Watch STANLÆY, the alter ego of Bath-based singer, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Bethany Stenning performing her single The Mountain Collector live. The track is taken from her debut album The Human Project (out May 2019), a multi-faceted audio-visual project which involved over 70 musicians, artists, actors/actresses and videographers all under the direction of Bethany.
As you can witness from the video below her music is influenced by a diverse genre pool of folk, jazz and cosmic atmospheres, drawing inspiration from artists such as Joanna Newsom, The Dirty Projectors and Sigur Rós.
In this live session, she performs alongside Oliver Cocup, Ben Holyoake and Naomi Hill, the timing between them is impeccable from the get-go, an exhilarating performance which creates a tension I’m more used to witnessing in a free-form jazz session. While her own voice is the standout instrument here, her accompanying musicians lift it to another dimension, the whole performance is totally mesmerising and is surely the best possible way of encouraging you all to try and see her while you can (see dates below). The Mountain Collector is also our Song of the Day.
The Mountain Collector is a chamber-folk track which is mystical and earthly in its musical nature. Its structure is very intricate with a lot of emphasis on the string quartet parts. There is a humorous break in the song/video where the string quartet has a solo chamber breakdown in the song. The lyrics are quite fun, and surround the idea that we are hugely influenced by our immediate landscapes/cityscapes, and hold the desire to re-connect with one’s natural surroundings.
UPCOMING DATES:
16th April – The Gallimaufry, Bristol
26th April – Chapel Arts, Bath (Solo STANLÆY set)
28th May – *ALBUM LAUNCH* The Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol – with Alfi
30th May – The Prince Albert, Stroud – with Alfi
31st May – UCA Bar, Canterbury
1st June – The Lighthouse, Deal
2nd June – Sofar Sounds, London
Photo Credit: Barka Photography