Once a riff-wielding Goliath in Belfast instrumental rock wizards The Continuous Battle of Order (and, before that, WeAreKnives) the musician known as Hornby is as shapeshifting and wonderfully unpredictable as they come.
Nowhere is that more apparent than on his current solo project, Hatchet Field. Wielding darkly and masterfully sparse tales, the odd live performance has revealed an artist whose visionary prowess, though significantly more muted than previous full-band efforts, is no less compelling for it.
Last week, Belfast imprint Black Tragick offered some insight into that world by unveiling a new Hatfield Field cover. Dedicated to his mother on the tenth anniversary of her passing, a stark and slow-burning Dolly Parton classic ‘Jolene’ ekes out new and nuanced emotive power from the original. Check it out below.
