The Wishing Tree
Encyclopedia
The Wishing Tree is an acoustic music
project by Marillion
's guitarist Steve Rothery
and British vocalist Hannah Stobart. Their debut album, Carnival of Souls
, was released in 1996 and a second album, Ostara
, was released 23 March 2009.
's singer Julianne Regan
was approached through Marillion's manager John Arnison
, but was not interested in working with Rothery. Later, an attempt to team up with the female singer of a band called The Escape Club (not The Escape Club
), whose voice reminded Rothery of Annie Haslam
's, failed as they couldn't get on on a personal level. When Marillion were recording Brave at Miles Copeland
's Chateau Marouatte in Dordogne
in 1993, Copeland offered Rothery "a substantial sum" for recording an instrumental solo album on his label No Speak. Although Rothery didn't take the offer, it renewed his interest in a solo project. During the Brave tour of 1994, Rothery was approached by Hannah Stobart, a student of French and Italian, who gave him her demo tape containing "She Moved Through the Fair
" and Tori Amos
's "Me and a Gun
". Rothery was delighted and began recording further demos with Stobart at his new home studio. After Marillion were dropped by EMI
following the 1995 album Afraid of Sunlight, several band members pursued solo projects before they began work on This Strange Engine (1997). During two weeks in early 1996, Rothery recorded acoustic material with Stobart on vocals, Pete Trewavas
of Marillion on bass and Paul Craddick of Enchant
on drums and keyboards. All music was written by Rothery and Stobart ("additional vocal melodies"), while the lyrics were written by regular Marillion collaborator John Helmer
. Most songs were written right then, however, a handful had a longer history: "Nightwater" was considered for Seasons End (1989), when Steve Hogarth
rejected Helmer's lyrics as "too gothic"; the chorus of "Midnight Snow" and "Evergreen" were written during the Holidays in Eden (1991) and Clutching at Straws
(1987) sessions, respectively.
The resulting album was called Carnival of Souls, after the horror film of the same title
. The project's name was inspired by Tengiz Abuladze
's film The Wishing Tree (aka The Tree of Desire). There was no tour to support the album, however, the band did appear live on a concert for Marillion's Italian fan club. They also appeared on Italian television.
After the release of Carnival of Souls, Rothery returned to his main job with Marillion, leaving The Wishing Tree on an indefinite hiatus. Stobart finished her university studies, got married to Paul Craddick and settled down in California as a journalist. In 1999, Sony Music expressed interest in another Wishing Tree album, so Rothery and Stobart/Craddick recorded some demos that Rothery described as "a cross between Portishead and Alanis Morissette
". However, Rothery hesitated to sign a major deal outside of Marillion and Sony finally lost interest. Still, Rothery and Stobart continued to work together. In 2002, the band played at a fan club convention ("Marillion Weekend").
On 29 January 2009, Rothery announced on marillion.com that The Wishing Tree's second album Ostara
will be released on 23 March 2009, exclusively through marillion.com initially. It will be possible to preorder the album, and the first 1000 copies will be signed by Steve and Hannah. One of the tracks from the album, "Hollow Hills", has been prereleased for download from their webpage, along with other clips from the album.
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
project by Marillion
Marillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
's guitarist Steve Rothery
Steve Rothery
Steve Rothery is the guitarist of the English rock band Marillion. He was born in Brampton, South Yorkshire, England. From the age of six he lived in Whitby, North Yorkshire.-Biography:...
and British vocalist Hannah Stobart. Their debut album, Carnival of Souls
Carnival of Souls (The Wishing Tree album)
Carnival of Souls is the title of the first album by The Wishing Tree, a project by Marillion's guitarist Steve Rothery and singer Hannah Stobart. It was originally released in 1996 on Steve Rothery's short-lived label Dorian Music and was re-released in 2001 on Marillion's label Racket Records...
, was released in 1996 and a second album, Ostara
Ostara (The Wishing Tree album)
Ostara is the title of the second album by The Wishing Tree, a project by Marillion's guitarist Steve Rothery and singer Hannah Stobart. The album was produced and engineered by Rothery and mixed by Michael Hunter, who also produced the two most recent Marillion albums. Hunter also contributed...
, was released 23 March 2009.
History
Rothery had been interested in starting an acoustic project with a female vocalist since 1985. At first All About EveAll About Eve (band)
All About Eve were a British rock/pop band. The creative core consisted of the Coventry born Julianne Regan , and the Huddersfield born Andy Cousin , with other members changing over the years...
's singer Julianne Regan
Julianne Regan
Julianne Regan is an English singer, song writer, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboard player. She is best known for being the lead singer of the band, All About Eve.- Early life :...
was approached through Marillion's manager John Arnison
John Arnison
John Arnison is an English music manager and producer. Acts he has managed include Marillion, Gabrielle, Billy Ocean, Aswad, MN8, Charles & Eddie and Yusuf Islam . He is currently working with Marc Marot, who was previously the managing director of Island records.-References:...
, but was not interested in working with Rothery. Later, an attempt to team up with the female singer of a band called The Escape Club (not The Escape Club
The Escape Club
The Escape Club began in 1983 as an English pop rock band based in London. The band was composed of former Mad Shadows members' lead singer/rhythm guitarist Trevor Steel and guitarist John Holliday, along with former Expressos members bassist Johnnie Christo and drummer Milan Zekavica...
), whose voice reminded Rothery of Annie Haslam
Annie Haslam
Annie Haslam is an English progressive rock vocalist and songwriter.Originally a fashion student, she began studying under opera singer Sybil Knight in 1970 and developed her five-octave vocal range...
