When I frequently attended concerts in the seventies and eighties, it was quite normal to buy a band's photo books at the merchandise stand. You never see that at concerts in the present days. The costs are probably too high, and sales volume isn't high enough to cover the expenses. However, sometimes there are exceptions. Take the British band Solstice, for example. Bandleader and guitarist Andy Glass asked the renowned British concert photographer Howard Rankin if he would compile a photo book that highlights the last three studio albums, namely Sia (2020), Light Up (2022), and Clann (2025, see review), the so-called Sia trilogy. This was primarily done by using concert photos from that period. Naturally, the editorial board of Background Magazine was eager to know how this came about and asked both involved for an explanation.

Andy Glass

Who first came up with the idea to publish a book consisting primarily live photos of Solstice?
Andy: "Initially, the idea came from our drummer Peter Hemsley. He is a keen photographer and great admirer of the work of Howard Rankin."

And who came up with the book's title 'A New Day: The Sia Trilogy In Photographs'? Why did you use the phrase A New Day'?
Andy: "I loved the idea of documenting these last five years in photographs. It had been an incredibly creative, fulfilling and unexpected period for me after the forty-year Solstice journey that led to this point. Howard and I discussed titles and settled on 'A New Day' referring to that new beginning in 2020 and centred around the three albums we've produced since."

Howard, did you save all the photos of the performances of Solstice from different shows with the intention to use them for a book?
Howard: "My usual practice after any shoot of live music, wildlife or any other, is to initially cull the technically inferior shots and delete them. And then I pick out the stronger candidates to edit. I nearly always keep the whole remaining set. I am amassing rather too many photos to be honest! I didn't have any plan for a book from the outset, but once we decided to produce the book, everything I needed was in my archive."

You wrote in the book that everything changed after you had seen the band at the Cambridge Rock Festival in 2022. Have you never photographed the band before that time?

Howard Rankin and the singing girls of Solstice

Howard: "It's rather strange that having been a music fan for sixty years of live gigs, I hadn't seen Solstice back in their early days. I've been a regular visitor at the Cambridge Rock Festival for many years, and the format is for multiple stages so it's a case of choosing who you want to see. In 2022, a friend of mine suggested that I should check out Solstice playing in the 'acoustic' tent. I immediately felt something special happening! The performance was euphoric; Jess Holland was an uninhibited whirl of energy and that seemed to infuse the whole band. I wasn't familiar with any of the music, but I was immediately struck by the energy and emotion. And it all started there...."

Sia came out in 2020, which means that during the first two years Jess Holland sang, but she wasn't photographed by you. Do you regard this as a loss?
Howard: "Well, I would have loved to have seen those early shows with Jess, and indeed the band in earlier lineups, but I don't really feel any sense of regret. Just gratitude that I discovered them when I did."

There is a photo collage from the years 2020 to 2022. The period from the release of Sia to the release of Light Up. Who took these photos, since the first concert photos in the book are from the Cambridge Rock Festival in 2022!
Howard: "Given that we wanted the book to cover the Trilogy Years, it was important that we included some earlier imagery, and a collage seemed a nice way to introduce the sequence of my photos. Andy had some photos in his archive and then we asked some of the fans for older photos from their archives. We used images from Dave Croft, Jon King, Graham Stead and Bryan Taylor plus some from Andy."

You probably had to make a wide selection from the many photos you took during twenty-one concerts, but finally you only had 144 pages at your disposal. How difficult was it for you to make the final selection?
Howard: "I certainly had a lot of potential images to use! Actually, I really enjoyed the curation process. I aimed to avoid obvious repetition, to include all members of the band plus occasional special guests, to include some wider shots to show the venue, and in particular to try to convey the spontaneity and joy of a Solstice live performance. While there are always other shots that could have 'made the cut' I'm very happy with the final selection."

And you Andy, did you review all the photos before they were used for the book?
Andy: "Howard curated the book and all the photo choices are all his. It's absolutely Howard's book, although he sent us a huge number of photos for approval before making his final selection. I think we vetoed about five between us."

Andy Glass

And what are your favourite photos in the book? Are there any pictures of yourself where you feel that you don't look good?
Andy: "Ha, ha! Well, I'm no poster boy but fortunately there are far better-looking faces in the band. It's the same with my guitar playing... it's a long way from perfection, but if it has a good vibe I'm happy. My favourite photos are the high energy shots Howard captured at The Dome along with the 'Clann' photo, which so brilliantly represents the beautiful community the music's somehow drawn together."

