Held By Trees
+ Matt Spracklen
Entry Requirements: 18+ after 7pm
Not many bands can claim living DNA of their chief influences within their sound, but Held By Trees are one. Debut album, ‘Solace’ features contributions from no less than eight Talk Talk/Mark Hollis alumni, as well as veterans of Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, and Blur. Wide critical acclaim followed, and support from BBC 6 Music and Radio 3.
Held By Trees’ live iteration features guitar legend Robbie McIntosh (McCartney, The Pretenders, John Mayer, Talk Talk), Laurence Pendrous on keyboards (Mark Hollis, Anja Garbarek), Paul Beavis on drums (The Waterboys, Andy Fairweather-Low and the Low Riders, Bill Wyman), Andy Panayi on flute, clarinet and sax (Ronnie Scott, McCartney, Hollis). This line-up found themselves at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in late 2022 recording two new EPs, one of live tracks from Solace and one of new music.
Think instrumental improv sitting somewhere between post-rock and prog. Instagram/Twitter/YouTube: @heldbytrees
“This tantalising project evokes the spirit of latter-era Talk Talk and David Gilmour-led late-period Pink Floyd.” - Classic Pop Magazine
It’s not just in the studio that the band deliver… Dazzling guitar runs and daring improvisation gripped the crowd… New heroes of post-rock/prog have arrived.” - Record Collector Magazine
“A fascinating project.” - Prog Magazine
“Incredibly atmospheric.” - Alt_version
“…Lovely but very different guitar work… somehow sparse but also slightly proggy as well which I know will sound very appealing, almost like a perfect combination…” - Elizabeth Alker - Unclassified, BBC Radio 3
“Robbie McIntosh and a host of other great players who worked with Talk Talk in the Spirit Of Eden era and on Mark Hollis' eponymous solo album regroup to carry the DNA of Mark's vision forward.
It is a resounding success and a beguiling listen.
Highly recommended to all who think Spirit Of Eden is one of the most important records in their collection”
9/10 - Ian McNabb, Musician
“Held By Trees is deserving of close and wide attention…timely, important, beautiful music…” - Under the Radar
Line Up
Matt Spracklen is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in south London. Matt cut his teeth in the late 90s/early 00s punk scene, touring all over the UK and even playing with Green Day. His muse then took him to Nashville to train in vocal arrangement. On returning to England, Matt set about recording his music, playing all the instruments himself and layering staggeringly detailed harmonies. Matt shared a record label roster with David Joseph in the late 00s/early 10s and the two worked together intermittently, with Matt contributing vocals, guitar and production to some of David’s recordings.
It was around then that Matt began to get heavily involved with the UK country music community, working closely with Bob Harris and becoming a host of Absolute Radio Country, before taking up his own show on Country Lines Radio. Matt has been releasing his gorgeous songs over the past few years, as well as reuniting with his punk friends and forming a new band called The Upshot.
Held By Trees are delighted to welcome Matt for an acoustic set at The Half Moon in Putney on Thursday 21st September.
Instagram: @mattspracklen
