Stornoway is an indie rock band from the UK, who released three albums between 2010 and 2015. Their official active years date back from 2006 up until 2017. The band consists of a guitarist, keyboard player, bassist, and drummer. The music developed by the band is a constantly changing selection of influences from indie folk, indie rock, and chamber pop. Britpop is supported by various instruments, including guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, vocals, and guitar solos.
The band was created by Brian Briggs (guitarist) and Jonathan Quin (keyboard player). They met during Freshers’ week at Oxford, and their first conversation was about a band they both liked. After a while, they started playing music together and started forming the band. But a 2-person band isn’t a band, so they advertised for a bass player, and Oli Steadman was the only person to respond. His younger brother Rob Steadman auditioned for a drummer, and that’s how it all started.
But forming a band isn’t hard – accomplishing as much as Stornoway is the hard part. They named themselves after the Scottish town of Stornoway. Its name appeared on the TV weather reports, and they received free advertisements daily. For the 11 years of their activity, Stornoway released many songs and released three albums:
- Beachcomber’s Windowsill
- Tales from Terra Firma
- Bonxie
Band Development
BBC Oxford Introducing was the head start of the Stornoway band. It was back in March 2006, and their first radio play with a demo version of “I Saw You Blink” has become a fact. The radio presenter – Tim Bearder, loved their music style and barricaded himself in the studio, playing an hour of Stornoway songs from their demo. After which, he was suspended.
The band wasn’t that active until 2009. In 2009 they appeared live at Radio 1’s Big Weekend held in Lydiard Park, Swindon. They had just released their first single in July 2009, and their fame is yet to come. They played at many summer festivals and participated in a free concert in London as well.
And when they released their second single in September 2009, Stornoway was already famous all-around England. That’s when their first UK tour took place. The tour included a play in a concert at Oxford’s Sheldonian Theater. Which is a big thing as only classical music has been ever played in the centuries-old building.
For a few years, Stornoway became a trending topic all over England. They were already performing on Later… with Jools Holland alongside Sting, Jay-Z, and more. Youtube views were raining out of the sky, and they decided to tour Scotland and Ireland in March 2010. For the first time, they played in their namesake town!
Brian Briggs
Stornoway’s Frontman
Despite being a skilled singer, songwriter, and musician, Brian Briggs loves nature with all his heart. Briggs, who gave a headstart to the band, is now a reserve keeper at a wildlife reserve in Carmarthenshire. Brian, who has performed at some of the world’s biggest festivals, including the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, has taken an unusual career path to find himself at the Wetlands Centre.
The musician has swapped his hobby and work. Now he finds peace in music, writing poems, and playing the guitar. Meanwhile, he’s making a living taking care of the wildlife. Back when he was still singing, he used nature as a critical influence in his songwriting.
Now he’s turned everything around. He studied ducks as part of his doctoral thesis in Oxford and devoted himself to music and conservation. He has dedicated his life to protecting wildlife.
Oli Steadman
One of the founders of Stornoway – Oli Steadman, proves that studying while on the road is possible. Despite the busy schedule and the concerts, he built his reputation as a studio producer and live sound director. In the meantime, he was managing and mentoring local musicians.
In 2013 he founded Count Drachma and still performs occasionally. Count Drachma was invited to play at festivals and even filmed a documentary collaborating with The Guardian’s Education channel. In the following year – 2014, Steadman has founded a music-tech startup. And since 2015, he has been endorsed by the Aria Bass Guitars!
Rob Steadman
At the age of just 16, Rob had already begun his career as a professional touring and recording musician. He auditioned for Stornoway after his brother – Oli Steadman, had already joined the band. In the time being with Stornoway, he performed live on the UK’s biggest music (Later… with Jools Holland) TV program and toured around the world.
The drummer has already shown his incredible skills playing alongside popular names such as Jay Z, Norah Jones, Foo Fighters, and more. They recorded live sessions for the mainstream BBC Radio programs and participated in many interviews with top music journalists. Rob succeeded in his life before even reaching the age of 25. Now he’s living his dream life in New York and continues to produce and perform music with his new band – Kritters.
Debut Album
Stornoway’s debut album, Beachcomber’s Windowsill, was released on May 24, 2010. They signed to an independent record label – 4AD. The fear was born out of the unknown. Stornoway thought that during the recordings, people might be twisting their arms to do certain things. But the head of the band – Brian Briggs, said that their initial fears of signing the label have faded after 4AD convinced them that wouldn’t be the case.
Even though they were uprising stars back in 2010, they didn’t even slightly forget where they’re coming from. Just before launching their debut album, Stornoway organized three mini-concerts for their hometown fans in Oxford.
