Stornoway’s third long player Bonxie has flown straight into the UK Top 20 on release and the Oxford [bird] brains layered this nest with images of the wild outdoors, tumultuous oceans, primal migratory instincts and tapping into lead singer Dr. Brian Briggs’ background as a doctor (PhD) of ornithology; Bonxie (the Hebridean nickname for the great skua) is a chorus of birdsong from start to finish. |
Multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of Stornoway, Jon Ouin, wrote and orchestrated Man On Wire. Inspired by the 2008 multi-award winning documentary of the same name, in which French high wire artist Philippe Petit walked a steel line covertly strung between New York’s World Trade Centre’s Twin Towers. It opens with a Manhattan soundscape, recorded by Stornoway drummer Rob Steadman, from his balcony in New York. On Stornoway’s homage the wire is also a metaphor for a thread of hope. It is a soaring ballad, which nods towards the sweep of 60s’ pop and Briggs’ lyrics gift the song with drama and attack. A huge, slow groove, mixed by Craig Potter of Elbow with bass by Oli Steadman and precipitous strings, Man On Wire is nothing short of spectacular. |
Pursuant to the theme dear to their hearts, Stornoway have worked closely with the RSPB for this album. Dr. Briggs is a Life Fellow of the charity and as such, the band played a series of very special concerts: THE SHAGS AND DUCKS AND ROCK’N’ROLL TOUR at RSPB Nature Reserves at the end of May, before setting off for the summer festival season. 13th June – SUMMER PIE FESTIVAL, Palma de Mallorca, ES |