Cosmic Rough Riders

by Stanton SwihartSinger/songwriters Daniel Wylie and Stephen Fleming met while volunteering in the community recording studio of Castlemilk, Glasgow. In time, Fleming became the studio's manager and chief engineer. Each time Wylie recorded there, Fleming would end up playing with him during the sessions, so in 1998 the duo finally forged a partnership by forming Cosmic Rough Riders, with Wylie on lead vocals and Fleming on electric guitar. Gradually the lineup was filled out by Gary Cuthbert (acoustic guitar), Mark Brown (drums), and James Clifford (bass), and the band developed a sound unabashedly influenced by the California rock sound of the 1970s. They released their first album, Deliverance, in 1999 on their own Raft Records to widespread critical acclaim, quickly selling out an initial pressing of 2,000 and developing a small cult following in the process. They followed that debut with the self-produced Panorama (also released on Raft) in March 2000. The album earned raves from established British publications such as Q, NME, and Mojo, and mimicked the debut by selling out its first pressing of 3,000. Both albums were distributed by Shell Shock Distribution, and both also earned a place in Virgin's Encyclopaedia of the Greatest Albums of All Time. In May 2000, Cosmic Rough Riders began playing live and touring for the first time in their career and simultaneously began discussions about future plans with several interested record and publishing companies.