From the beggining...
Stereophonics were signed to Richard Bransons then newly established record label V2 in the summer of 1996.
The signing did not come easy for them but rather something that they had worked hard for at a young age. Kelly, Richard and Stuart all grew up in their hometown of Cwmaman, South Wales. Bothe Kelly (lead voclas and guitar) and Stuart (drums) were in bands before Stereophonics, they later asked Richard (bass) to join as he was "the coolest looking fucker in the vilage"

I knocked his door when I was twelve, I knew he'd got a drum kit for his birthday, and I just said 'Do you wanna have a jam in a band" -Kelly Jones on how the band started

Inspired by their three favourite bands (The Tragically Hip, Mother Love Bone and Bad Company), the band were first called "The Tragic Love Company". For a few years the band trailed from Cwmaman to London for gigs that seemed to take them nowhere. The boys later changed their name to "Stereophonics" -taken from Stuart Cable's fathers radiogram, and everything started happening for them.

It was the summer of 1996 and every record company seemed to want them.

"We were sat in the boardroom at EMI and the A&R guy turned round to kelly and said, "This "Thousand Trees" Track. Why did you write this song? Is it for Greenpeace? Is it about saving trees?" Kelly just looked at me and I knew Emi Was out of the window" -John Brand.

Stereophonics signed to Richard Bransons record label V2 in the summer of 1996. The boys didn't want to join a major record label where they knew they would be thrown into producing immmediate results, thats why they signed to V2, they didn't have much experience and V2 was only just getting going, so they had the space they needed.
Stereophonics released their debut album in August 1997. 'Word Gets Around' entered the UK Charts at number 6, a result based on a hell of alot of 'Dartboard touring' (racing from one end of the country to anouther to do gigs).
In March 97 the release of "Local Boy" made 51 in the charts. However in the same year "More Life In A Tramps Vest" "Thousand Trees" and "Traffic" all made it inside the top 40.
"WOrd Gets Around" is very much a story telling album, each song is a story from in or around their home town of Cwmaman. The boys must have done something right as this album went on to sell about one million copies worldwide.
In 1998, their army of loyal fans voted Stereophonics "Best British Newcomer"

"It's about fucking time we got some recognition" -Kelly Jones on recieving the award.

At the beggining of 1998, Stereophonics got a top 20 hit with their re-release of "Local Boy In The Photograph"
In June the Same Year the boys played their first big gig, Cardiff Castle in front of an audience of ten thousand people.
They then released, "Bartender And The Theif", the first release from their second album, "Performance And Cocktails" Bartender, entered the charts at number 3, their highest position to date.The next single "Just Looking" made the top five, and a month later on March 8th 99, 'Performance And Cocktails" entered at number one in the uk album charts. At the end of such a succesful year, they played their biggest gig to date, Morfa Stadium, with an audience of fifty thousand adoring fans.

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