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I post updates and new music every few days.
New album out today
My new album, ‘bottle the grief’ is now available on Bandcamp here.
Eight new, quiet songs recorded in the L.A. Signorina pizzeria in Stuttgart at the start of the lockdown and released in digital and very limited physical editions.
Here’s some (barely) moving pictures.
I hope everyone’s doing ok, will have more music very soon.
Thanks for sticking around.
Stephen
slow go the dark days
Last night in the room where I recorded ‘bottle the grief” - to be released this Friday the 1st of May. If you feel like pre-ordering it now that would be super good and if you feel like subscribing to receive the physical edition and a whole bunch of other music from me that would be even better. Either way, stay well and stay in touch please.
S
bottle the grief
Hi everyone
I have a new album of eight quiet songs that’s available for pre-order now and will be released Friday the 1st of May.
‘bottle the grief’ was recorded over three evenings in the back room of L.A. Signorina in Stuttgart a few weeks ago. One or two of the songs were written just after Christmas but most of them come from the first days of the lockdown when I was in Switzerland and then Stuttgart.
I have in mind to record some of these songs again with other musicians when we’re all able to move about a bit easier and these nights were always just about trying some new things in a good sounding room. The songs came full of words but light on tunes and it’s not perhaps the most sonically exciting thing to listen to. But as with all things it’s just a record and what was written and made and there’ll hopefully be more to come soon.
The album is available digitally through Bandcamp here and this time the physical edition is exclusive to those signed up for the Bandcamp subscription. There’s a few reasons for this - clearly putting together a physical release is a little difficult at the moment and I also just wanted to make something very intimate in a small edition. I’m also obviously not playing concerts at the moment so there’s really little opportunity to sell a lot of CDs. But if you choose to sign up for the 15€ subscription I’ll send you a copy, plus you get 6 albums to download from my back catalogue and the previous two subscription only releases. If you stay subscribing you get a new release every month. I think it’s a fair deal and it certainly helps me out a lot at the moment.
Please click here for more information at Bandcamp.
If you would prefer to use Paypal that’s absolutely possible and I have a page with a button here.
Anyway, the album is available as a hand stamped CDr with a hand typed cover and lyric sheet in a 100% recycled sleeve, sent to you wherever you are. You’ll also get a digital download of the album in a choice of formats whilst you wait for that to arrive.
A song ‘a carrion call’ from the album was posted to my Bandcamp last week as free download. I wrote this and played it twice and this is the second take. Didn’t have a final verse, just goes like that. You can listen and grab that here:
Here’s a very simple lyric video for the Youtubes.
All in all I recorded about twenty songs in the restaurant and the other half of them will most likely be next month’s Bandcamp subscription. Acoustic, different versions of songs I’ve previously recorded, like ‘The Hills Are Alive’, ‘Boys, I Am Worried’ and ‘SUPER GOOD ADVICE’. They all hang together as another thing somehow.
This is what I’ve been doing, hope some people are into it. Let me know please how you are doing and if you have any questions about any of this stuff.
Take care
Stephen
Julia Laura 'SPAWN OF HELL'
I’ve been recording Julia Laura’s second album for Woodland Recordings over the last year or so and we’re finally ready to begin sharing some of what we made. Here’s ‘SPAWN OF HELL’ over on her Bandcamp page:
And here’s the video she put together:
I also made her first release with her, have played shows together and she’s writing new songs all the time. More to follow for sure. Go listen.
Stephen
ps - new album from me coming in two weeks, news in a few days.
A Carrion Call (free download)
‘A Carrion Call’ was written last week, recorded the same evening and currently available to download for free from my Bandcamp page here.
Stay well everyone,
Stephen
Bandcamp Subscription #2 now available
The second in the series of Bandcamp Subscription releases is now available at my Bandcamp page here.
A big, dark audience recording of my set in the big, dark UT Connewitz cinema in Leipzig last November at the Woodland Recordings night with Stefanie from Vivian Void joining me on a couple of songs. I like playing in this room a lot and I think this recording goes some way to getting that across.
If you are subscribed you can download this right now but please be aware that the physical editions will take a little while longer this month. The sleeves and the discs are all at home and I’ve still not made it home, sure you understand.
Stay well please and thanks for sticking with me,
Stephen
'When I Was Away" in the woods, yesterday
Drove out of the city for a few hours yesterday and recorded some music amongst the trees and the birds and all that good stuff. Played some new songs and also one or two others that felt appropriate - perhaps more to follow.
We have to make our own fun, as ever. Hope you’re all safe and well.
Stephen
Bandcamp today
I just decided to make the complete concert in Zürich last Friday available on my Bandcamp site here. For today only they are waiving their usual 10 / 15% payment fee so it’s a brilliant time to pick up some stuff and help musicians who would rather be out playing concerts.
This was a lovely little night and very relaxed - I played a couple of covers and a new song, drank some wine and listened to Flo Bauer play some beautiful blues guitar. A couple of days later I mixed this on a train coming back from Switzerland with some bluetooth headphones so perhaps it could sound better - a sound upgrade could be nice perhaps, let’s see.
