Martin Lloyd Howard – “Surrey Bells”: A Quiet Celebration of Nature and Stillness
Have you lived in a quiet countryside before? I mean the kind where you hear every church bell ring wherever you are. If you have, you’d know that trying to enjoy a peaceful Sunday morning in the countryside only to get blasted by church bells echoing across the valley usually means your sleep is officially over right?. So picture those church bells rings, made into a peaceful music that rather soothes and gives you that relaxing moment you need. English guitarist Martin Lloyd Howard takes that familiar rural experience and turns it into pure instrumental art with his acoustic single, “Surrey Bells“.
The track was released a week ago, and it’s really such a masterpiece. The way it’s able to paint this vivid picture of church bells calling out to each other across a cold, bright winter morning is really amazing. Using a single Tanglewood steel-string guitar with overdubbed parts, Howard builds a peaceful yet lively instrumental piece that carries quite a clear theme about finding beauty in nature, embracing stillness, and connecting with the timeless atmosphere of local landscapes.
Who wouldn’t want to enjoy a cold morning, with slight breeze of air blowing around, bright skies, and hot coffee whilst having this peaceful piece playing in the background. The whole track is built in DADGAD tuning, giving the guitar open, ringing chords that mimic the natural sustain of bronze bells. Howard layers two distinct guitar parts to create a sense of vast physical space. The main guitar plays clear, fluid lead lines right up front, while the second guitar is mixed with a distant, reverberating delay to sound like a second church tower echoing from across a valley. That interplay between the two instruments relies on a call-and-response rhythm, with notes hanging in the air and decaying naturally.
It’s such a joy to listen to, and I love how the production just keeps things intimate and organic. It’s a home setup recording, so everything feels very authentic and organic, there’s no heavy processing, you get to feel the natural metallic bite of the steel strings and the subtle woody resonance of the guitar body, giving the song that crisp, authentic feel. The tempo glides smoothly along, balancing gentle fingerpicking with dynamic, ringing strumming patterns.
“Surrey Bells” speaks for itself really, it doesn’t need any lyrics to distract that peaceful moment, it captures that crisp, quiet feeling of standing outside on a frosty morning, watching the fog clear while distant sounds drift through the air. It’s a track that offers a quiet escape from a noisy world. It delivers a deeply relaxing, meditative experience that works perfectly for quiet mornings, reading sessions, or times when you just need to clear your head. Go stream “Surrey Bells” and take in the view for yourself!
Want more from Martin Lloyd Howard? Check him out on the links below;
English