A folk rock band from North Shields who have supported double Brit award-winner Sam Fender on tour, are preparing to head to the US for a series of live gigs thanks to help from the widow of Tyneside music legend Hilton Valentine.
Hector Gannet - tipped as the next big music act to come out of North Shields - attracted the attention of The Animals guitarist in 2019 when Hilton posted on social media about his love for the environmentally conscious group’s song, The Haven of St Aidan’s.
When the quartet’s debut album, Big Harcar, came out in late 2020 Hilton - responsible for coming up with the famous arpeggio introductory riff on The Animals best known song, a cover of the blues classic, The House of the Rising Sun – pledged to help them.
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His death in January 2021 sadly prevented that. But Hilton’s widow, Germaine, was determined to follow her late husband’s wishes.
She put Hector Gannet in touch with some of Hilton's professional contacts in the US, with the band now set to travel to Connecticut in April to take part in radio interviews, a video shoot, spend time in the recording studio, and perform live gigs.
Germaine said: "Helping Hector Gannet goes beyond carrying out Hilton's wish. I don't have a choice when it comes to the music I love; it makes me do these things.“
Hector Gannet's music is piloting all of this. I want people to listen to the music I'm passionate about. I've also been passionate about animals and the environment since I was six-years-old, so Hector Gannet and I are a perfect fit.
“Through the years, Hilton helped many musicians by bringing them into the studio, getting them on television and arranging gigs. He would have been all in on this. “Connecting Hector Gannet to some of Hilton's contacts is the next step in helping the world hear their music.”
Frontman Aaron Duff – who when he’s not performing with Hector Gannet runs the popular Wheel House coffee shop on Tanners’ Bank just off North Shields Fish Quay - was obviously delighted to accept the offer.
"We were honoured when asked to perform some songs at the unveiling event of Hilton’s Blue Plaque in North Shields where we played a couple of The Animals songs and one of Hilton's as well. Then when Germaine asked us to go to the US, we felt we could use the time wisely to promote the band and gather material for the next album. We're extremely grateful and massively excited.”
It’s not just Hilton who has backed the group. On its release Big Harcar was championed by BBC Radio 6 Music and XFM. And the band toured with friend and fellow North Shields musician Sam Fender in 2019/2020.
The environmentally-minded quartet have also taken a novel approach to sowing the seeds of their future success. They are giving away green goodies to fans.
But the freebies aren’t your normal run-of-the-mill rock merchandise like badges or stickers. Instead Hector Gannet is giving away wild flower seeds.
Fittingly – given the group’s name - they have formed a partnership with Europe’s biggest manufacturer and supplier of bird food, Vivara. The Shropshire-based company has donated the wild flower seeds for Hector Gannet to give away to audiences on their current UK tour taking in Leicester, London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Newcastle.
Vocalist Aaron said: “The idea of the seeds is for everyone to simply sprinkle them in their gardens or on a piece of waste land so that the flowers grow. Once they are in flower, insects such as bees and butterflies will thrive from them. It’s a simple gesture that will have great benefits for nature.”
The band has also pledged to raise funds and awareness for two nature loving organisations, Wild Intrigue, which specialises in urban safaris and nature treks, and the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, which comes to the aid of stricken or injured marine mammals such as seals, dolphins, and whales.
Hector Gannet’s environmental credentials can be seen in their songs, which cover everything from the Farne Islands to the mighty majesty of whales and the geology of Northumberland.
The latest single, The Eighth Day, examines the enormity of space and the relative insignificance of mankind. Meanwhile, their latest EP, Into the Deep, is a haunting track about whales, and is made from vinyl cut-offs which would normally go into landfill.
Hector Gannet is steeped in the history of the North Shields’ fishing fleet. The band’s name is taken from a vessel that Aaron Duffy’s grandfather sailed on and which tragically sank in 1967 with the loss of life of some of its crew.
Aaron took the name as a mark of respect for the vessel and crew, and proudly works both solo and with the band under the moniker.
