(((O))) Review: A New Day: The Sia Trilogy in Photographs

For 46 years, the Milton Keynes-based neo-progressive rock band Solstice have kept their creative batteries fully charged, delivering music filled with optimism, joy, and boundless energy. Since co-founding the band with violinist Marc Elton, guitarist Andy Glass has remained the driving force behind Solstice, steering the group through numerous line-up changes while never losing sight of the band’s uplifting spirit. Nearly five decades on, Glass shows no signs of slowing down.

That enduring passion is beautifully captured in A New Day: The Sia Trilogy, an outstanding photographic book by Howard Rankin. Chronicling the band’s touring years during the acclaimed Sia trilogy, Sia (2020), Light Up (2022), and the trilogy’s conclusion, Clann (2025), the book is far more than a collection of concert photographs. It serves as both a visual diary and a celebration of one of the most creatively rewarding periods in Solstice’s long history.

Turning each page feels remarkably immersive, almost as though you are standing among the audience at one of the band’s concerts. Rankin captures not only the performances themselves but also the warmth and sense of community that surrounds every Solstice show. From their appearance at the Cambridge Rock Festival on 17th June 2022 to their now-beloved home venue, The Stables, where they have delivered memorable performances in recent years, every image radiates the band’s infectious enthusiasm and genuine connection with their fans.

The band’s resurgence during the Sia trilogy has earned widespread praise from many of progressive rock’s most respected figures. Among those celebrating Solstice’s achievements are Big Big Train’s Gregory Spawton, Steven Wilson, and Prog magazine founder and editor-in-chief Jerry Ewing, all of whom have recognized the band’s imaginative songwriting, expansive musical arrangements, and unwavering positivity. Their endorsements reflect how Solstice have quietly built a legacy that continues to inspire both longtime progressive rock devotees and an entirely new generation of listeners.

While the neo-progressive movement is often associated with giants such as Marillion, Twelfth Night, Pendragon, Pallas, and IQ, Solstice have frequently remained one of the genre’s best-kept secrets. They have spent much of their career operating just beneath the mainstream radar, yet books like this demonstrate exactly why they deserve to stand alongside those celebrated names.

Rankin’s photography captures countless unforgettable moments, but one of the undeniable highlights is Solstice’s triumphant performance at Fairport Convention’s Cropredy Festival on 12 August 2023 during the Light Up era. The concert was later immortalized on the live CD/Blu-Ray release of Return to Cropredy, which I previously reviewed for Echoes and Dust. Watching that performance on my XBOX, I found myself completely captivated. It felt like a remarkable homecoming, marking the band’s return to the festival after twenty-five years. The addition of former Jethro Tull drummer Clive Bunker, who joined the band for ‘Morning Light,’ only added to the occasion’s significance.

The performance itself was electric. Whether it was the blazing summer weather, the festival atmosphere, or simply the chemistry between the musicians, every moment overflowed with energy.

The camera work gave viewers exceptional access to the stage, making it feel as though you were standing only feet away from the band. Andy Glass led the charge while vocalists Jess Holland, Ebony Buckle, and Dyane Crutcher delivered soaring performances, complemented perfectly by Jenny Newman’s breathtaking violin work. Together they transformed the field into a celebration, encouraging the audience to rise, dance, and share in the overwhelming sense of joy that defines every Solstice concert.

That spirit permeates the entire book. A New Day feels like an intimate scrapbook documenting not only performances but also friendships, backstage moments, rehearsals, and the band’s remarkable journey throughout the trilogy. Rankin’s photographs are accompanied by insightful commentary and excerpts from reviews published by The Progressive Aspect, Apocalypse Later, Prog magazine, Sonic Perspectives, and DPRP, helping to place each performance within the broader story of Solstice’s creative renaissance.

One especially rewarding section documents Jess Holland’s first appearances with the band during the 2022 Sia tour, beginning with the Cambridge Rock Festival. Even through still photographs, it is easy to imagine the impact she made from the moment she stepped onto the stage. Alongside harmony vocalist Olivia Armon, Holland quickly established herself as a commanding and charismatic presence, bringing fresh energy to an already vibrant live show.

From MK11 and Colchester Arts Centre to the band’s annual appearances at The Stables in 2023, 2024, and 2025, as well as the sweat-soaked evenings at London’s legendary 100 Club, Rankin documents every venue with remarkable intimacy. His photography never merely records events, it captures emotion. Every smile, every embrace, every shared glance between band members reminds the reader that Solstice’s performances are built as much on friendship and trust as they are on exceptional musicianship.

The book also benefits enormously from thoughtful essays contributed by Jerry Ewing, Martin Kielty, and Oz Hardwick, each recalling their own introductions to Solstice. Ewing’s account is particularly engaging. He admits that when he first saw the band supporting Marillion at the Marquee Club on the 29th of December in 1982 during the Script for a Jester’s Tear era, he wasn’t immediately convinced. However, his opinion gradually changed after purchasing the band’s “Peace Tape” demo, a treasured item he still owns today.

When Ewing launched Prog magazine seventeen years ago, Solstice naturally became part of its story. One of the magazine’s earliest interviews featured Andy Glass around the release of Spirit in 2010, helping to reintroduce the band to a wider audience. Reflecting on Solstice today, Ewing writes from his own perspective in Rankin’s book, “The sense of fun and positivity that emanates from the stage is truly something to behold, while musically, they continue to weave different musical ideas into the progressive rock tapestry“. It is difficult to imagine a more fitting summary of the band’s enduring appeal.

Ultimately, A New Day: The Sia Trilogy is much more than a coffee-table photography book. It is a celebration of perseverance, creativity, friendship, and artistic renewal. Howard Rankin has documented a remarkable chapter in Solstice’s history with sensitivity, warmth, and an obvious affection for both the musicians and their audience. Every photograph captures not just a performance but a moment of shared happiness, a reminder that progressive rock can still inspire hope, unity, and genuine human connection.

As the final page closes, one question naturally remains: where will Solstice go after the extraordinary success of the Sia trilogy? Whatever direction Andy Glass and his remarkable band choose next, A New Day stands as the perfect document of an era that revitalised not only Solstice themselves but also reaffirmed why they remain one of progressive rock’s most uplifting and quietly essential bands. If the future proves to be as inspiring as the journey captured in these pages, then the next chapter promises to be every bit as extraordinary.