Treehouse presents... Sailing Moon + Fred Hills Quartet - A winter solstice exploration.
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SAILING MOON
"Fluorescently ambient grooves with a nod back to the Canterbury scene"
Summer 2026 saw Sailing Moon's maiden voyage, appearing at Seeker Festival in Dorset and Smugglers Festival in Kent. This exciting new quartet now prepare to play their first Brighton show at The Rose Hill this winter solstice.
Sonically placed in the field between GoGo Penguin, The Cinematic Orchestra and Tortoise, Sailing Moon conjure fluorescently ambient grooves with a nod back to the Canterbury scenes of the near and far past. Sailing Moon began as the moniker for Dorset-based hang drum player/guitarist Joe Gaines. Collaborations then started to form with drummer/composer Fred Hills during 2020, in deepest Devon. The pair later coalesced in Sussex at the foot of the Downs with multi-instrumentalist James Osler (Pillow, Samana, Ceann Capaill) and bass player Joe Woodham (Worldwide Weather, Jouis).
During a three-day writing session together, the bulk of their first EP poured out of them. Like water, this music flows, adapts, and is full of vitality and nourishment for the psyche and soul.
FRED HILLS QUARTET
Sussex-based composer, songwriter and session drummer Fred Hills writes instinctive, emotionally driven music that brings together contemporary jazz, alt-folk and progressive indie. Drawing inspiration from The Cinematic Orchestra, Seb Rochford, White Denim and Jono McCleery, his work combines cinematic textures, intimate melodies and dynamic, groove-led arrangements.
His debut EP, Incerto, released via Ninja Tune, introduced a rich instrumental palette of expressive guitars, eloquent strings and colourful rhythms. Later releases including The Ground and Begin Again mark a move towards more song-driven material, pairing heartfelt lyricism with expansive production and the warmth and subtlety of his earlier work.
Fred regularly performs with his trio, alongside multi-instrumentalist and arranger Andrew Stuart-Buttle and double bassist Alfie Weedon. Together, they create an open, highly responsive sound that moves between delicate atmosphere, intricate interplay and powerful rhythmic momentum. The trio’s music reflects Fred’s wide-ranging influences while remaining grounded in a shared instinct for melody, texture and improvisation.
18th December 2026
The Rose Hill
Brighton
£12/8
Doors 1900
"Fluorescently ambient grooves with a nod back to the Canterbury scene"
Summer 2026 saw Sailing Moon's maiden voyage, appearing at Seeker Festival in Dorset and Smugglers Festival in Kent. This exciting new quartet now prepare to play their first Brighton show at The Rose Hill this winter solstice.
Sonically placed in the field between GoGo Penguin, The Cinematic Orchestra and Tortoise, Sailing Moon conjure fluorescently ambient grooves with a nod back to the Canterbury scenes of the near and far past. Sailing Moon began as the moniker for Dorset-based hang drum player/guitarist Joe Gaines. Collaborations then started to form with drummer/composer Fred Hills during 2020, in deepest Devon. The pair later coalesced in Sussex at the foot of the Downs with multi-instrumentalist James Osler (Pillow, Samana, Ceann Capaill) and bass player Joe Woodham (Worldwide Weather, Jouis).
During a three-day writing session together, the bulk of their first EP poured out of them. Like water, this music flows, adapts, and is full of vitality and nourishment for the psyche and soul.
FRED HILLS QUARTET
Sussex-based composer, songwriter and session drummer Fred Hills writes instinctive, emotionally driven music that brings together contemporary jazz, alt-folk and progressive indie. Drawing inspiration from The Cinematic Orchestra, Seb Rochford, White Denim and Jono McCleery, his work combines cinematic textures, intimate melodies and dynamic, groove-led arrangements.
His debut EP, Incerto, released via Ninja Tune, introduced a rich instrumental palette of expressive guitars, eloquent strings and colourful rhythms. Later releases including The Ground and Begin Again mark a move towards more song-driven material, pairing heartfelt lyricism with expansive production and the warmth and subtlety of his earlier work.
Fred regularly performs with his trio, alongside multi-instrumentalist and arranger Andrew Stuart-Buttle and double bassist Alfie Weedon. Together, they create an open, highly responsive sound that moves between delicate atmosphere, intricate interplay and powerful rhythmic momentum. The trio’s music reflects Fred’s wide-ranging influences while remaining grounded in a shared instinct for melody, texture and improvisation.
18th December 2026
The Rose Hill
Brighton
£12/8
Doors 1900
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Where is it happening?
The Rose Hill, 73 Rose Hill Terrace, Brighton, BN1 4JL, United Kingdom
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherTreehouse
