ARVO - the close

2017

For two years, Fabian Holland and Henry Webster (Arvo) have been meeting at Henry’s South East London flat to write and demo their debut album ‘the close’ released October 2017. 

During those two years of rehearsals and demos, so as not to upset the neighbours, Fabian and Henry would often record and rehearse on headphones. This caused them to play progressively quieter and quieter, so that every creek from the guitar and even the tiniest scrape of bow-hair against string was audible. Extending their instruments’ capabilities through the use of pedals and electronics, Arvo have honed their individual, close sound and created an intimate album recorded at the edge of silence. 

Fabian and Henry have been interested in each other’s work performing on the UK Folk scene and after their first jam in a Thames-side London pub, felt a mutual call to fresh musical pastures. Fast forward two years and the traditional folk line-up of guitar accompanying a simple fiddle melody is flipped on it’s head with the guitar often taking the melody while the violin imitates a synth-pad or adds an ambient wash of colour for the guitar to sit on. 

‘the close’ features some unique additions including an eerie bowed banjo, a wheezing half-broken harmonium and the unmistakable sound of beard against guitar. 

credits 

released October 25, 2017 

Fabian Holland - Guitar 
Henry Webster - Violin, Harmonium, Banjo, Synth 

Produced, mixed and mastered by James Denness at Record Live

A truly original recording demonstrating a maturity well beyond the years of its creators”

— Martin Green (Lau)