Editing Mostly Autumn (section)

==History==
Mostly Autumn was formed in the mid-1990s.  The original line-up included several members of '''One Stoned Snowman''', a Pink Floyd/1970s [[tribute band]]. The band's founding line-up consisted of band leader [[Bryan Josh]] (vocals and guitars), Heidi Widdop (vocals), Iain Jennings (keyboards), Liam Davison (guitars), Alun Hughes (bass and occasional keyboards), Bob Faulds (violin), Kev Gibbons (whistles), and Chris Walton (drums). Mostly Autumn's first live shows were supported by One Stoned Snowman or vice versa; One Stoned Snowman's final concert was a farewell show in December 1995 and was indeed supported by Mostly Autumn. Mostly Autumn's original [[rhythm section]] of Alun Hughes and Chris Walton left the band during 1996 to concentrate on other musical projects and family commitments respectively.  They were replaced by bassist Stuart Carver and drummer Allan Scott.  Shortly after, Widdop was replaced on vocals by Heather Findlay.

This line-up recorded ''[[For All We Shared]]...'' in 1998. More line-up changes ensued.  By 1999, when the band recorded its second album, ''[[The Spirit of Autumn Past]]'', Gibbons and Scott had been replaced by Angela Goldthorpe and Rob McNeil respectively.

In 2000 (as a three piece – Josh, Findlay, and Goldthorpe) they achieved a support slot for [[Blackmore's Night]] on their ''[[Under a Violet Moon]]'' tour, bringing them to a wider audience.  On the cover artwork for the following Blackmore's Night album ''[[Fires at Midnight]]'' (2001), Heather Findlay provided the illustration for the song "Hanging Tree".
[[File:Mostly Autumn (28499269) (cropped).jpg|thumb|The band performing at the [[Wickerman Festival]], Scotland, 2005. Left to right: Bryan Josh, Andy Smith, Heather Findlay, Andrew Jennings (on drums), Liam Davison, Iain Jennings and Angela Gordon (obscured).]]
On Mostly Autumn's third album, ''[[The Last Bright Light]]'' (2001), Rob McNeil, in turn, was replaced by Jonathan Blackmore. Andy Smith replaced Stuart Carver on the bass guitar. Shortly before the band's 'V Shows' tour in 2004, Iain's brother Andrew Jennings took over on drums and percussion. By this time, the band had been praised by [[Richard Wright (musician)|Rick Wright]] of Pink Floyd.<ref>"Floyd legacy, but originality foremost", ''Western Mail'', 21 April 2004 p.15</ref> Olivia Sparnenn joined the band in 2005 to provide backing vocals. [[Ben Matthews (musician)|Ben Matthews]] of [[Thunder (band)|Thunder]] stood in on keyboards for Mostly Autumn's headline gig at the [[Baja Prog|Baja Prog Festival]] in Mexico in March 2006.{{citation needed|date=June 2009}} Chris Johnson was then recruited as a permanent replacement, with Angela (now under her married name Gordon) also taking a more prominent role on keyboards.

At the beginning of 2007, both guitarist Liam Davison and drummer Andrew Jennings left the band; Davison to concentrate on his solo album and Jennings to devote his time to his other projects. The guitar parts were shared out amongst the rest of the group. Ex-[[Karnataka (band)|Karnataka]] drummer Gavin Griffiths stood in on drums for most of the 2007 live shows; Andrew Jennings temporarily rejoined the group at the end of 2007, until Henry Bourne took over in 2008. Gavin Griffiths returned for the first shows of 2009 in [[Manchester]] and London. After Chris Johnson and Angela Gordon left in 2007, Iain Jennings and Liam Davison returned to the group on keyboards and guitar respectively. [[Anne-Marie Helder]] (who had played support slots in the past and stood in for Angela during her pregnancy) took over the role of flute, keyboards and backing vocals. A new studio album entitled ''[[Glass Shadows]]'' was released in early 2008 and an accompanying tour took place in spring and early summer. A 100-minute DVD, 'The Making of Glass Shadows', accompanied the special pre-order version of the album.