Throughout 2010 and 2011, the band toured across the world – England, North America, Australia, and many European festivals. But that wasn’t enough – merging their ambitions with love for music. They spent several weeks in early 2011 writing towards their second album. Touring once again in America, the band decided to take a rest and spend the rest of the year performing in the UK and recording in Oxford. As soon as they arrived in the UK in 2011, they performed a homecoming concert for the summer.
Moving Forward with Tales from Terra Firma
For the 5 active years, the band already looks promising. They play with innocent power, have light-footed chemistry as a unit, harmonize well, and lead singer Brian Briggs has the kind of voice that effortlessly brings the public on their feet. The love for Celtic and British folk led them towards creating their second album – Tales from Terra Firma. In November 2012, Stornoway announced their second studio album release. It was released a few months later – in March 2013. Tales from Terra Firma unites nine songs written from the depths of Brian Briggs’ heart. It’s the type of music you can both party and chill to.
Similar to the first album, this one ranked on the UK Albums Chart. At first number 26, and then dropped to number 20. After the album had already become a fact, the Stornoway band decided to give a shot to another world tour. With their most famous song from this album being the most popular amongst them all – Farewell, Appalachia!
A Little Surprise
Suddenly, in September 2013, Stornoway decided to release a mini-album. It’s called You Don’t Know Anything and features a selection of 6 tracks. The arrangement is beautiful, if sometimes a little flowery, and the melody is present and correct. The songs sound just right. The mini-album was created exclusively for their UK fans. Stornoway took another tour around the UK to close the successful year and warmed their fans’ hearts once again.
The band received their first reviews in music magazine Uncut’s Q. The album was streamed by AllMusic, with the lead single Tumbling Bay being downloaded for free by Lauren Laverne from BBC 6 Music in November. And closing off a successful year doesn’t leave the subsequent one hanging. After their tour, the band returned to the studio to prepare their third full album.
Bonxie
It is not the foghorn or the birdcall of the sea, it is the sound of folk music awakening to life, and there is the third album by Stornoway – Bonxie. Briggs uses his deft art to conjure up childlike nostalgia bordering on clichés and fantasy, and zorbing is a prime example of Beachcomber’s windmills. The whole thing is straightforward, not exaggerated, but it works, with string structure, solos, and harmonic singing, creating an atmosphere that only encourages introspection.
In June 2014, Stornoway announced their third album release. Fans had the chance to pre-order it, which helped the band acquire double their target funding in just four days. Brian Briggs, famous for his love for birds, gave fans the opportunity to purchase their copies while on a trip with the band. The trip was to either go zorbing or birdwatching.
By adding “gentle” and “gently” into the track “When You’re Feeling Gentle”, Brian Briggs creates a warm feeling for all their fans. When Briggs is allowed to play with language, he can express himself as only he can. A similar feeling is brought by “Love Song of the Beta Male”.
There is a reassuring recognition of doubt as a positive force. Stornoway uses old-fashioned folk techniques to create a sense of optimism, but one that contains no hint of cynicism. There is a faint hint of elegance, but that adds a certain depth to the sound, as Briggs doesn’t rely too much on the traditional tenor saxophone and bass lines of his previous albums
Stornoway will become Stor-no-more
After more than a decade of singing and touring worldwide, Stornoway announced that they were about to split. The last thing to do left was a farewell tour. The reason for splitting is simple – their paths split.
So, they decided to tie the knot with a celebratory farewell tour and end a rich decade with appropriate grace. The Hebridean town of Stornoway, where the band was always well received, was also the only place where fans threw away bottles on tours.
The audience was much more polite and expressed appreciation for the three unplugged songs played – silence, including the exquisite Get Low, whose beguiling melody and harmonies earned endless applause.
Brian Briggs headed to South Wales and dedicated his life to working as a Warden on a nature reserve. He couldn’t resist the opportunity. Rob Steadman went to New York to pursue his dream life. Oli Steadman stayed in London and started splitting his time for music and work. Jonathan Ouin is the only one left in the sphere. He’s writing and recording music for radio, film, and theatre.
Conclusion
In the end, the band achieved more than ever imagined. What Stornoway thought was a hobby turned into touring around the world. They wanted to have fun while creating music – but they were noticed. And soon enough, Stornoway were performing in concerts and festivals. They got lost in having fun and surpassed what they thought possible in 11 years.
Stornoway were well-received anywhere they go. The fans loved them and still do. But everything good has its end. While some of them are still producing music, others have completely changed career paths. The band decided to split as their ways are splitting as well. Each one of them took a different course, some even turning their hobbies into long-term jobs. But they all knew that was bad news for all their fans. That’s why a farewell tour across the world finished off their career as a band when they were at their peak.