Bruce Soord & Jon Sykes – The Power of Intimacy at Midsummer Prog

Some musical discoveries stay with you for a lifetime.

For me, that journey began in 2007, when I was photographing the Symforce Festival in Tilburg. While the festival’s established names occupied the main stages, a relatively unknown British band was performing in one of the smaller halls: The Pineapple Thief. It was their very first concert on mainland Europe and, without question, my greatest musical discovery of that year. Since then, I have followed Bruce Soord and his band on many occasions, and with every album my admiration for his exceptional songwriting has continued to grow.

After completing It Leads To This and the recent Last To Run EP, The Pineapple Thief took a short break. Bruce Soord, however, had no intention of slowing down. Together with bassist, backing vocalist and longtime friend Jon Sykes, he embarked on an intimate duo tour. Anyone who has followed Soord’s career inevitably asks the same question: where does he find the time? Alongside The Pineapple Thief, he has built an impressive solo catalogue while also earning a reputation as a producer and mixer, working with other artists.

At Midsummer Prog, the duo provided a welcome moment of calm between the festival’s more electric performances. There was no bombast or technical showmanship—just two musicians creating a surprisingly rich sonic landscape with remarkably modest means.

The seven-song set focused on Bruce Soord’s most recent solo work. Three songs came from All This Will Be Yours, two from the newly released Ghosts in the Park, one from Luminescence, before closing with Snowdrops, a familiar favourite from The Pineapple Thief’s catalogue.

The choice of songs was anything but random. Rather than presenting a retrospective of his solo career, Soord deliberately highlighted the albums that best define his artistic identity today. All This Will Be Yours marked the point where his acoustic, introspective songwriting truly came into its own. Ghosts in the Park, written during the difficult period surrounding the loss of his father and his mother’s illness, continues that journey and stands as his most personal work to date. Never Ending Light formed a natural bridge between those two albums, while Snowdrops gently reconnected the audience with The Pineapple Thief.

Bruce Soord’s solo music sits somewhere between singer-songwriter, folk, alternative rock and progressive rock. His songs don’t rely on technical fireworks; they ask for attention. They unfold gradually, demonstrating how powerful simplicity can be. Less is undeniably more.

That philosophy translated beautifully to the stage. Even without the layered studio productions that have become a trademark of The Pineapple Thief, the songs lost none of their impact. Through the clever use of loopers, Bruce Soord and Jon Sykes gradually built guitar parts, subtle percussion and vocal harmonies into surprisingly full arrangements while preserving the intimacy at the heart of the music.

Never Ending Light perfectly illustrated that approach. Carefully constructed loops allowed Soord to move seamlessly to electric guitar while the arrangement slowly expanded around him. All This Will Be Yours became one of the highlights of the evening, its hypnotic fingerpicked foundation supporting expressive bottleneck guitar work and an emotionally charged electric solo. Cut the Flowers then introduced a darker atmosphere, its quiet tension steadily building without ever relying on obvious climaxes.

Jon Sykes’ contribution proved equally important. His clear harmony vocals added warmth and depth throughout the performance, while his melodic bass playing and management of the live loops elevated the concert far beyond a traditional singer-songwriter format. The natural chemistry between the two musicians reflected years of friendship and musical understanding.

Bruce himself remained the calm centre of the performance. His warm, understated vocals and expressive guitar playing moved effortlessly between delicate accompaniment and emotionally charged solos. Often performing with his eyes closed, he seemed completely immersed in the music, listening carefully as each new layer slowly emerged.

The evening concluded with Snowdrops, a song that has also become a familiar closing piece at many Pineapple Thief concerts. It provided a warm, understated ending that perfectly reflected the spirit of the performance, and the audience’s enthusiastic applause confirmed just how well this intimate approach had connected.

After following Bruce Soord’s career for almost twenty years, one thing remains unchanged. His music demands patience, but it richly rewards those willing to give it time. Once again, this intimate duo performance confirmed why Bruce Soord remains one of the finest—and still one of the most underrated—songwriters in contemporary progressive music. Not because he constantly strives to sound bigger, but because he has the confidence to keep his music honest, intimate and profoundly human.