Talk Talk, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits Veterans Unite on New Instrumental Project

Featuring blues legend Eric Bibb, Robbie McIntosh (Talk Talk, Paul McCartney, John Mayer, The Pretenders), Martin Ditcham (Talk Talk, Chris Rea, The Waterboys), David Knopfler (Dire Straits), Laurence Pendrous (Mark Hollis, Anja Garbarek), Gary Alesbrook (Noel Gallagher, Kasabian, Super Furry Animals), Mike Smith (Blur), new instrumental project, Held By Trees, will release their next single, “Mysterium” on 12th November, 2021.

The record features an astounding cast of world-class musicians, including…
Eric Bibb (Guitar)
Robbie McIntosh (Guitar – Talk Talk, Paul McCartney, John Mayer, The Pretenders)
Martin Ditcham (Drums and Percussion – Talk Talk, Chris Rea, The Waterboys)
David Knopfler (Guitar – Dire Straits)
Laurence Pendrous (Piano – Mark Hollis, Anja Garbarek)
Gary Alesbrook (Trumpet – Noel Gallagher, Kasabian, Super Furry Animals)
Mike Smith (Keyboards – Blur)

Drawing together elements of post-rock and progressive rock, Held By Trees are also announcing their debut, self-titled album, due in Spring 2022. The full-length LP features more stellar musicians, such as Tim Renwick (Guitar – Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Eric Clapton), and Mike Smith (Keyboard and Sax – Blur, Gorillaz, Damon Albarn).

Described by the project leader, composer/producer and multi-instrumentalist, David Joseph, as “somewhere between latter Talk Talk and Gilmour-era Pink Floyd”, Held By Trees has the unique claim of bringing together a total of seven Talk Talk/Mark Hollis veterans. These include engineers Phill Brown and Denis Blackham, bassist Simon Edwards, and flute/clarinet master, Andreas Panayi (as well as those mentioned above).

This project is a sleeve-note reader’s fantasy!

“Mysterium” evokes a vivid night-time pastoral atmosphere with ambient field recordings and undulating drones while a gentle rhythm guides delicate chord changes, graced with Robbie McIntosh’s melodic and emotional lead guitar. The piece spaciously breaks open into a swelling, aching crescendo before dying back away into silence.