[1] After securing a record deal with Island, they went on to add both drummer John Langley and guitarist Julian Pransky-Poole – initially to enhance their live sound during gigs, but later as a full-time member – to the line-up.
Moreover, Witness were co-managed by The Verve's press officer, Tim Vigon, along with Rob Partridge, Chairman of Coalition PR, who, together, comprised Witness-based 'Valiant Management'.
In 1998, Witness managed to secure support slots on tour with Whiskeytown, The Seahorses and Gene, before going on to self-release their debut single, "Quarantine", through Valiant Recordings on 23 November.
The song, titled "Zero Zero", signified somewhat of a departure for the band from the understated, downbeat sound they had delivered on Before The Calm, as they chose to opt for a much more driving and energetic approach.
They went on to perform a number of gigs previewing their new batch of songs throughout 2000, most notably at the famous Tower Ballroom in Blackpool, as a support act for Embrace on 4 May, whilst 16 May saw the US release of Before The Calm, with the inclusion of 2 bonus tracks.
[11] Despite Pransky-Poole's involvement in the recording of the previous album,[12] his addition to the band's official line-up coincided with the release of their follow-up, leading to assumptions that Witness' new sound was a direct result of his input.
In December 2001, Julian was asked to leave the band, for reasons unknown,[18] and by March 2002, in the midst of demoing what would have been their third album, it had been announced that Witness had been dropped by their record label.
[19] Despite this setback, they went on to perform a well-received headline set[20] at the 'Americana One' festival in August 2002,[19] and also returned to the studio to record an EP's worth of new material, slated for release in early 2003.
In November 2006, Gerard embarked on his first proper solo tour, to coincide with a new one-off track titled "The Whispering", released on the limited edition 10" vinyl compilation Tales From The Lux via Wigan-based Lupine Records.