Your Shoes Before Entering - (March 2001, features "Slow Learner")
- Rumours, Ridicule and the Profit Motive - (April 2001, features "Counting The Days")
- Commercial Breakdown Vol. 2 - (August 2001, features "Different" and "Wireframe")
- Mosh & Go - (October 2001, features "Slow Learner")
- Oli Coles 'appy Days - (March 2012, features "falter")
- How Soon Is Now - The Songs of the Smiths - (March 2004, features their cover of "How Soon Is Now?")
References
- "Hundred Reasons". Hundredreasonsband.tumblr.com. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 263. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- Colin Doran Interview, Rocksins.com
- Hundredreasons.com - pg 78 Archived 4 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- Jonny Blog. "J Blogs Webzine". J-blogswebzine.blogspot.com. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
- "50 acts across 4 stages - Bank Holiday - Monday 4th June At Banquet's Big Day Out". Banquet Records.com. 10 December 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
- Ritchie, Andy. "Hundred Reasons: "We Want to Leave a Good-Looking Corpse" | Rock Sound". rocksound.tv. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
- Archived 20 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- "10 years ago this week, Silver was released. Love... - Hundred Reasons". Hundredreasonsband.tumblr.com. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
- "BPI - Statistics - Certified Awards - Search for Hundred Reasons". BPI. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
