High Above The Storm - Press Release, September 2009

As evocative as the name sounds, High Above The Storm could best be described as a phoenix from the flames, rising from the implosion that was the doomed indie rockers The Hotels. Their expelled singer, Louis Warner met Jason Emberton, a London based producer, via earlier recordings sessions and after The Hotels demise in 2004, Jason and Louis immediately began writing together.

The two original members drafted in various contributors including Henry Lowther, known for his trumpet playing on the Talk Talk records, and George Vjestica, whose guitar sounds can be heard on several significant projects including Nick Cave and Warren Ellis' Proposition Soundtrack. Crawford Blair, previously of Rothko, added his unique bass signatures and subsequently joined the band. Lead guitarist Ben McLees completes the 4-piece line-up.

This mix of styles combine to great effect on record, with reference points ranging from the pop sensibilities and emotive vocals of Elbow, via the ambient soundscapes of Lamb or Sigur Ros, to the motorik of Neu!. Standout tracks include 'Horizon' which showcases Warner's vocal abilities and was described by losingtoday.com as '...has to be heard to be believed'. Another standout is the epic 'For Maurice' which showcases Emberton's composition and production talents and veers from a piano led maudlin movement into a wall of articulated doom. A further highlight is the epic 'Last Year's Man', which rivals Wilco's 'Spiders' in ambition and achievement.

Live the band is a force to be reckoned with - recent headline slots at a packed Water Rats and Bar Music Hall saw them translate the record faithfully into a live environment and the dynamics of the music presented as a show made for an inspiring experience, described by Stephen Wickstead as 'brilliant'.
In line with emerging industry trends the record will be released by the band on their own label Saint's Recording, on CD and in download format. It will be distributed directly from the HATS website and also on iTunes, Amazon, Napster, eMusic and other legit online stores.

http://www.highabovethestorm.com/
Listen: http://www.highabovethestorm.com/downloads/01%20-%20Dragonfly%20_%20Time%20of%20Our%20Lives.mp3