July Skies
July Skies is a West Midlands (UK) based recording project commenced by Antony Harding in 1997, who has released four albums and two EPs since 2000. July Skies is also part of the fiercely independent and unique Make Mine Music label collective who have now achieved over 50 releases. July Skies is heavily inspired by faded innocence and lost times and attempt to capture this through music and design. The project is often assisted by long time collaborators Benjamin T Holton and Robert Glover from the band epic45. July Skies has received support from the late John Peel and Rob Da Bank of BBC Radio1, Verity Sharp of BBC Radio3, Stuart Maconie on BBC Radio6, BBC Bristol and ChillFM.
Work continues on the fifth July Skies album A Day In The Country.
Influences
Lost youth, fractured memories of the 1970’s, pylons across fields, abandoned airfields, endless childhood summers, dappled sunlight through leaves, forgotten England, the romance of the heavens well after closing time, countryside, mornings in May, ruins, faded innocence, post-war Britain, skies of all seasons, trudging coastlines, Super8, Festival of Britain 1951, memories made with a Polaroid Landcam 103, Henry Moore, overgrown follies, East Anglia, time spent amongst long summer grasses, kissing under motorway bridges, grey English rain filled skies, concrete precincts and tower blocks, suburbia, old Ordnance Survey maps, lost airmen, Orford Ness, rustic charm, John Nash, Avebury, icy mornings and clear blue skies, poppy day, a half remembered smile, 1960’s artwork by Harry Wingfield, John Berry, Martin Aitchinson, C F Tunnicliffe, Ronald Lampitt, BST, municipal parks at dusk, love, infatuation and loss.
Antony Harding
Where did those sunny summer Saturday afternoons go in the mid 1990s that seemed to stretch forever? Lying in a suburban garden listening to John Peel’s afternoon show as the sun was occasionally obscured by clouds…trains into Birmingham to Highway61, Tempest Records, Swordfish and The Plastic Factory to obtain new musical gems…trains out of Birmingham with found records and inspiration from artists on Sarah Records (Blueboy, Brighter, Secret Shine, The Hit Parade, Another Sunny Day etc.), a graceful Australian band called Hydroplane and British bands such as Flying Saucer Attack, Slowdive, Aphex Twin, Seefeel, The House of Love etc.
Everything seemed possible at the end of youth and there was a need to capture feelings and a growing interest in exploring towns, villages, ruins, abandoned places and the countryside through sound. Frustrated attempts on an old Spanish guitar ensued. In 1997, I picked up a second hand electric guitar, a battered delay pedal, learnt a few chords and created July Skies with the aim to release a 7″ record…
Benjamin T Holton
Ben is part of the Staffordshire band epic45 who have released many albums and eps. epic45 have now toured many parts of the world and have a particular allegiance with fans in Japan following their extensive tour in 2009.
The association with epic45 goes back to around 2001 when I emailed the band to say how much I had enjoyed their debut 7″ Shorebound ep. We subsequently exchanged letters and become firm friends following a few recording sessions at their village base in Wheaton Aston.
Ben has contributed to several July Skies tracks, most notably on The English Cold album and is a cornerstone of the July Skies live band with his fluid guitar work.
Ben also works under his My Autumn Empire (MAE) moniker which will release a debut album on their Wayside and Woodland label in 2010. A couple of very low runs of MAE eps have also already slipped out on W&A. My Autumn Empire, have also performed in Japan and Paris, and Wolverhampton.
Robert Glover
My good friend Rob is also member of epic45 alongside his longstanding childhood friend Ben. Rob has also contributed to July Skies tracks, especially bass on The English Cold and The Weather Clock. Rob is also critical to the July Skies line up with his bass contributions and textures made from old 1980’s keyboards.
Rob also records and performs as The Toy Library and will also be releasing an album on Wayside and Woodland in the near future. The Toy Library also helped mix and engineer the Fegla Fawr version of See Britain By Train that appears on The Weather Clock ep.
Rob is also part of the rather lovely West Midlands musical promoters and webzine Colour who have previously hosted live performances from epic45, July Skies and The Declining Winter.
Timothy Parkes
Timothy Parkes is a singer songwriter from Stourbridge, West Midlands. Tim is an enigmatic chap, interested in old industry, abandoned airfields and has been championed by Tom Robinson on BBC Radio6. Tim has many musical gems recorded and an album close to completion. He has also played gigs across the UK, New York and has been working with Miles Hunt and Erica Nockalls on their Shared Project. Tim also supported The Wonder Stuff on their winter 2009 tour.
Tim has become an integral part of the July Skies live band with his intense acoustic guitar work and is also contributing to the next July Skies album A Day in the Country.
Michael Oliver
Mike plays organ and piano in the July Skies live band and also recorded organ for the track See Britain By Train on The Weather Clock album and ep. Mike’s organ sounds will also feature on the next album A Day In The Country.
Mike’s main musical focus is his band Everett who have previously supported Yeasayer, Revere and Animal Kingdom and have recorded and released two eps. Their five track ep Storyteller is highly recommended. Everett are currently writing and recording a new ep and album.