THE LOVELORN TROUBADOUR
The Chorlton, Manchester scene has thrown up some quality music in recent times, not least the debut long player by local resident JOHN STAMMERS. PHIL ISTINE has a chat with the well-connected and eclectic folkie
You won’t have heard of John Stammers before I’ll wager, but we at Shindig! hope to change that. The part-time tiler and full- time lovelorn troubadour has a lovely new eight-track self-titled debut album out. The 36-year-old Mancunian released a couple of limited edition singles a few years back, which saw him supporting the likes of Alfie, Lone Pigeon and King Creosote as a result. Though Stammers is in no rush to release musical artefacts until all the jigsaw pieces are in place – ably demonstrated by the 18-month gap between the album sessions and its release. As he himself explains, “I didn’t just want to stick it out and that was it. Not after all that effort. Better to wait and put it out properly.” Stammers’ guitar playing is central, his picking style and arrangements bringing to mind John Fahey, Donovan and Bert Jansch, whilst his soft voice and the orchestral flourishes recall Nick Drake and Pentangle. Home for Stammers is on the southwest outskirts of Manchester, in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, a suburb positively bursting with musicians and artists of the folk and psychedelic persuasion. This is home to Badly Drawn Boy and The Dulcimer venue, where “you can walk in most nights of the week and it’d be easier to count the number of people without beards. Or the girls without hair parted in the middle”. Stammers’ personal collective of talented locals include percussionist Paddy Steer (Homelife), harp player Nancy Elizabeth (Leaf Records), bassist Ian Hinton-Smith (Alfie, The Beep Seals) and trumpeter Ben Dumville (Colorama, Alfie). “I’ve always tried to be in a band,” he explains, “to be a part of something. I don’t enjoy the limelight. So whenever I write something I’ll get someone along to play on it.”
Stammers talks about the “sonic value” of his approach to music, equally shaped by his development as a songwriter in post break-up isolation as a young man (and brought to life via his Scottish folk music background), then later on his post- Hacienda days DJing house and trance in places like Ibiza. “That marriage between the folk and electronica set me in good stead for where I am now in how I create music. Early house and techno music made on synthesisers are still very natural sounding, unlike modern digital music.” He had always wanted to put an album out of these songs on vinyl, but it proved almost impossible. “Full Time Hobby was
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interested, Rough Trade, all sorts… but as soon as you mention vinyl no one wants to know because of the cost. A lot of people just said I should do downloads, but I wouldn’t entertain that idea
really.And if you want to do an album straight from tape to vinyl like I did, there are only three studios in the country that have the lathes to do it: Abbey Road, Air, and John Dent’s place in Taunton (Hawkwind, King Crimson). We went with John. It’s like a sonic experiment: if you can still make an album like your favourite ones from the ’60s and not have to digitally process it, then do it.”The Joe Robinson (Badly Drawn Boy, Alfie)-produced results are stunning,
with each player contributing to the mood Stammers creates without overwhelming the listener or outstaying their welcome.
“That marriage between the folk and electronica set me in good stead for where I am now”
The appeal of “electronic warbles” and dance music may not be evident on this album, but he’s already planning an album that is heavy on analogue synths, which he hopes will involve recording in mono using an old Abbey Road Studios desk. Very Shindig!ian. But in the meantime, delve into the pastoral glory of where his head is at now, for gratification is guaranteed.
John Stammers is released on vinyl and CD on February 28th by Wonderfulsound
“The thing that unites us is the love for good songs performed with all the brains and bollocks that you can muster.”
Photo: Anna Budrys
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