Album premiere: Holy Esque – At Hope’s Ravine

Listen to the debut album from Glasgow post-punk quartet Holy Esque.

Feature by News Team | 23 Feb 2016

At Hope's Ravine is the long-awaited debut album from the quartet, coming four years on from the release of their debut EP and on the heels of last year's Submission EP.

Introducing At Hope's Ravine, vocalist Pat Hynes describes the record as "an album carved from the heart for the soul". Hynes writes: "At Hope's Ravine is the light in the dark corridors of dreams, where you can believe in what you want without fear. It's a true expression of belonging, fate, escapism and hope that things can change and that they will."

The band have attracted attention from all corners for their atmospheric sound, Hynes' vocals, and their intriguing public persona which some took for a deliberate move for obscurity. Speaking to The Skinny in 2012, guitarist Hugo McGinley explained: "It wasn't intentional, we just didn't want to put up any shit, man. You see a lot of bands posting what they do on a day-to-day basis, and it's just taking the piss. The whole 'mysterious band' thing... It's almost like somebody caught on to it, and it's just snowballed."

At Hope's Ravine by Holy Esque is released on LP, CD and download via the band's Beyond The Frequency label on 26 February; pre-order the album here, and read our four-star review of "a sharp and quite possibly an important album, as memorable and considered as it is acerbic". The band are on tour throughout April – tour dates can be found below.

Holy Esque UK tour dates:

6 Apr – The Underground, Plymouth

7 Apr – MONO, Falmouth

8 Apr – The Carriers Inn, Bude

9 Apr – SWN Festival, Cardiff

10 Apr – Moles Club, Bath

13 Apr – Soup Kitchen, Manchester

14 Apr – Arts Club, Liverpool

15 Apr – The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent

16 Apr – Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

20 Apr – The Lexington, London

22 Apr – Esquires, Bedford

23 Apr – Lennon's, Southampton

24 Apr – Boileroom, Guildford

25 Apr – The Portland Arms, Cambridge

27 Apr – The Cookie, Leicester

28 Apr – Bodega Social Club, Nottingham

29 Apr – Picture House Social, Sheffield

30 Apr – Live At Leeds Festival

1 May – Think Tank?, Newcastle

19 May – The Great Escape, Brighton

7 May – Art School, Glasgow

29 May – Liverpool Sound City

http://athopesravine.tumblr.com