Anyway, If you subscribe it’s in your collection to download already, otherwise here’s the link again and please share this stuff if you’re into it.
Be well and thanks everyone,
Stephen
Jazzkeller, Zürich last Friday
Here’s a couple of impressions from a night in Zürich last Friday. As with most of my concerts down there the original date was cancelled due to the Coronavirus so Marcel invited me to play a set before Flo Bauer. The audience was small but super enthusiastic, I ate like a king and Flo and his buddies played a tight set of imaginative blues. Was an easy fine night.
Here’s a cover of the blind Willie McTell song ‘Delia’ and a stomp through ‘I Do Wrong’ with Marcel spontaneously joining me on the drums. Thanks to him for the invitation, fine food and nice company - I hope to be back and see a few more of you there too.
Flo Bauer
Tomorrow, Friday, Bandcamp are waiving their 10 / 15% fee on all sales in an effort to highlight the losses a lot of musicians are having because of cancelled shows, cancelled travel and all this. If you were thinking of picking up some music from me or any other musician that uses Bandcamp to sell (and not only stream) music then tomorrow would be a fine time to do that. My page is here but you might also visit the Woodland Recordings page with other brilliant people here.
I’m also uploading a completely new song I played at this concert to my Bandcamp subscription here, so there’s that too.
Anyhow, stay well all.
Stephen
‘Now Wash Your Hands’ now free
My 2011 album is now free to download because of you know what. Here.
I’m still in Switzerland after a week of cancelled shows and with more ahead seemingly not taking place.
Stay safe everyone and let’s see us soon.
Stephen
UPDATE TO THE UPDATE: Switzerland this week
UPDATE #2
Winterthur tonight has now been cancelled, as well as the house show in Basel tomorrow.
Hope everyone stays well and perhaps I get to play concerts next month in the north of Germany, Denmark and Sweden as planned. Let’s see.
UPDATE:
My week is now full, with concerts this week in Zürich, Bolligen, Winterthur and Basel. Updated concert dates on the site here. I’m playing a house show tonight in Zürich and if anyone would like to join please email me and I’ll give you the details.
Thanks all
Stephen
Original post follows….
Due to the Coronavirus situation I have had a couple of cancellations this week - my concerts in Männedorf tomorrow and also at Mundwerk in Thun this Friday are both sadly postponed until further notice. I’m still travelling south this afternoon and will play the shows I have, but I am looking for something this Friday the 13th. If anyone can host a simple last minute concert please get in touch. House show anyone?
So it goes like this:
12/03/20 House Concert, Bolligen, CH
13/03/20 free - anyone?
14/03/20 Gaswerk, Winterthur, CH - with Prader & Knecht.
15/03/20 House Concert, Basel, CH - 17:00 start - with Joelle
Feel free to drop me a message if you’d like to join any of these. I’m looking forward as ever and I hope to come back for more shows when we’re all feeling better and braver.
Stay well,
Stephen
Bremen and Hamburg this weekend
Hi all
I have two concerts this weekend in the north of Germany - Bremen this Friday the 6th and Saturday in Hamburg on the 7th of March. Both are house concerts and if you’d like to join please simply drop me an email at thegreatpark@icloud.com. For the Hamburg concert in particular, space is limited and it would be sad if anyone wanted to join but wrote to me the evening of the show when it’s likely too late. So please get in touch before the weekend.
I’m back south next week for concerts in Switzerland - all dates as ever here and again please get in touch if you’d like information about any of those.
In Thun next week at the lovely Mundwerk I’ll be joined by my friend Geneva whose album I recorded and who’ll be playing her first concert in Switzerland. Come on.
Massive thanks to everyone who already signed up to my Bandcamp subscription deal. The first physical copies were sent to you all yesterday and I’m making more today. More to come later, it goes on.
Have a nice week,
Stephen
Bandcamp subscription now available
The subscription option over at my Bandcamp page is now live and the first release ‘Hole Of Fame Recording’ is available in both digital and physical editions.
Every few weeks and certainly once a month there will be new recordings for anyone subscribed. You can join to receive digital releases and there is also an option for a physical edition of everything that I will post out to you each month. Subscription also means you’ll receive every new album that I make in the future, six from my back catalogue and a 20% discount on all physical releases. I also like sending postcards so there’s that too.
It’s not for everyone, I appreciate that, but I like the idea of making particular things for the people that want them so here we are. As ever, I’m happy to hear your thoughts and welcome any suggestions or ideas about this - drop me an email or write in the comments and I’ll get back to you right away.
Have a lovely weekend
Stephen
'Winter' from last night
Video filmed by Mina Reischer last night of the The Diamond Family Archive song ‘Winter’ in the beautiful Bernsteinzimmer room in Nürnberg.
Thanks to all who made it along and to Stefan Gnad for the newspaper article yesterday morning.
