There were 2 things that every article or review about the Copperpot Journals seemed obliged to mention.

1. They were from Rutland; England’s smallest county

2. They were Hundred Reason’s favourite band.

When trying to sell records one of these facts was more useful than the other.

After a debut release on Blind Bear – a label so small it made Firefly look like EMI – they were brought to our attention by fellow Rutlanders and Firefly recording artists, Otherwise.

It was pretty much label policy only to put out records by our friends and then their friends, who then became our friends too and Copperpots well and truly fit the criteria. Huge epic songs topped off with Gareth’s huge epic voice meant that it was a no-brainer that we were going to put out their next release.

Plotting to Kill Your Friends came out in 2002 to great reviews everywhere with comparisons to Fugazi, Appleseed Cast, Cave In and Hundred Reasons. The latter helped out enormously by bigging them up in interviews and taking them out on tour where it was obvious that they were born to play bigger venues

Soon there were major label sniffing around but the band decided to stay with Firefly and their only dalliance was a track on Fierce Panda’s Squirrel 7″ EP alongside Funeral For A Friend and Million Dead (amongst others).

The Journals upped the game once again for the Pilots album. 52 mins that expanded on their sound and really marked them down as a band who could crossover to a much bigger audience. Alas, it was not to be. But if there is one question I’ve been asked for the last 20 years it definitely been, ‘When are the Copperpot Journals albums coming out on vinyl’.