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Losing a founding member can be the pinnacle moment of a bands career. Do you fall at the waist side and tumble into obscurity or do rise from the ashes and become something even greater. Do you become AC/DC after losing Bon Scott or INXS after losing Michael Hutchence? South Carolina based group Band Of Horses have conquered their own band member difficulties and managed to produce new album ‘Cease To Begin’.

Last year, following the release of debut album ‘Everything All The Time’ Mat Brooke left to focus on his other band Grand Archives. However, the closing of one door led to another one opening as lead singer Ben Bridwell explains: “The big change on the album came when a childhood friend of mine, Ryan Monroe, came in to play piano with us on our demos, then we realised we had to snatch him up. Now he’s in the band and plays on the record. His influence is pretty awesome.”

‘Cease To Begin’ is described as "derivative cosmic indie pop" by Bridwell, who began writing the album over the course of the past year. “I’d been writing while on tour all year then all of a sudden I kind of realised I had enough material for a record.” Speaking of his proudest moment on the album Bridwell picks out ‘Ode To LRC’. A song derived from true events. “It was one of the first times I’d ever sat down and written a song beginning to end in like an hour or two. I enjoyed it because it was so begging to be written that I didn’t really have to work on it too hard.”

Heading back into the studio to write the follow up to your debut album is a tall order and one that Bridwell found surprisingly easier the second time round. “On the first record I’d danced around a lot of subjects and you couldn’t really tell too much of what I was talking about, but on this record it’s really a lot more straight forward. I wasn’t as afraid to just go ahead, and if people didn’t get what I was saying I didn’t really care. I wasn’t as nervous.”

Phil Ek has once again lent his hand to produce the album and the same sound that caused admiration from followers of the band on their first record has been improved and developed upon. Band Of Horses spent two weeks in Ashville North Carolina putting down the basis or the record before mastering and adding additional components in Seattle. The famous musical history of the area could have had a heavy influence over the band and subconsciously discouraged them away from something with natural foundations. Bridwell has spent eight years living in Seattle so the only thing influencing him was the knowledge of a good bar and trying to keep out of trouble.

The time spent in the studio and that on the road is the cause of conflict for many bands who attempt to single out their favourite between the two. Bridwell believes: “They (studio and on the road) both have their own charm. I was starting to enjoy the studio more as the first album was such a terrifying experience that I was just sheepish towards the whole thing. Whereas with the last one I was really excited to be there. The same thing with the road though, we’ve been on tour with bigger bands like Modest Mouse this time.”

Dates have already been announced for the bands upcoming North American tour in support of the album and Bridwell is excited to be able to get back on the road. “We finally have enough material where we don’t have to play three covers. It’s nice to be able to do some new stuff rather then just playing that one album, so any song that isn’t on that one (Everything All The Time) will be good to play.”

The band will "hopefully" be making their way to the UK again soon as some of the nights they spent across the pond last time were a little too quiet for Bridwell’s tastes, partly due to the early closing times. On their previous outings Band Of Horses have played the All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival and a date at London’s Scala.

Only time will tell if Bridwell’s men can successfully follow up their debut album, so hopefully the name Band Of Horses will continue to march its way around the country for many years to come.