Hands of the Heron

Multi-layered instrumental and vocal trio find that they are prog, much to their surprise.

Being labelled prog is still something of a novelty for Bristol-based trio Hands Of The Heron. But following a scene-stealing appearance at October’s Summer’s End Festival, they are starting to adjust.

“I really enjoyed how shocked some of the audience members were that they enjoyed it”, smiles multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Beth Roberts. “But we don’t set out to make music in any particular genre; we just make what sounds good to us”.

The human voice seems to be the most important instrument at the band’s disposal. Vocalist and clarinetist Claire Vine agrees. “There used to be a lot more instrumentation, but we do almost half of the set acapella now. We are self-taught on our instruments, but we’ve all sung a lot, so there’s more ease in how we write for voice”. Guitarist and vocalist Bec Garthwaite adds, “I think vocals are at the heart of all our instrumentation”. “It’s a place where we feel at home and confident”, suggests Beth. “Early on, we’d just sit around fires singing, so we create music with the expectation that it will be quiet, and the most direct way you can do that is by using the voice”.

Does this make a difference to where the band chooses to perform? “We want to play in listening spaces”, Beth comments, while Claire remembers some difficult experiences. “We’ve played in noisy pubs, and it’s not much fun if you’re singing a song that means a lot to you and you aren’t sure if anyone is listening”. “Particularly as we want to immerse the listener in our music”. Beth suggests. “We’ve actually played Exeter Library and Plymouth Aquarium, so we seem to be moving towards …” She searches for the phrase. “… tours of municipal buildings?” Claire offers.

What about lyrical themes? “Water, the sea and being in touch with our emotional states are important to us,” says Bec, “But Beth loves a story”. Beth agrees. “I would say that both albums have concepts. The first was about surviving a breakup, whereas the second discusses personal realisation: the disintegration of who you are and finding another path. We’ve all contributed pieces, so it’s not one story; it’s more a theme”.

Having slimmed down to a trio after the last album //13 Moons//, the band are hoping to record again in February, with a view to a release and tour in the autumn. Bec comments on the power of the trio format.“Because of the way the three of us were developing musically after //13 Moons// came out, it seemed like the right time to become a three-piece”. “There is a collectiveness to the project that is important”, continues Beth. “Once one of us comes in with a song, we hand it over into the collective hands of the band. In fact, we are often complimented about how well we use our available layers. We have crafted a sound that is very full and yet sometimes very sparse. We want to showcase the dual personality of the band”. SL

Prog File

LINE-UP: Bethany Roberts (vocals, banjo, violin), Claire Vine (vocals, clarinet, harmonium), Bec Garthwaite (vocals, electric and acoustic guitars)

SOUNDS LIKE: Glorious, multi-layered alt-folk with spellbinding harmonies and diverse instrumentation

CURRENT RELEASE: 13 Moons  available from handsoftheheron.bandcamp.com

WEBSITE: cuculirecords.com

— Stephen Lambe