During October 2008, Mostly Autumn performed two gigs with an alternative, semi-acoustic line-up in support of the [[Bad Shepherds]]. The line-up consisted of [[Bryan Josh]] (guitar and vocals), Olivia Sparnenn (lead vocals), Andy Smith (bass), Anne-Marie Helder (keyboards and flute) and Robbie Baxter (drums). This tour was truncated after the Bad Shepherds cancelled many dates.
[[File:Heather Findlay & Liam Davison, Mostly Autumn (228618736).jpg|thumb|Former members, Heather Findlay and Liam Davison performing with the band in 2004.]]
Mostly Autumn have their own independent record label and choose to finance each album release itself. The group typically prints a limited edition of each album and sells those to cover their recording costs. A retail version of the album is then made available via retail outlets, distributors, the group's concerts and through their website.<ref>"Never mind downloads, the CD is alive and well", ''The Independent'', 2 March 2007 p.12</ref>

Up to and including ''[[Heart Full of Sky]]'' (2006), Mostly Autumn's albums have started with the last few seconds of the previous album's final song. This tradition was dropped with the release of ''[[Glass Shadows]]'' (2008).

At the beginning of 2010, Heather Findlay announced her intention to leave the band to focus on solo work and on her family.  She performed her last gig with the band at Leamington Spa Assembly on 2 April 2010.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.mostlypink.net/who_heatherfindlay.htm |title=Heather Findlay |website=Mostlypink.net |date= |accessdate=17 February 2015}}</ref> This was filmed, and released as a 2-disc DVD under the name ''That Night in Leamington'', which also included a 30-minute interview with Josh and Findlay. After her departure, Olivia Sparnenn stepped into the lead role, and the band's next album ''[[Go Well Diamond Heart]]'' was released in 2010.

Bryan Josh and Olivia Sparnenn were married on 21 June 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mostly-autumn.com/2/News.html |title=Mostly Autumn |website=Mostly-autumn.com |date= |accessdate=17 February 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Panic Room live at Trading Boundaries, Sussex 1st July 2017 - 35852140651 (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Anne-Marie Helder]] and Gavin Griffiths both departed the band in 2013 to focus on their other band, Panic Room]]
From mid-2013 onwards, Helder and Griffiths were absent from the band's touring line-up due to other commitments; their positions being temporarily filled by keyboardist Hannah Hird and drummer Alex Cromarty.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roscalen.com/MostlyAutumn/Bilston131208/index.htm |title=Mostly Autumn – Bilston Robin 2 8/12/2013 |website=Roscalen.com |date=2013-12-08 |accessdate=17 February 2015}}</ref> In March 2014, it was revealed by Bryan Josh on the band's official website that Griffiths had decided to leave the band and that Cromarty was now his official replacement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mostly-autumn.com/2/News.html|title=Mostly Autumn|website=Mostly-autumn.com|accessdate=7 December 2018}}</ref> With this line-up the band then recorded their eleventh album, ''[[Dressed in Voices]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Mostly-Autumn-Dressed-In-Voices/release/6289177|title=Mostly Autumn - Dressed In Voices|website=Discogs.com|accessdate=7 December 2018}}</ref> In May 2014, shortly prior to the release of ''Dressed in Voices'', Josh announced that founding member Liam Davison had left the band and had been replaced by returning member Chris Johnson,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mostlyautumnnews.wordpress.com/2014/05/25/on-tour/|title=On tour……|date=25 May 2014|website=Mostlyautumnnews.wordpress.com|accessdate=7 December 2018}}</ref> and this new line-up recorded the live album ''Box of Tears''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Mostly-Autumn-Box-Of-Tears/release/7584579|title=Mostly Autumn - Box Of Tears|website=Discogs.com|accessdate=7 December 2018}}</ref>

In the autumn of 2014, Josh and Sparnenn – as "Mostly Autumn Acoustic" – supported [[Steve Hackett]] on the UK leg of his "Genesis Extended" tour.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=782352365118043&id=153492314670721 |title=Mostly Autumn – After a nail-biting few weeks we can... |website=Facebook.com |date= |accessdate=17 February 2015}}</ref>

In mid-2015, former Mostly Autumn flautist and keyboardist Angela Gordon replaced Hannah Hird in the band's touring line-up;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.angelagordon.co.uk/biography|title=angelagordon - Biography|website=Angelagordon.co.uk|accessdate=7 December 2018}}</ref> whilst no official statement was made at the time, the band have now acknowledged that Gordon had officially replaced Helder in the band's line-up, and with this new line-up the band recorded its next album, ''[[Sight of Day]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/mostly-autumn-detail-new-album-sight-of-day|title=Mostly Autumn detail new album Sight Of Day|author=Scott Munro|website=Loudersound.com|accessdate=7 December 2018}}</ref>

On 5 November 2017, the band announced that founding guitarist Liam Davison had died.<ref>{{cite web |author=Ewing |first=Jerry |date=November 5, 2017 |title=Former Mostly Autumn Guitarist Liam Davison Dies |url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/former-mostly-autumn-guitarist-liam-davison-dies |accessdate=7 December 2018 |website=louder}}</ref>