Alt-rock band Cardinal Black epitomise the long way round. Rewind to 2010 and the Welsh-born trio of Tom Hollister (vocals), Chris Buck (guitar) and Adam Roberts (drums) were riding a wave of hype, having received a speight of stellar endorsements from some of the biggest names in rock, most notably from the iconic Steve Winwood who had invited the band to initially record at his storied Wincraft Studios.

A triumphant live set at Sonisphere in 2010 followed a phone call from the manager of...