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Hope of the States
OriginChichester, England
GenresAlternative rock, indie rock, post-rock, new prog
Years active2000–2006, 2024
MembersSam Herlihy
Michael Hibbert
Simon Jones
Michael Siddell
Paul Wilson
Past membersJames "Jimmi" Lawrence
Keith Seymour
Scott R Walker
Anthony Theaker

Hope of the States are an English post rock-influenced indie band, formed in Chichester in 2000.

Following the release of 2 albums, the band split up in 2006 before reuniting in 2024.[1]

History

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The band formed in 2000, naming themselves after The Shame of the States, Albert Deutsch's 1948 book on the state of mental healthcare in the United States.[2] They were discovered after sending a demo to the Planet Sound teletext page, and were signed to Sony BMG. The band's bass player Scott R. Walker left the band after the first initial releases and then went on to form Kasms with Rory Attwell.

The band's guitarist James "Jimmi" Lawrence committed suicide by hanging on 15 January 2004,[3] during recording sessions for their debut album at Real World Studios in Box, Wiltshire.[4] They then enlisted guitarist Michael Hibbert, with Herlihy stating that the guitarist had fit in "incredibly. Not just as a guitarist but in handling the situation. He plays in his own way, jumps around and that's exactly what we need. I don't want someone who's going to stand there depressed, or try to copy Jimmi".[5]

The band released their debut album The Lost Riots om on 7 June 2004, and 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, including an appearance at the Dance Academy in Plymouth.[6]

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 2,000 copies, available on vinyl, and was also available for download. The single "Sing it Out" was released in June 2006, reaching No. 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.[7] 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.

Following the band's split, Sam Herlihy and Simon Jones formed The Northwestern, who split in 2012. The rest of the band formed Troubles, with Michael Hibbert leaving in 2007 to form Chapel Club, who split in 2013.

On 8 July 2024, the band announced that they had reunited to play 3 gigs in December 2024 and were recording new material with producer Jolyon Thomas. A fourth date was added following strong ticket sales.

"Long Waits in A&E", the band's first new song since 2006, was released to digital and streaming platforms on 1 November 2024. A single-sided vinyl release, limited to 1,000 copies, was sold at the band's comeback gigs in December 2024.

This was followed by the release of The Magic Kingdom (B-sides 2002-2006) to digital and streaming platforms on 17 December 2024. The compilation features all the B-sides from the band's single releases from "Black Dollar Bills" to "Left", including several which had not previously been available on streaming services.

Members

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Former members

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  • James "Jimmi" Lawrence – guitar
  • Keith Seymour – bass guitar
  • Scott R Walker – bass guitar
  • Anthony Theaker – guitar, piano, hammond organ, farfisa, celeste, laptop, music box, moog synthesizer, glockenspiel, mellotron

Discography

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Studio albums

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List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
UK
[8] 		SCO
[9]
The Lost Riots 21 21
Left 50 51

Compilation album

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Title Album details
The Magic Kingdom

(B-sides 2002-2006)

Extended plays

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Title Album details
Winter Riot Dust Rackets
  • Released: 19 August 2004
  • Label: Epic
  • Formats: CD, DL
Blood Meridian

Singles

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Title Year Peak chart positions Album
UK
[10] 		UK
Indie
[11] 		UK
Rock
[12] 		SCO
[13]
"Black Dollar Bills" 2002 83 10 — 93 The Lost Riots
"Enemies/Friends" 2003 25 — — 31
"The Red the White the Black the Blue" 2004 15 — — 22
"Nehemiah" 30 — 2 29
"Sing It Out" 2006 39 — — 28 Left
"Left" 63 — — 30
"Long Waits in A&E" 2024 — — — — Non-album single

Demos and promotional singles

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  • 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)
  • "AMM=IBM" (MP3 download)
  • "L'Ark Pour Les Enfants Terribles" (October 2004; ltd. tour CD)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Hope of the States Reunite for Tour Dates, New Material | Live".
  2. ^ Wilson, MacKenzie. "About Hope of the States". MTV.com. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  3. ^ "Obituary James Lawrence". theguardian.com. 23 January 2004. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Musician is found hanged in studios". 22 January 2004.
  5. ^ Simpson, Dave (17 May 2004). "'I think he's up there, laughing and proud'". The Guardian.
  6. ^ "Venue drew the top DJs". Plymouth Herald. 2 July 2008. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  7. ^ "Drowned in Sound - News - Hope Of The States split confirmed". Archived from the original on 2 September 2006. Retrieved 2 September 2006.
  8. ^ "Hope of the States Chart History". Official Charts. 7 May 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  9. ^ Peak chart position on the Scottish Albums Chart:
  10. ^ "Hope of the States". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  11. ^ Peak chart position on the UK Indie Singles Chart:
  12. ^ Peak chart position on the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart:
  13. ^ Peak chart position on the Scottish Singles Chart:
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