Hundred Reasons Explained

Background:group_or_band
Hundred Reasons
Landscape:yes
Origin:London, England
Current Members:
  • Andy Bews
  • Colin Doran
  • Andy Gilmour
  • Larry Hibbitt
Past Members:
  • Paul Townsend
  • Ben Doyle

Hundred Reasons are an English alternative rock band formed in London, England, in 1999. It consists of Colin Doran (vocals), Larry Hibbitt (guitar, vocals), Andy Gilmour (bass), and Andy Bews (drums).

After releasing EpOne, EpTwo, and EpThree between 2000 and 2001, Hundred Reasons issued their debut full-length album, Ideas Above Our Station, in 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, in 2006. Guitarist and vocalist Paul Townsend departed following the release and was replaced by Ben Doyle for the band's fourth album, Quick the Word, Sharp the Action (2007).

Following years of inactivity, Hundred Reasons played tenth-anniversary shows in 2012 and briefly reunited again for two shows in 2014. After regrouping in 2021, they issued their fifth album, Glorious Sunset, in 2023.

Hundred Reasons have had six top-40 hit singles and two top-20 hit albums.[1]

Career

Formation and first releases: 1999–2004

Hundred Reasons was formed in London, England, in 1999. By 2001, they had released three EPs: EpOne, EpTwo, and EpThree, as well as a split EP with the American punk rock band Garrison.

The band's debut album, Ideas Above Our Station, was released in 2002. It peaked at No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart, achieved Gold status, with sales of over 118,000 copies, and spawned several Top 40 hits on the UK Singles Chart.[2] [3]

Their second album, Shatterproof Is Not A Challenge, was released in 2004. Despite successful tours and achieving Silver status with sales of more than 65,000 copies within four months, Hundred Reasons were dropped by Sony BMG in June 2004.

Subsequent releases and lineup change (2005–2009)

Hundred Reasons signed to V2 Records in September 2005 and issued their third studio album, Kill Your Own, in 2006. In August of that year, it was announced on the band's official website that guitarist and vocalist Paul Townsend would be leaving the band. He was replaced by Ben Doyle of the Lucky Nine.

In October 2007, the band published their fourth album, Quick the Word, Sharp the Action. Less than a month later, V2 Records was purchased by Universal Records and left the band without a label once more.[4] They re-released a remastered version of Quick the Word, Sharp the Action in 2009.

Hiatus and reunion shows (2009–2014)

After the re-release of Quick the Word, Sharp the Action, Hundred Reasons went on an extended hiatus. Reflecting on this period in an interview with NME in 2022, Doran stated: "After Quick the Word, personally for me that felt like it was going to be it. I'm quite pragmatic and I think it had some good songs on it, but it wasn't what I would call our best record. Things were on a bit of a downward turn, to be open and frank about it. We just ended up, not necessarily dissolving the band but everybody had to go and find other things to do. Those things took over, then weeks turned into months, which turned into years. Larry was building his career as a producer, I was in education and doing stuff like that, Bews was living in America which made rehearsal quite different, and Andy was in another band at the time called Freeze Atlantic."[5]

In April 2012, the band announced that they would be performing songs from their first album, Ideas Above Our Station, at both Banquet Records' Big Day Out and 2000Trees, and that they had been rejoined by Paul Townsend.[6] Hell Is for Heroes drummer Joe Birch performed with them that summer."[7]

On 8 May, it was revealed that Townsend would not be performing with the band after all.[8]

In 2014, Hundred Reasons reunited once more to play the Sonisphere Festival.

Glorious Sunset (2022–present)

On 25 October 2022, the band announced that they would be releasing their first new music in fifteen years, with a single called "Glorious Sunset". A full-length album, also titled Glorious Sunset, came out on 24 February 2023.[5]

Band members

Current

Past

Timeline

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Colors = id:Vocals value:red legend:Lead_Vocals id:Bvox value:pink legend:Backing_Vocals id:Guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:album value:black legend:Studio_album

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BarData = bar:Doran text:"Colin Doran" bar:Hibbitt text:"Larry Hibbitt" bar:Townsend text:"Paul Townsend" bar:Doyle text:"Ben Doyle" bar:Gilmour text:"Andy Gilmour" bar:Bews text:"Andy Bews"

