Singer/songwriters Daniel Wylie and Stephen Fleming first crossed paths as volunteers at the community recording studio in Castlemilk, Glasgow. Fleming later took over as the facility’s manager and head engineer. Whenever Wylie booked time there, Fleming joined him in the studio, and by 1998 the pair had decided to collaborate formally, launching Cosmic Rough Riders with Wylie handling lead vocals and Fleming on electric guitar. The group expanded when Gary Cuthbert joined on acoustic guitar, Mark Brown on drums, and James Clifford on bass, shaping a style openly rooted in 1970s California rock. Their debut, Deliverance, appeared on the band’s own Raft Records in 1999, drawing strong critical praise, exhausting an initial run of 2,000 copies, and attracting a devoted following. They quickly followed with the self-produced Panorama, also on Raft, issued in March 2000. The album received enthusiastic notices from Q, NME, and Mojo, likewise selling through its first pressing of 3,000 units. Shell Shock Distribution handled both releases, and each earned inclusion in Virgin’s Encyclopaedia of the Greatest Albums of All Time. In May 2000 the band embarked on its first live performances and tours while entering talks with multiple record labels and publishing companies about upcoming projects.
