4AD home

Stornoway - Stornoway Reveal 'Zorbing' Video; Announce New Dates
Stornoway : Stornoway Reveal 'Zorbing' Video; Announce New Dates
10th May 2010

Ahead of Beachcomber's Windowsill release on May 24, Stornoway have revealed the video to the 'Zorbing' (out May 31) alongside news of a three-date stint performing at the A1 Pool Hall, Oxford between Sunday 16-Tuesday 18 May. "No electricity, no history - just a run-down pool club, candles, beer and the album played live and completely unplugged", the capacity will be strictly limited to 100 people per night, with all supports selected by the band.

“This song was recorded in Bristol and was one of four songs on the first demo I ever recorded, before meeting the band. I recorded it in mono onto a cassette using a Fostex 4- track recorder with one microphone, and I played all the parts myself - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboard and vocals. I wrote it in Dorset when I was working with oiled seabirds, and sharing my bathroom with a guillemot.” Brian Briggs, Stornoway

Stornoway's singer and songwriter Brian Briggs is speaking of ‘I Never Thought Of Home’, the B-side to their forthcoming single ‘Zorbing’, but this very natural, unsynthesised approach to recording is typical of the Oxford based band. There is a constant dichotomy in their work; organic recordings by a pop quartet. Their world is one of dreaming spires but also this is a band of conjurors, their craft is an alchemy of a lost pastoral age suffused with the gleaming pop of today.

The core of the band are Brian Briggs (guitar, vox), Jonathan Ouin playing keys and strings and brothers Ollie and Rob Steadman on bass and drums respectively. Augmenting the quartet for live performances are Brian’s brother Adam Briggs on brass and Rahul Satija playing violin.

Stornoway are endowed with a natural ability to write that very earthy, rooted kind of song; mined deep from the land it was conceived in. Their choral harmonies and use of strings and improvised instruments is also reminiscent of US bluegrass but what sets them apart and gives them their further mysterious magnetism is singer and songwriter Brian Briggs exceptional ear for that very distinctive of sounds - the British pop melody.

‘Zorbing’ will be released on 31st May 2010, just a few days short of a year after its first release as a limited 7” and it still is a gloriously romantic, jewel of a song. Named after the outdoor pursuit of rolling down hills in giant perspex hamster balls, it is in keeping with Stornoway’s passion for the great outdoors, nature and oiled seabirds.


Stornoway perform throughout May, with all forthcoming dates available to view HERE.

MAY
10 SHEFIELD Fusion
11 YORK University
12 MANCHESTER University
13 BIRMINGHAM Hare And Hounds
14 BRIGHTON Great Escape
16 OXFORD A1 Pool Hall
17 OXFORD A1 Pool Hall
18 OXFORD A1 Pool Hall
20 LONDON ULU
22 BANGOR Radio 1 Big Weekend
23 BANGOR Radio 1 Big Weekend

For more information on Stornoway, head HERE.