PlotData= width:11 bar:Doran from:01/01/1999 till:11/24/2012 color:Vocals bar:Doran from:07/24/2014 till:07/25/2014 color:Vocals bar:Doran from:07/23/2021 till:end color:Vocals bar:Hibbitt from:01/01/1999 till:11/24/2012 color:Guitar bar:Hibbitt from:01/01/1999 till:11/24/2012 color:Bvox width:3 bar:Hibbitt from:07/24/2014 till:07/25/2014 color:Guitar bar:Hibbitt from:07/24/2014 till:07/25/2014 color:Bvox width:3 bar:Hibbitt from:07/23/2021 till:end color:Guitar bar:Hibbitt from:07/23/2021 till:end color:Bvox width:3 bar:Townsend from:01/01/1999 till:09/15/2006 color:Guitar bar:Townsend from:01/01/1999 till:09/15/2006 color:Bvox width:3 bar:Townsend from:02/09/2012 till:05/08/2012 color:Guitar bar:Townsend from:02/09/2012 till:05/08/2012 color:Bvox width:3 bar:Doyle from:09/16/2006 till:11/14/2009 color:Guitar bar:Gilmour from:01/01/1999 till:11/24/2012 color:Bass bar:Gilmour from:07/24/2014 till:07/25/2014 color:Bass bar:Gilmour from:07/23/2021 till:end color:Bass bar:Bews from:01/01/1999 till:11/24/2012 color:Drums bar:Bews from:07/23/2021 till:end color:Drums

Discography

Studio albums

YearAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsCertification
UKUK RockUK IndieSCO
2002Ideas Above Our Station 61-7
2004Shatterproof Is Not a Challenge
  • Released: 1 March 2004
  • Label: Columbia
  • Formats: CD, digital download
201-22
2006Kill Your Own
  • Released: 20 March 2006
  • Label: V2
  • Formats: CD, digital download
793494
2007Quick the Word, Sharp the Action
  • Released: 15 October 2007/20 April 2009 (re-release)
  • Label: V2
  • Formats: CD, digital download
1004--
2023Glorious Sunset
  • Released: 24 February 2023
  • Label: SO Recordings
  • Formats: Vinyl, CD, digital download
-510-

Live albums

YearAlbum details
2004Live Bootleg
2005Live at Freakscene
2012Year Ten: Live at the Forum
2023Live at Hammersmith

EPs

YearEP detailsPeak chart positions
UKSCO
2000EpOne90
2001EpTwo4742
Garrison / Hundred Reasons
EpThree3738

Singles

YearTitlePeak chart positionsAlbum
UKUK
Rock
UK
Indie
SCO
2002"If I Could"19 3 19Ideas Above Our Station
"Silver"15 2 18
"Falter"38 5 44
2003"The Great Test"29 4 29Shatterproof Is Not a Challenge
2004"What You Get"30 1 32
"How Soon Is Now?"47 6 46Non-album single
2006"Kill Your Own"45 2 223Kill Your Own
"The Perfect Gift"111 3 1146
"The Chance/Live Fast, Die Ugly"
2007"No Way Back"Quick the Word, Sharp the Action
2009"I'll Never Know"
"Break the Glass"
2022"Glorious Sunset"Glorious Sunset
"New Glasses"
"The Old School Way"
2023"Replicate"

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hundred Reasons . Hundredreasonsband.tumblr.com . 13 April 2012.
  2. http://www.rocksins.com/2009/10/exclusive-interview-with-hundred-reasons-1131/ Colin Doran Interview
  3. Book: Roberts, David. 2006. British Hit Singles & Albums. 19th. Guinness World Records Limited . London. 1-904994-10-5. 263.
  4. http://www.hundredreasons.com/news.php?nw_id=78 Hundredreasons.com – pg 78
  5. Web site: Hundred Reasons return with 'Glorious Sunset' and tell us about their first album in 15 years. NME. Trendell. Andrew. 27 October 2022. 27 October 2022.
  6. Web site: 50 acts across 4 stages – Bank Holiday – Monday 4th June at Banquet's Big Day Out . Banquet Records.com . 10 December 2011 . 23 May 2012.
  7. http://hundredreasonsband.tumblr.com/post/21213058353/here-is-whats-happening
  8. Web site: 10 years ago this week, Silver was released. Love... – Hundred Reasons . https://archive.today/20120723102246/http://hundredreasonsband.tumblr.com/post/22661538157/10-years-ago-this-week-silver-was-released-love . dead . 23 July 2012 . Hundredreasonsband.tumblr.com . 23 May 2012 .
  9. Web site: BPI – Statistics – Certified Awards – Search for Hundred Reasons. BPI. 23 May 2020 .