The London-based Hanging Stars were formed from the ashes of jangle-rock band The See See. The Hanging Star’s frontman and lead singer, Richard Olson, found himself the only original member of The See Sees left and felt “tired and weary after some general bad luck and too much indulgence”. This led him to reunite with two former See See members, drummer Paulie Cobra and bassist Sam Ferman, to form a new group based on their shared passion for psychedelic West Coast sixties sounds.
They took up the offer their good friend, the Los Angeles musician and producer Rob Campanella, had made, of time in his LA studio to start recording their first album, 2016’s “Over the Silvery Lake”. By then, they had teamed up with guitarist and keyboard player Patrick Ralla, and these four are the 2025 group. Ralla had been in the UK country-rock band The Futurebirds and in The Wide Sea, with brothers Paul and Arthur and their cousin, and still plays with Edwyn Collins. Mark Phillips, a.k.a. Horse (12), and David Rothon contributed steel guitar on the record, but they were later replaced by Joe Harvey-White. They have since parted company with him, which is a disappointment as he put the country into their cosmic-country sound and produced wonderful licks which really enhanced some tracks.
Since their debut, they have recorded “Songs For Somewhere Else” (2018) and “A New Kind Of Sky” (2020), described as “just sublime” by AUK’s Paul Kerr. He then judged “Hollow Heart” (2022) as “close to perfection”. This was followed by “On a Golden Shore” in 2024, which “continued to intrigue and amaze” him and was nominated for AMAUK’s album of the year. 2025 brings the news that they have recorded an eight-track album, “Dreams”, with iconic Canadian folk singer Bonnie Dobson, composer of ‘Morning Dew’.
When asked to describe them, I say that they are a bit like the Byrds in their psychedelic phase. Olson has mentioned “The Notorious Byrd Brothers” as an influence, which you can clearly hear on re-listening to it. However, he also cites Fairport Convention, David Crosby, Roy Orbison and Love as other influences as well as British sixties pop. At a recent gig, tracks by Teenage Fanclub, Big Star and The Velvet Underground were played pre-performance, and you can hear glimpses of these too, in various tracks. The country standard ‘In The Jailhouse Now’ was also given a spin, which was great to hear.
Although their sound is derivative, I find their skill in songwriting with changes of pace, rhythm, and format means that their work is never “samey”, as it can be with other groups, with individual songs being memorable. Their melodies and harmonies are superb, and there is a consistency in their work so that albums are full of good songs. It is Olson who generally writes the basic music and words, but he then lets the band loose on these to work their magic.
They are a real pleasure to witness live in the flesh. I first saw them after lockdown in a room above the Golden Lion pub in Todmorden. After the gig, my friend and I were both scratching our heads, wondering why they weren’t more famous. They were back there again and just as enjoyable this year. Olson is a great frontman, strutting and posing on the often-tiny stages that they play on. He drives the band on and is drenched in sweat by the end of it all. Ralla, playing fabulous lead guitar, remains a slightly aloof sidekick to Olson’s massive energy. Ferman and Cobra are a rock-solid rhythm section. Ferman can really play the bass, showing extraordinarily nimble finger-work normally reserved for lead guitar. His fingers are a blur. Cobra looks as though he is having the time of his life on drums and adds harmonies, as do Ferman and Ralla, sometimes at different points in a song. The group seems to love playing – there is no sense of them going through the motions that you can find with some other bands. If you haven’t seen them live, I could not urge you more strongly to do so.
With these choices, I found that the first nine picked themselves reasonably easily without too much anguish. With number ten, there were many excellent and memorable songs in the frame. Eventually, I went for one of their poppier numbers rather than psychedelia.
Number 10: ‘I Need a Good Day’ from “On a Golden Shore” (2024)
This is strongly reminiscent of the sunny guitar pop with harmonies of the mighty Teenage Fanclub, who the group have supported in the past. In 2024, Gerry Love and his band repaid the compliment and supported them. Teenage Fanclub didn’t have a steel guitarist, but listening to the way that Joe Harvey-White enhances this track, perhaps they should have…
Number 9: ‘Honeywater’ from “Songs for Somewhere Else” (2018)
Perhaps it is the video that acts as a prompt, but when I listen to this, I can’t help but think of long, hot summer days walking through long grass with the bees buzzing and insects flitting about. It is incredibly evocative. Great work on the lead guitar and pedal steel, too.
Number 8: ‘Sweet Light’ from “On a Golden Shore” (2024)
The AUK review of “On a Golden Shore”, which this is a single from, likens this to Teenage Fanclub, again. I see what they mean, but it seems a bit trippier than TF, especially when it slows down in the middle. It has a great, rousing chorus. An online comment was that it is “The Burrito Brothers on speed, acid and a liquorice fountain!!”. Nice one. A tale of lost love, it was filmed at the band’s spiritual home, The Betsy Trotwood in London. There is a surprise guest performance, which is revealed at the end – he had just popped in for a pint and got roped in.
Number 7: ‘Radio On’ from “Hollow Heart” (2022)
Listening to the song and watching the video, you can see where the epithet “cosmic-country” for the band comes from. Here, there is psychedelia with the wonderful steel guitar licks providing the “country”.
Number 6: ‘Golden Vanity’ from “Over the Silvery Lake” (2016)
From their first album, “Over the Silvery Lake”, some full-blown psychedelia, with a driving riff on loop. The stars on the dark background in the video link to the name of the group, I guess, and something similar is often seen as the background at their shows. This helps to make the gig even more atmospheric and, dare I say it, slightly magical and cosmic. Gram Parsons’ music was also described as “cosmic-country”, and the influence of him on the band is alluded to in the cushion at the start, decorated as Gram’s Nudie suits were.
Number 5: ‘Heavy Blue’ from “A New Kind of Sky” (2020)
This one swings like no other. It’s “a tale of drunken debauchery seen through the eyes of an inexperienced young man”. Stunningly gorgeous country-rock.
Number 4. ‘I Don’t Want to Feel so Bad Anymore’ from “Hollow Heart” (2022)
A rousing tune that is a staple of their live shows, for obvious reasons – it is one to get the crowd going. There is more than a whiff of The Byrds here, particularly in the jangly lead Rickenbacker guitar at the start and the harmonies. Richard Olson has left-wing politics and used to introduce the song with words of disdain for the last Tory government.
Number 3: ‘Let Me Dream Of You’ from “On a Golden Shore” (2024)
Another great live song. I love the way that the opening riff gradually builds up the tension, and then the song explodes into life and grooves from then on. The ooh-la-la-las are great, too.
Number 2: ‘How I Got This Way’ from “Songs for Somewhere Else” (2018)
Apart from loving the melody, this is memorable from the first time I clapped eyes on them live in Todmorden, and so reminds me of it. On the record and in the live performance on the video, Miranda Lee Richards contributes vocals. She is an American singer who worked with great friends of the group The Brian Jonestown Massacre.
Number 1: ‘Black Light Night’ from “Hollow Heart” (2022)
I am ending as I started on number 10 with a song that is Teenage Fanclub-esque. A fantastic song that I put on in the car if I need my spirits lifted, and then sing along loudly and happily as I drive along. It is about the mother of all hangovers, “Another black light night/ There’s trouble up ahead/My head’s on fire/The river’s running red”. Patrick Ralla’s starting riff is jarring and angular and shouldn’t really work, but somehow does, brilliantly.
