The Hanging Stars

Zach Thompson at St Matthias Church (Stoke Newington)

The Hanging Stars are a London band whose sixth album, Just A Day, was recorded at Clashnarrow Studios in the Scottish Highlands, a studio owned and run by Edwyn Collins and Grace Maxwell. The record was produced by Gerard Love of Teenage Fanclub and Sean Read of Dexys. Guitarist Patrick Ralla has described a line-up change at the end of 2024 that led the group to adopt a leaner arrangement built around bass, drums, guitars and four-part harmonies.

Gerard Love, a member of Teenage Fanclub's songwriting trio and the artist behind Lightships, worked with the band from demos exchanged between Glasgow and London, helping to strip the songs back. The band's lyrical themes on the album include longing, new beginnings and the fragility of everyday life, and the songs feature shimmering twelve-string guitars.

St Matthias Church, on Wordsworth Road in Stoke Newington, is a church that alongside its religious role mainly hosts concerts, most often pop, rock and indie music. The evening suits listeners interested in the band's blues, country and folk roots and in the new album.