I’m always on the lookout for unique and interesting music, and one of the most experimental acts I’ve come across lately is The Sacrificing Hands, and their EP, Hedgerow Throne. It’s very different from anything else out there at the moment, so if you’re into your experimental music, give it a whirl!
By Jane Howkins
You recently released a new EP titled Hedgerow Throne, which we reviewed. What can you tell us about the EP?
Hedgerow Throne is an instrumental collection of 6 tracks that are a bit experimental – soundscapes, I suppose. I’m blending traditional instruments with lots of synths and discovered sounds. Atmospheric? Yes, but I do love a good melody! The songs on Hedgerow Throne concern British history and folklore – how impressions of the past remain in the landscape and how, as we live in our landscapes, we interact with the past, nostalgia and memory. It’s all very high concept (grin).
How has the reception been so far to Hedgerow Throne been so far, and where can it be purchased?
Hedgerow Throne has had very positive reviews and plays on streaming services but it’s a struggle to get music out to a wider audience. I’ve really enjoyed listener’s comments about the EP, their thoughts are often very different from my intent, and I really love that! It’s amazing how music evokes images and feelings in people.
The EP is available on Bandcamp: https://th…dcamp.com/
Do you plan to release any singles from the EP in the near future?
Probably not from the EP, but TSH is planning on releasing a new single around the winter solstice. It’s a tribute to one of my favourite writers, M.R. James, and the whole Ghost Story for Christmas thing that was shown on the BBC (mostly) in the 1970’s.
Are there any plans to release a full-length album in the future?
The Sacrificing Hands released a full-length album this time last year (November 2021): Qliphothic Cocktail Lounge. It’s available through Bandcamp and iTunes. It was very challenging. TSH has some projects on the horizon that might lend themselves to an album, but it just depends on what makes sense with the songs themselves and how they work together.
The band is the musical project of Andrew Spencer. Why did you decide to put music out under the name The Sacrificing Hands, instead of under your own name?
Ambiguity is a central concept for me, and The Sacrificing Hands is, at its core, ambiguous. Who is doing the sacrificing and what is being sacrificed? Ambiguity is one reason that TSH produces instrumentals – the human voice is extremely powerful, but lyrics enforce a certain narrative or view. I prefer to offer the listener an atmosphere or an emotion and allow them to complete the space with their own experience.
TSH allows me to be creative in ways that I can’t access in ‘normal’ life. It’s an alter-ego.
Your music is very experimental! What/who influences you most as an artist? What have you been listening to recently?
Here’s a few bits and pieces that influence me:
Tangerine Dream, Hawkwind, Ulver, Coil, early Genesis, Quatermass, Hammer Horror, Night of the Demon, Bagpuss, Arthur Machen, H.P. Lovecraft, M.R. James, Andrew Chumbley, standing stones, the Lake District, chips with mushy peas AND gravy.
I’m currently listening to: Warrior on the Edge of Time (Hawkwind), Musick to Play in the Dark (Coil) and The Humming Mountain (Gaahl’s Word). Something for everyone!
Where are you based? What is the music scene like there at the moment?
TSH is based in Denver, Colorado. However, I draw a lot of my influences from growing up in the UK and I try to get back there as often as I can. The music scene in Denver is very active and diverse, although I must say that working in the area of experimental music is more isolated than if I were to be working in a more straightforward genre
Did the pandemic hinder you much?
Not really. Besides getting sick and looking after family! It was a bit of an excuse really – lots of country walks and lots of isolated time with keyboards and computers!
Do you have any tour dates lined up for the UK?
TSH has no scheduled live performances at this time. I’m really interested in working in a live setting but I’m not sure that our compositions would translate well into a typical ‘gig’. I’d really be interested in offering the music as part of an installation or together with a more visual piece. Alternately, it might be interesting to perform Hedgerow Throne in a more acoustic context. Who knows what the future might bring?
Any last words for the fans?
I’m very excited about TSH’s future possibilities and opportunities. This is still a young project and I have a lot to learn and create, but I really appreciate that people are giving of their time to listen to TSH. I’m not setting any boundaries, so we’ll just have to see where we end up.
Thanks!
Bandcamp: https://th…dcamp.com/
Facebook: https://ww…icinghands
Instagram: https://ww…ing_hands/