's, failed as they couldn't get on on a personal level. When Marillion were recording Brave at Miles Copeland
Miles Copeland III
Miles Axe Copeland III is an American entertainment executive, best known for founding I.R.S. Records. His brother, Stewart Copeland, was part of the pop-rock trio The Police, which Miles managed...
's Chateau Marouatte in Dordogne
Dordogne
Dordogne is a départment in south-west France. The départment is located in the region of Aquitaine, between the Loire valley and the High Pyrénées named after the great river Dordogne that runs through it...
in 1993, Copeland offered Rothery "a substantial sum" for recording an instrumental solo album on his label No Speak. Although Rothery didn't take the offer, it renewed his interest in a solo project. During the Brave tour of 1994, Rothery was approached by Hannah Stobart, a student of French and Italian, who gave him her demo tape containing "She Moved Through the Fair
She Moved Through the Fair
"She Moved Through the Fair" is a traditional Irish folk song, existing in a number of versions and which has been recorded many times.-Origins:...
" and Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
's "Me and a Gun
Me and a Gun
"Me and a Gun" is a song by American singer-songwriter and musician Tori Amos. It was released as the first single from her debut studio album Little Earthquakes. It was released on October 21, 1991 by Atlantic Records in North America and EastWest Records in the UK.-Background:The song is three...
". Rothery was delighted and began recording further demos with Stobart at his new home studio. After Marillion were dropped by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
following the 1995 album Afraid of Sunlight, several band members pursued solo projects before they began work on This Strange Engine (1997). During two weeks in early 1996, Rothery recorded acoustic material with Stobart on vocals, Pete Trewavas
Pete Trewavas
Pete Trewavas is an English musician. He joined Marillion in 1982, taking over the role of bassist, from Diz Minnett, while acting occasionally as a backing vocalist and acoustic guitarist.Although he was born in Middlesbrough, Trewavas spent much of his childhood in the Buckinghamshire town of...
of Marillion on bass and Paul Craddick of Enchant
Enchant (band)
Enchant is an American neo-progressive rock band, formed in 1989. Their music is characterized by ambitious lyrics and melodies along with harmonic experimentation.-History:...
on drums and keyboards. All music was written by Rothery and Stobart ("additional vocal melodies"), while the lyrics were written by regular Marillion collaborator John Helmer
John Helmer
John Helmer is a former musician and part-time writer best known for contributing lyrics for Marillion.-With The Piranhas:From 1977 to 1981, "Johnny" Helmer was a guitarist and vocalist in the Brighton-based ska punk band The Piranhas, best known for their 1980 top ten hit "Tom Hark"...
. Most songs were written right then, however, a handful had a longer history: "Nightwater" was considered for Seasons End (1989), when Steve Hogarth
Steve Hogarth
Steve Hogarth also known as "h", is the lead vocalist and occasional keyboardist/guitarist with the British rock band Marillion. Hogarth was formerly a keyboard player and co-lead vocalist with The Europeans and vocalist with How We Live...
rejected Helmer's lyrics as "too gothic"; the chorus of "Midnight Snow" and "Evergreen" were written during the Holidays in Eden (1991) and Clutching at Straws
Clutching at Straws
Clutching at Straws is the fourth studio album by neo-progressive rock band Marillion, and is a concept album. Released in 1987, it was the last album with lead singer Fish who left the band in 1988...
(1987) sessions, respectively.
The resulting album was called Carnival of Souls, after the horror film of the same title
Carnival of Souls
Carnival of Souls is a 1962 independent horror film starring Candace Hilligoss. Produced and directed by Herk Harvey for an estimated $33,000, the film did not gain widespread attention when originally released, as a B film; today, however, it is a cult classic...
. The project's name was inspired by Tengiz Abuladze
Tengiz Abuladze
Tengiz Abuladze was a Georgian film director.Abuladze studied theatre direction at the Shota Rustaveli Theatre Institute, Tbilisi, Georgia, and filmmaking at the VGIK in Moscow. He graduated VGIK in 1952 and in 1953 he joined Gruziya-film as a director...
's film The Wishing Tree (aka The Tree of Desire). There was no tour to support the album, however, the band did appear live on a concert for Marillion's Italian fan club. They also appeared on Italian television.
After the release of Carnival of Souls, Rothery returned to his main job with Marillion, leaving The Wishing Tree on an indefinite hiatus. Stobart finished her university studies, got married to Paul Craddick and settled down in California as a journalist. In 1999, Sony Music expressed interest in another Wishing Tree album, so Rothery and Stobart/Craddick recorded some demos that Rothery described as "a cross between Portishead and Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
". However, Rothery hesitated to sign a major deal outside of Marillion and Sony finally lost interest. Still, Rothery and Stobart continued to work together. In 2002, the band played at a fan club convention ("Marillion Weekend").
On 29 January 2009, Rothery announced on marillion.com that The Wishing Tree's second album Ostara
Ostara (The Wishing Tree album)
Ostara is the title of the second album by The Wishing Tree, a project by Marillion's guitarist Steve Rothery and singer Hannah Stobart. The album was produced and engineered by Rothery and mixed by Michael Hunter, who also produced the two most recent Marillion albums. Hunter also contributed...
will be released on 23 March 2009, exclusively through marillion.com initially. It will be possible to preorder the album, and the first 1000 copies will be signed by Steve and Hannah. One of the tracks from the album, "Hollow Hills", has been prereleased for download from their webpage, along with other clips from the album.