Hammock (band)

Hammock is an American two-member ambient/post-rock band from Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Hammock creates atmospheric music by combining orchestral arrangements with electronic beats, piano and droning guitar.

Hammock
Hammock performing in 2008
Background information
OriginNashville, Tennessee, United States
GenresAmbient, post-rock, shoegazing
Years active2005–present
LabelsHammock Music, Darla Records, Somewherecold Records
Associated actsCommon Children, GlassByrd, the Choir, Amman/Josh, Matthew Ryan, the Church, Slow Meadow, the Summer Kills
Websitehammockmusic.com
MembersMarc Byrd
Andrew Thompson

Hammock have released 10 albums and five EPs since 2005, mostly on their own label, Hammock Music, which is distributed through Redeye,[1] and have garnered favorable reviews from critics, including Pitchfork[2][3][4] and AllMusic.[5]

History

Hammock was formed as a collaboration between guitarists Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson, both formerly of alternative rock band Common Children, that developed out of informal recording sessions between songwriting projects.[6] Byrd and Thompson initially had no intention of releasing their studio efforts. After building up a collection of almost 40 songs, however, they changed their minds. In December 2005, American webzine Somewhere Cold voted Hammock Artist of the Year on their 2005 Somewhere Cold Awards Hall of Fame list.[7]

Hammock gave their first live performance at a private event at Chuck Dodson's Gallery@404B in Hot Springs, Arkansas on August 3, 2007, to honor Jónsi & Alex, the artistic collaboration between Jón Þór (Jónsi) Birgisson (lead singer and guitarist of Sigur Rós) and Alex Somers (graphic designer and member of the band Parachutes), on the night of their United States premier, which was also their first-ever exhibition outside of Iceland. This performance eventually became the inspiration for Maybe They Will Sing for Us Tomorrow (featuring artwork by Jónsi & Alex), which was recorded live in its entirety, save for a few overdubs.[8][9] In 2008, Hammock performed at the Wordless Music Series in New York City with Stars of the Lid.[10]

In May 2010, Hammock released their fifth full-length album, Chasing After Shadows...Living with the Ghosts. That December, Hammock released their fourth EP, Longest Year, a beatless and wordless mini-album that was born out of the difficulty the band faced in 2010, including the near-total destruction of Byrd's home in the epic 2010 Nashville flood.[8]

Over the next few years, Hammock expanded their musical horizons with a variety of collaborations and the addition of more of an orchestral aspect to their music. Hammock collaborated with singer-songwriter Matthew Ryan on the single "Like New Year's Day", released on January 1, 2011.[11] On March 8, 2011, the band issued a cover of Catherine Wheel's "Black Metallic" as a digital single, featuring vocals by Byrd's wife, Christine Glass (the couple had previously collaborated as a duo, GlassByrd). On October 5, 2011, they released a four-song collaboration EP with Steve Kilbey and Tim Powles of the Church called Asleep in the Downlights.[12][13]

On July 6, 2012, Hammock announced that mastering had started for their sixth LP and first double album, Departure Songs. It was released on October 2, 2012.[14]

On May 10, 2013, they announced that they had begun mixing a new record, Oblivion Hymns. The album was released on November 26, 2013, and was a notable departure from their previously guitar-focused sound, adding a neoclassical element with a full orchestra, children's choir, and vocals from Timothy Showalter (Strand of Oaks).[8]

On July 1, 2014, Hammock reissued their fully ambient 2005 album The Sleep-Over Series (Volume 1), following it up with a sequel, The Sleepover Series, Volume 2, on September 23, 2014.

Hammock's ninth album, Everything and Nothing, was released on April 1, 2016. Irish music and politics magazine Hot Press said in its review that the album is "the aural equivalent of a flotation tank... an album to lose yourself in completely".[15] Haydon Spenceley, reviewing for Drowned in Sound, stated that the album has "clarity, purpose, drivenness, even, not words that would necessarily be associated with this stellar band's earlier work... This is music of transcendent beauty, but with an added level of dissonance that grabs the attention in a way that hasn't ever seemed to be Hammock's stock in trade before". Spenceley also claimed that Everything and Nothing is Hammock's "most immediate, most sonorous and beautiful album to date".[16]

On November 29, 2016, Hammock announced on their Twitter page that they were in the process of recording a new album, with Slow Meadow guesting.[17] On June 21, 2017, Hammock announced via their Facebook page that their 10th album, Mysterium, would be released on August 25, 2017. They also released a video of the first single, "Things of Beauty Burn".[18]

In 2017, Hammock composed the score for Kogonada's critically acclaimed film Columbus, which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.[19][20]

In 2018, Hammock released an album, We Will Rise Again, that "reimagined" work composed by Dan Romer for the 2017 videogame, Far Cry 5.[21]

In 2018, Hammock released the follow-up to 2017's Mysterium with the album, Universalis.

Other projects

Since 2005, Byrd has occasionally recorded as a member of the band the Choir.[22]

Hammock guested on the track "Melting the Frozen Sea Within Us" by Amman/Josh, which appeared on that band's 2010 EP Places.

