The Holy Sea Announce their release Ghost of the Horizon & national tour
Late last year The Holy Sea returned to the spotlight with the release of the double-A side singles ‘Bad Luck / King of Palm Island’ and national tour. They received unanimously high praise for both the songs and their live shows right across the country.
…I have a feeling that in the long run, the voices that will constitute our artistic legacy will belong to the likes of Skerritt and The Holy Sea. - MESS AND NOISE
The Holy Sea are an epic band, in all senses of the word - SPA (Live Review)
I think what we are looking at here are the makings of legend that prompt me to declare The Holy Sea as ‘Band of the Decade’. – QUIET POP ZINE
The release of the band’s new album ‘Ghosts of The Horizon’ was delayed by a few months earlier this year, but the band are now happy to announce the album will be in stores on September 30th, with a supporting national tour kicking of on October 2nd.
The new album is a stunning work that has all the hallmarks of a landmark Australian album. It’s an album as grand and sweeping and complex as its muse, this promised, yet conflicted land of Australia. The stories it holds are rich and evocative, delving deeply into the national psyche.
Haunting and expansive, Ghosts… is a brilliant foray into the rich Australian folk-rock tradition that brings to mind the band’s influences such as The Triffids, The Go-Betweens, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Paul Kelly and The Drones – but these are inspirations that have been imbibed and transformed into a sound that is uniquely and beautifully, The Holy Sea.
About The Holy Sea
Critical acclaim is something The Holy Sea have achieved consistently since ‘Blessed Unrest’ their debut release from 10 years ago. Praised for their ‘moody genius’ and ‘provoking depth,’ The West Australian was moved to declare that ‘occasionally there is a schism in the musical world, a tremor of greatness.’
Their second release ‘A Beginner’s Guide to the Sea’ took 7 years to see the light of day. The intervening years saw frontman and main songwriter Henry F Skerritt move east from Perth to Melbourne to pursue a career in curatorship and art history, all the while performing solo or with keyboardist Dan Hoey.
The Holy Sea evolved to the current line-up of guitarist Victor Utting, drummer F. David Bower and bass player Andrew Fuller (since replaced by Gavin Vance) in 2007, performing regularly around Melbourne before reaching their full contingent with the addition of backing vocalist Emma Frichot and multi-instrumentalist Gareth Skinner. The release of ‘A Beginner’s Guide…’ which Drum Media called “evocative, rousing, brilliant!” saw them create a word-of-mouth buzz, backed up by strong live performances they had honed in Melbourne.
That buzz increased when the band were invited by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds to appear at the inaugural All Tomorrow’s Parties festival in Melbourne & Sydney. As Beat Magazine’s Simone Ubaldi noted, “It was a good way for the old guard to anoint The Holy Sea as the new authentic poets of Australian folk-rock.”
After ATP, the band set to work on their next project, ‘Ghosts of The Horizon’. Unlike ‘A Beginner’s Guide…’ which was mostly a product of Skerritt’s solo period, the songs for ‘Ghosts…’ were composed and arranged as a band, although the lyrics remain Skerritt’s. Veteran producer Dave McCluney worked with the band in what was very much a collaborative effort.
The incisive ‘real’ Australia of Paul Kelly, ripped open with the sharp-toothed ocker drawl of The Drones? That puts you on the right track, but despite all these stellar comparisons, The Holy Sea have their own distinct voice, and it’s honestly exciting to know there’s a whole album of it coming.
– RAVE MAGAZINE (Single of the Week)
THE HOLY SEA TOUR DATES
Saturday 2nd October
The Bird
With Selk Hastings & The Bone Singers
+ Simone & Girlfunkel
www.williamstreetbird.com
181 William St, Northbridge WA
Ph: 08 6142 3513
Tix $10 presale / $12 @ door
www.moshtix.com.au
Doors 8pm
Sunday 3rd October
Fremantle Art Centre
www.fac.org.au
1 Finnerty St, Fremantle WA
Ph: 08 9432 9555
Free entry
Show 2pm - 4pm
Saturday 9th October
The Evelyn
With The Broadside Push and special guests
www.evelynhotel.com.au
351 Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC
Ph: 03 9419 5500
Tix $10 presale / $12 @ door
www.moshtix.com.au
Doors 8pm
Thursday 14th October
The Phoenix (Holy Sea duo)
www.lovethephoenix.com
21 East Row, Canberra ACT
Ph: 02 6162 1581
Free entry
Doors 8pm
Saturday 16th October
The Bald Faced Stag
With The Broadside Push, Catherine Traicos
and Psychonanny & The Baby Shakers
www.baldfacedstag.com.au
345 Parramatta Rd, Leichardt NSW
Ph: 02 9560 7188
Tickets: $12 + bf, $15 @ door
www.gobookem.com
Doors: TBA
Sunday 17th October
The Heritage Hotel
With The Broadside Push
www.heritagehotel.com.au
240 Princes Hwy, Illawarra NSW
Ph: 02 4284 5884
Free entry
4pm - 7pmThe Holy Sea onstage 5pm
Saturday 23rd October
The Wheatsheaf
With The Broadside Push
www.wheatsheafhotel.com.au
39 George St, Thebarton SA
Ph: 08 8443 4546
Tix $10 @ the door
Doors 8.30pm
GHOSTS OF THE HORIZON
Out September 30
Thru An Ocean Awaits / Fuse
WEB LINKS
www.myspace.com/theholysea
www.theholysea.com.au
www.twitter.com/TheHolySea
