Since the demise of the P.J. Harvey trio, it’s become increasingly rare to see Polly Jean behind a guitar onstage. On the tour for 1995’s To Bring You My Love — her third album and first proper solo release — she abandoned the instrument entirely for the first time, leaving the duty to two guitarists tasked with translating the album’s visceral textures: her longtime collaborator John Parish and session guitarist Joe Gore.
Gore recalled a recurring skepticism from fans when he joined the lineup: “‘Why? I love the way she plays!’”
“I knew what they meant,” Gore wrote in a feature for Guitar Player about his work with Harvey. “I too admired the instrumental ferocity that helped Polly attract a rabid global following and a blizzard of critical acclaim for her first three albums.”