Hammock collaborated with Matthew Perryman Jones in 2013 on the song "Unknown", released as part of the Nashville Indie Spotlight 2014 compilation album.[23]

Building on their 2011 collaboration with Matthew Ryan, Hammock announced a side project named the Summer Kills in March 2018.[24] After seven years of work, the trio's first album, Last Night We Became Swans (mixed by Peter Katis) was released on April 27, 2018.[25][26]

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Singles
  • "Like New Year's Day" with Matthew Ryan (2011, Hammock Music)
  • "Black Metallic" feat. Christine Glass (Catherine Wheel cover) (2011, Hammock Music)
  • "Borrowing the Past (Hammock Remix)" (2012, Hammock Music)
  • "From the Dust... We Ran to Greet the Dawn" (2013, Hammock Music)
  • "Baritone Recovery" (2014, Hammock Music)
  • "Sleepover 1 • Sleepover.FM" (2014, self-released)
  • "10.08.14 (Blood Moon)" (2014, self-released)
  • "04.04.15 (Moon Blood)" (2015, self-released)
  • "09.28.15 (Blood Moon)" (2015, self-released)
  • "04.15.14 (Moon Blood)" (2015, self-released)
  • "The Night You Caught Fire / Clinging" (2018, self-released)
  • "Floating World / Snowburn" (2018, self-released)
  • "Moon Blood (01.20.2019)" (2019, self-released)

Compilation albums
  • EPs, Singles and Remixes (2013, self-released)
  • An Introduction to Hammock (2013, self-released)
  • An Introduction to Hammock, Volume 2 (2015, self-released)

Soundtracks

Selected compilation appearances
  • "Black Metallic" on Never Lose That Feeling Volume Two (2006, Club AC30)
  • "Sora" on For Nihon (2011, Unseen Records)
  • "The More You Drink From the Well...The Higher the Waters Will Rise" on ... And Darkness Came (2012, Headphone Commute)
  • "In the Shape of Longing" on Disquiet, Vol.1 (2017, Unseen Music)

Music videos
  • "Mono No Aware" (2008)
  • "Breathturn" (2010)
  • "Longest Year" (2010)
  • "Dark Beyond the Blue" (2010)
  • "One Another" (2012)
  • "Tape Recorder" (2012)
  • "Cold Front" (2012)
  • "Tornado Warning" (2012)
  • "Mute Angels" (2012)
  • "In the Middle of This Nowhere" (2013)
  • "I Could Hear the Water at the Edge of All Things" (2013)
  • "Sinking Inside Yourself" (2014)
  • "Blankets of Night" (2015)
  • "Things of Beauty Burn" (2017)
  • "Circular As Our Way" (2019)
  • "Afraid to Forget" (2019)

See also

References
  1. "Redeye Distribution: Artist Information - Hammock". Archived from the original on 2012-06-20. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  2. "Hammock: Raising Your Voice... Trying to Stop an Echo - Album Reviews". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
  3. "Hammock: Maybe They Will Sing For Us Tomorrow - Album Reviews". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
  4. "Hammock: Chasing After Shadows... Living With the Ghosts - Album Reviews". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
  5. "AllMusic Guide: Hammock Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
  6. "The Endless Sky: An Interview with Hammock". Archived from the original on 2012-04-19. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
  7. Lamoreaux, Jason T. (December 1, 2005). "Somewhere Cold Awards 2005". Somewhere Cold. Archived from the original on September 30, 2005. Retrieved September 30, 2005.
  8. "Hammock Music: About". Hammockmusic.com. Retrieved 2012-08-03.
  9. "Paste Magazine: Hammock gets artsy for first concert ever". Pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 2012-05-30.
  10. "Stars of the Lid and Hammock: Wordless Music". Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  11. "MP3 At 3PM: Matthew Ryan & Hammock". Magnetmagazine.com.
  12. "Hammock Music > Asleep in the Downlights". Hammockmusic.com. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  13. "Hammock: Asleep in the Downlights". Pastemagazine.com.
  14. hammock [@hammockmusic] (6 July 2012). "Hammock-Departure Songs. Out October 2012. Jim Demain mastering at Yes Master" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. Newsdesk, The Hot Press. "Album Review: Hammock-Everything & Nothing". Hotpress.com. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  16. "Album Review: Hammock - Everything and Nothing". DrownedInSound.com. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  17. hammock [@hammockmusic] (29 November 2016). "Recording piano for our new record, featuring @Slowmeadow Happy to have @MattFrodo on board for this one. The Kidd…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  18. "Hammock announces new album 'Mysterium', first single, and preorder details". Facebook.com. Retrieved 2017-07-06.
  19. "Columbus (2017) - IMDb". IMDb.com. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  20. Berkshire, Geoff (30 January 2017). "Film Review: 'Columbus'". Variety.com. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  21. "Far Cry 5: We Will Rise Again soundtrack". https://www.hammockmusic.com/. 14 April 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2021. External link in |website= (help)
  22. Lloyd, Shari. "A Feature of The Phantom Tollbooth". Tollbooth.org.
  23. "Hammock & Matthew Perryman Jones: Unknown". YouTube. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  24. "The Summer Kills". Matthewryanonline.com. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  25. "About". Thesummerkills.com. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  26. Klisiewicz, Elizabeth. "The Big Takeover: The Summer Kills - Last Night We Became Swans".


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