Oz Hardwick on Solstice
Soaring violin and guitar weaving around delicately passionate female vocals, underpinned by driving rhythmic complexity, Solstice were an unlikely band to succeed in 1980s Britain. Yet because of their unique vision, audiences in search of an alternative to the "shiny product" of the music industry revelled in the band's performances at all the major festivals and sell-out tours, on which they made the legendary Marquee club their home.
In spite of this live success, bolstered by BBC sessions and national music press coverage of an unprecedented level for a then-unsigned band, by the close of the 80s the members had dispersed to pursue successful careers in session work, soundtracks and elsewhere, leaving only the independent Silent Dance album to keep the memory alive.
Interest generated by a CD reissue in the nineties led to a Solstice renaissance, with two studio releases, "New Life" and "Circles" and a live album "The Cropredy Set" documenting their return to the big festival stage.
Pursuing an intense involvement with traditional music, guitarist Andy Glass once more put the band on hold in order to put his energies into the critically-acclaimed 3sticks, but things have once again come full circle. A long-awaited DVD release of the Cropredy performance set the stage for a renaissance in 2007, with the entire back catalogue being remastered and issued in greatly expanded "Definitive Edition" form, tapping into the current ascendance of musicians mixing traditional influences with contemporary elements, drawing a wider audience for a band who the cognoscenti have loved for decades.
This rich musical heritage provides the foundation for the next stage of the band's development. With club and festival dates in the UK and, for the first time, mainland Europe, Solstice are playing to a larger audience than ever before, including ,the latest in a tradition of bizarre gigs, to the Queen at the refurbished Milton Keynes Bowl. Whilst Her Majesty was unavailable for comment, an unconfirmed rumour suggests that Prince Harry has "Time for a Toke" on his iPod. And for the future? With coverage in a number of major music magazines and the new studio album, Spirit, getting great reviews, things are looking very bright indeed.
The launch of new live album Kindred Spirits, which includes liner notes from Steven Wilson, saw the band begin a collaboration with iconic Marvel artist Barry Kitson. With a new studio album planned for a 2012 the band have no intention of performing another disappearing act.
Oz Hardwick
