Martin Lloyd Howard – “Hidden Andalucia”

Martin Lloyd Howard is an English guitarist who’s been around long enough to know that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. You just need to know which wheels to use. His new solo classical guitar piece, “Hidden Andalucia”, is a good example of that kind of thinking.

The track opens in a style loosely rooted in the work of John Dowland, the Elizabethan lutenist and composer. It’s a deliberate, measured opening, the kind that makes you sit still for a second. Then, about midway through, flamenco starts creeping in and the shift is gradual enough that you almost don’t notice it happening until you’re fully in a different place. Martin holds both styles together without making the whole thing feel like a split personality. That’s harder to pull off than it sounds.

Martin’s main instrument is a fifty-year-old hand-built classical guitar, and honestly, you can hear that in the warmth of the recording, and it doesn’t have that bright, overly polished sound you get from newer instruments. It has character.

Martin has worked with artists like Mark Johnson of The Midnight River Crew, and his range covers folk, blues, and rock alongside the classical foundation he started with. “Hidden Andalucia” is the kind of piece that reminds you that a single guitar, in the right hands, doesn’t need anything else in the room.

Give it a listen, and if you want to keep up with what Martin Howard puts out next, his channels on both YouTube and SoundCloud are worth following. He’s someone worth paying attention to in the rest of 2026.