Stornoway

by Jessikah Hope Stenson

This is an emotional one folks. Alternative indie-folk four-piece Stornoway are embarking on their farewell tour this February.

Formed of four lads from Oxford and named after a Scottish town, the lads have performed on Later… With Jools Holland, Glastonbury 2010, seen their work critically acclaimed and toured around the UK and beyond.

Back in 2010 Stornoway released my personal favourite LP Beachcomber’s Windowsill which flaunted songs like We Are The Battery Human (a comment on growing technology), Fuel Up and The End Of The Movie, not to mention the most popular tracks Here Comes The Blackout and Zorbing. Bursting with witty energy and high-tempo charisma, the band’s debut may well have been their most successful.

They followed it up with Tales From Terra Firma in 2013 and Bonxie in 2015, crafting delicate and beautifully written tracks like The Ones We Hurt The Most and The Road You Didn’t Take. Throughout their career, Stornoway have maintained their balance of feel-good folk with gorgeous melancholy, much to their listeners’ delight.

It’s your last chance to catch this band and their best hits live and it’s as local as the Exeter Phoenix so don’t miss out.