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2016 marks the tenth anniversary of the end of Chichester’s Hope of the States. The indie post-rock six-piece were one of the most ambitious British bands of their generation. They were perfect for the music romantics, six lads who were signed via Teletext, hailing from West Sussex. The founding guitarist Jimmi Lawrence tragically committed suicide in the Real World studios during the recording of their debut album Lost Riots. The band bravely decided to continue and released singles painstakingly crafted to precision, from the innovative graphic-designed sleeves to the beautifully animated videos, this was a band who cared and they generally looked like they were going to be a band that mattered. But they never seemed to catch fire outside of their die-hard cult fan base and after just two albums and half a dozen singles they broke up after playing the Reading Festival in 2006.
Here are ten reasons why they are solely missed and why they should never be forgotten:
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1.’Black Dollar Bills’
With a promotional video so bleak that MTV had to ban it, this is a debut single that didn’t exactly scream commercial Clocking in at just over seven minutes and lacking any hooks or chorus, this is an introduction to singers Sam Herlihy’s croaky-bittersweet vocals backed over an ambitious wave of sound compared to ‘Godspeed You Black Emperor’. The limited edition single’s hessian sleeve was hand-stitched by each band member. Now that is dedication.
