Cole Stacey’s songs are rooted in storytelling, he’s a visceral and lyrical songwriter, singer and musician and his versatility as a performer has taken him from The Royal Albert Hall to live sessions on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“A magnificent sound” – BBC Radio 5 Live
With more than a decade-long association with Midge Ure and India Electric Company he has roamed the highest echelons of British folk through to 80s synth pop. He’s known for choosing very unique venues for his performances, from a 14th century castle in Gdansk to Manchester Central Library, and we even here to Leicester’s Guildhall. We caught up with him before his tour date at Guildhall on Sunday 27 September.
How would you describe your music for anyone who isn’t familiar with you?
Songs and words that try to connect, be it with 300 year old forgotten folk tunes, melodies written and recorded in ancient moorland buildings, with instruments like octave mandolins but always with the aim of something connecting with listeners and observers. Influences stretch from Jake Xerxes Fussell to Talk Talk, Laura Marling to Philip Glass.
If we were listening to you on Spotify, what is the first song we should go to?
Oooo, maybe try ‘Quiet Is Louder’ first and if you’re thinking of coming to a show try the live version, recorded in a thousand year old former Priory in Devon, it gives the truest flavour of song and place.
Which 3 artists would be in your “for fans of” section?
I’m tempted to throw a curve ball and say Metallica, but I’ll be sensible and say Leonard Cohen, Jake Xerxes Fussell and Edgelarks.
How would you describe a Cole Stacey live performance in terms of atmosphere and energy?
The shows try to be all set in beautiful, unusual and remarkable places, each one different from the last so the show is more about curating and evening and letting people connect with the place they are in not just the song. The shows are raw and heartfelt, with a voice and a couple of instruments, letting the songs speak, it’s just me, the people and the place. There’s so much joy for me in getting to come to the Guildhall in Leicester and share this extraordinary place.
Many of your songs are rooted in storytelling, how do you find the process for writing new music?
Incredibly cathartic, when I’m out on tour I try to take notebooks, voice recordings and observations so that when there is some stillness at home I can hopefully lean on those to write. If I could spend my days just writing , I would enjoy practicing writing and throwing away ideas more as the ones that make a record, they are so valuable in that moment to learn from. It’s not lost on me that I am incredibly fortunate to do this, to tell and share stories, even if these days I do need a couple of coffee’s to get writing going.
Who is the best performer you’ve ever shared a stage with?
Performer is an interesting word because it differs from just out right technical ability, I’ve been so lucky to have spent more than a decade in Midge Ure’s band, so I’d have to say him purely because I’ve learnt so much (and continue to do) from how to perform, be it to 40 people or 40 thousand.
How can people find out more about you?
I love mooching around in record shops so if people are looking for some new vinyl or CD in their local record shop then they can hopefully find Postcards From Lost Places there or ask for it. I’m found loitering on www.colestacey.net and instagram and Facebook as @thiscolestacey. Come and say hello, you’ll find lost of pictures of me playing in extraordinary places.
Also, as our music guide is sponsored by PPL PRS, our final question goes to them…
Are you aware that Leicester is the home of TheMusicLicence, which businesses need to buy to be able to play music such as yours for their customers and staff? The money collected by the team here in Leicester goes back to PPL and PRS to be paid out as royalties to artists and songwriters –how important are those royalties to you as a performing and touring artist? you continue to create music and tour? How have they helped
Royalties and the job that PPL and PRS do is invaluable to any songwriting and performer and navigating the complexities can be tricky when you’re starting out, I love that you can pick up the phone to PPL and speak to someone for example. There’s a lot of wonderful people working very hard to try and make sure the distribution of royalties is done fairly and accurately and I’m tremendously grateful for that.
Cole Stacey will play at Guildhall Leicester on Sunday 27 September. Tickets are on sale HERE.