Have a lovely weekend,
Stephen
Free 'Autumn 2019' compilation now available
The third in the series of exclusive releases for subscribers to my newsletter is now available here. Recorded over a couple of months at concerts at the end of last year this is a mixed collection of songs in very different rooms. Goes like this:
song for fee
06.11.19 prinz willy, kiel, germany.
if you build it they will come
27.10.19 el lokal, zürich, switzerland - with sophia basler.
it don’t stop the bleeding
30.11.19 ut connewitz, leipzig, germany.
suit of stones
28.10.19 house concert, luzern, switzerland.
pure black coal
07.12.19 jaz, rostock, germany.
song for a coalman
28.10.19 house concert, luzern, switzerland.
winter
06.11.19 prinz willy, kiel, germany. song by the diamond family archive.
understudy
27.10.19 el lokal, zürich, switzerland.
lover o lover
24.10.19 house concert, heidelberg, germany.
what you fear to be the end comes around
02.11.19 house concert, basel, switzerland.
bad roads ahead
07.12.19 jaz, rostock, germany.
you are more needed here
08.11.19 ruhrwerkstatt, oberhausen, germany.
super good advice / stretch acrobatic
21.09.19 desi, nürnberg, germany - with stefanie vivian void. stretch acrobatic is by vivian void.
we could have, we should have, we didn’t
21.12.19 café mainheim, nürnberg, germany - with stefanie vivian void.
so long song
06.11.19 prinz willy, kiel, germany.
And for a taste, here’s the messy surprise VIVIAN VOID mashup at their 10th anniversary back in September:
‘Autumn 2019’ is completely free to download - I put a password in my newsletter and if you’ve signed up but somehow missed it then drop me a line.
As I wrote earlier this week, things will change around here soon but I’ll keep writing the newsletter and making things especially for those people that have signed up for it. Anything to keep me from feeling pressurised to update my Facebook page. My word.
Be well and thanks.
Stephen
Bandcamp subscriptions coming soon.
Hi all
Recently I’ve been looking at ways of managing all the releases I’m making, thinking of a home for them and the best way to share them with people. I’ve realised that, in some ways, the amount of albums, EPs, live releases and various recordings that I’ve released (and want to release) is a bit overwhelming for some people. Some albums have been given away as free downloads, other things come out in small physical editions and some are digital only things that I want to share but can’t decide how to ‘package’ or put out as a physical CD.
For the last ten years I’ve been putting most of the things I make out through Bandcamp and, whilst there are some niggles and little issues with their service, I do feel like it’s allowed me to make and share much more music that I would have done if it were not there. For a lot of people that listen to my music Bandcamp seems to be where the catalogue is and the place where most of you choose to buy my stuff. It’s not perfect but it’s been very good as an outlet for all the songs.
See the problem here?
Anyhow, a few years ago they made it possible for musicians to have a subscription program there and in much the same way as Patreon and other sites do provide some place for regular work to be made. I think it’s about time I start my own subscription service as a place for regular but special releases. I thought I’d give a heads-up to you and to ask if anyone has any thoughts of suggestions about how this could work best for us.
The main questions I have are:
Firstly, is this something anyone here would be at all interested in?
If I were to release stuff to subscribers on a monthly basis, what would you be comfortable paying? €5 a month? €10?
Would you prefer a yearly fee? One off €50 for everything that year?
As a subscriber you would automatically receive every major release I make plus at least once a month a subscription only thing. Could be a live album, EP, collection of alternative versions, covers, etc. I record almost every concert I play and make things in any room that sounds good so there is a lot to choose from.
I’d also include a bunch of things from my back catalogue for signing up. Perhaps 10 full albums or something like that.
I’d also like to release a few very special, limited edition physical releases from time to time. Ten copies of a single where each copy was a different, unique take of the song for example. I also like sending postcards.
I see no problem at all with making regular monthly releases and in fact am really looking forward to having a small pocket of people that I am making work specifically for. I don’t expect this to affect at all the full albums but would instead be a smaller channel that’ll hopefully feel worthwhile, fair and kind of exciting.
Anyone have any thoughts on this? Sound like a terrible idea? Do let me know here or via email. I haven’t fixed anything yet and welcome any feedback.
Thanks a lot, sorry for the wall of text.
Stephen
TLDR: Subscription service coming, thoughts?
Nürnberg, Dresden and Leipzig this week.
I have three concerts this week, starting tomorrow evening in Nürnberg at the Gostner Hoftheater with Johnny Campbell, heading back to the wonderful Hole Of Fame in Dresden and finally in Leipzig at the most beautiful little bar in town, Dankbar. Here’s a NSFW link for the last one.
I’m looking forward to these concerts very much, happy to head out east and hopefully see some familiar faces out there. In ten days I also have a solo show in Nürnberg at the Bernsteinzimmer gallery, for which I am pretty excited about. More on that later.
Good afternoon all
S
Dankbar, Leipzig.