Belasco

In late 1999, after completing a string of solo acoustic dates across Britain, singer and guitarist Tim Brownlow decided he was ready for a larger project. He reached out to longtime acquaintance Bill Cartlege to handle drums and began auditioning bassists. The initial applicant proved unsuitable, prompting a pointed remark from mutual friend Duff Battye that led directly to the first player’s dismissal and Battye’s own recruitment. With the lineup now complete, Belasco emerged and immediately began shaping a dense, melody-driven take on Britpop. Within weeks the fledgling Splendid Records offered the band a deal. Momentum carried forward without pause: their first full-length release, Simplicity, arrived in stores during summer 2000. The group spent the ensuing months touring the UK in support, only for the label to fold soon afterward, leaving them without a home once more. Drawing on the strength of their concert draw, the musicians returned to the studio to cut their next album, this time under contract to Supermusic Records.