What are your favourite photos in the book, Howard?
Howard: "That is a very difficult question! I do like the 'profile' pictures that each member of the band chose. In particular the shot of Jenny in her beautiful dress. As Andy mentions, the shots from The Dome were a challenge technically, but I think best convert the energy and interaction. Being able to photograph on stage at the Cropredy Festival in front of an audience of twenty thousand people was a personal thrill. The band shot looking back at me at the end of their show is one I treasure."

Did you use the black and white photos to emphasize the atmosphere on stage?
Howard: "Yes, I do like to introduce an occasional black and white or toned image. I think they can convey a sense of artistic timelessness."

The photography successfully captures the essence of the band's live performances. Was it difficult to take good photos, and to capture the right moment?
Howard: "A lot depends on the venue, the lighting, how crowded the stage is, and the extent that I can move around to change my viewpoint without distracting the audience. Fortunately, the natural live essence of the band presents plenty of 'moments' so it's a case of being ready and attentive with my shutter finger. Ideally, I like to get a shot showing the interaction between band members that best expresses their joy."

In my review, I wrote that photos primarily convey that the band has a lot of fun on stage. They enjoy the songs they perform for their fans. Especially the singers radiate the feeling that on stage a big party is going on. Is it really a big party, and where does all that joy on stage come from?
Andy: "Well, simply from the pure pleasure of playing together and the infectious youthful energy that drives us older boys on. It's also about the thrill of this all happening after so many years in the proverbial wilderness."

There is a quote in the book from Steve Rothery saying, 'never trust a hippy.' Do you know that he once said this? What is your opinion?

On Stage

Andy: "Ha, ha! Yes, it's from a conversation with Prog Magazine. We've been friends since the early eighties and Steve Rothery was kind enough to lend me a guitar in 1986 which, to my eternal shame, was stolen from my car at the festival we were playing. Steve was heartbroken, thus the comment some forty years later. Thankfully, we're still friends and he came to our 2024 Stables Show with Steven Wilson. The first thing Steven said to me afterwards was: "Steve wants his guitar back!""

Was it difficult to find well-known people who wanted to write a foreword or make a comment about the band? And how did you end up with Gregory Spawton (Big Big Train), Jerry Ewing, and Martin Kielty?
Andy: "It wasn't difficult at all. We're very fortunate to enjoy the support of several prog luminaries who used to come and see Solstice back in the eighties. Martin Kielty is too young for that, but we became close friends in 2020 after he reviewed Sia and set about helping us promote the music. Believe it or not, Gregory Spawton cites Solstice as an early inspiration and he has continued to be incredibly generous in his support, as has Jerry Ewing and indeed Steven Wilson."

There's a quote in the book from Steven Wilson saying: 'I loved them then and I love them now.' And from Clive Bunker: 'It's like having a jab of some sort of drug.' Why didn't you ask them to write a foreword? People of such musical stature might be able to sell more books.
Andy: "I'm very conscious of not asking people for too much without giving something back. Steven, Greg, and Clive have already contributed lengthy interviews to our 'New Light' documentary and much more, so I don't want to push my luck."

Jess Holland

Are you satisfied with the book and grateful that Howard did this for you?
Andy: "I'm absolutely thrilled with the book and, of course, incredibly grateful to Howard for all the wonderful photographs he contributed to the unfolding story of the band. It's a period that means more to me than I can articulate, and to have it documented in this is humbling and rewarding in equal measure."

How long have you been working on putting the book together Howard? Did it turn out the way you hoped?
Howard: "Once we 'green lighted' the project, it took five to six months to final delivery of the finished work. I'm very happy with how it turned out. The printing quality is excellent, and the written contributions are invaluable. And I'm humbled by reception it's received."

Can we expect more photo books from bands in the near future? Perhaps one of Mostly Autumn?
Howard: "Well, this is very much a first for me in terms of Live Music Photography and I'm hugely grateful to Andy for suggesting this, and for so much help in seeing it to fruition. I hope to produce a book of my Wildlife photography at some stage, but as for Live Music? Well, there's a thought!"

Thank you both for answering my questions. Good luck with the book!
Howard & Andy: "Thank you for having us in Background Magazine!"