Following Stornoway’s sold-out show at London’s Forum last week and the completion of their biggest tour yet, the Oxford quartet have announced that their next trip around the British Isles will take place towards the end of the year. The band will be playing nine shows, finishing up with a special headline show at London's Barbican.
The band are about to embark on a tour around Europe, followed by a few festival appearances in the UK throughout the summer....
This week Stornoway release their second album, Tales From Terra Firma, (excl. North America - released 18th March).
It is an album of stories – birth, death, marriage, coming of age: The Big Stuff. The songs were mostly written in a camper van in land-locked Oxford and the bulk of the recording spanned two winters, between December 2011 and November 2012. During this time no one outside the band heard the songs before the final mixes.
It all adds to the sense of a band intent on writing their own story to their own exacting specifications, oblivious to trends or outside influence. “We never aspire to be anything other than who we are,” says singer and principal songwriter Brian Briggs. “We’ve never felt we fitted in with a particular music scene, it’s always been about doing our own thing and being ourselves. It is honest music.”
Stornoway are excited to announce that they have confirmed a tour of the US. The dates kick off May 1 in Washington DC and conclude on Los Angeles on May 25. Tour stops include Brooklyn, Chicago and Toronto. This lengthy run will be Stornoway's first time back on our shores since touring their debut album Beachcomber's Windowsill with The Head & The Heart. The tour is listed below.
Released on 11th March (19th in North America), Stornoway's second album, Tales From Terra Firma, is an album of stories – birth, death, marriage, coming of age: The Big Stuff.
As is true of classic songwriting partnerships, lyricist Brian Briggs' eloquence coupled with his crystalline voice unites with Jon Ouin's stunning arrangements to form a musical mirror. Tales From Terra Firma reflects powerful life experiences, the great outdoors and the passing of time, which is a major theme of the album. Indeed, the songs were mostly written in a camper van in land-locked Oxford but on listening, the yearning for adventure and the freedom of the coast and wild places is palpable. And with that, Stornoway have self-produced a record that marks a new sophistication in compositional and, in particular, lyrical qualities, while still retaining the charm of their debut that so many fell in love with
Stornoway are proud to announce they have completed the follow-up to 2010’s award winning album Beachcomber’s Windowsill.
Tales From Terra Firma is due for release in March 2013 and it marks a significant progression from Beachcomber’s both compositionally, instrumentally and, in particular, lyrically. While beaming with an undeniable sophistication, Tales From Terra Firma retains the unique charm of their debut that...
With Beachcomber's Windowsill, Stornoway released one of the most assured and impressive debuts of the year. Recorded in the beautiful environs of The Rotunda in their native Oxford, this 4AD Session shows the band in a wonderful light.
The building they chose to perform in dates back to the 1960s when Vivien Greene, Graham Greene's ex-wife, commissioned its build as an extension to her own home...