Stornoway

Stornoway is a British folk and indie folk group from Oxford, United Kingdom. The band forms in 2006 in the Cowley Road area of Oxford and is active until 2017, with a later reformation. Its core line-up consists of singer and guitarist Brian Briggs, multi-instrumentalists Jon Ouin and Oli Steadman, and drummer Rob Steadman, who is the brother of Oli Steadman. Rob Steadman is not part of the later reformation.

Style and name

The group takes its name from the Hebridean town of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. Its music combines string instruments and keyboards with a more typical pop line-up of guitar, drums and bass guitar. The group is associated with folk, indie folk, and indie rock, and is also described as an alt-indie-folk band.

Career

Stornoway first receives radio play in March 2006, when a demo version of I Saw You Blink airs on BBC Oxford Introducing. One of the band’s first notable live appearances takes place at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in 2009 in Lydiard Park, Swindon. In July 2009, the group self-releases its first single, Zorbing, and plays a number of UK summer festivals, including six sets at Glastonbury Festival 2009.

The band signs to the British independent label 4AD and releases I Saw You Blink as a single in March 2010. Its debut album, Beachcomber’s Windowsill, follows in May 2010. A second album, Tales from Terra Firma, is recorded for most of 2012 and released in March 2013; its lead single, Knock Me on the Head, premieres at the start of 2013 and comes out with the album. The third album, Bonxie, is announced in 2014.

Breakup and later activity

Stornoway announces a split in October 2016 and plays its final show in March 2017. A live recording of that farewell performance is later released as The Farewell Show Live at New Theatre, Oxford. The group reforms for a one-off run of gigs in 2022, including Truck Festival in Oxfordshire and WOMAD Charlton Park, and continues playing in 2023, with appearances including a show with Fyfe Dangerfield in London and Cambridge Folk Festival. In 2023, the band announces that it reforms to record the album Dig the Mountain!.

Additional musicians

Stornoway is often joined by trumpeter Adam Briggs and violinist Rahul Satija.