Manchester's INCA BABIES share a multi-storied ninth album 'Ghost Mechanic Nine' & rock doc

December 17, 2024

Manchester post-punk trio Inca Babies have released the album 'Ghost Mechanic Nine' via Black Lagoon Records, their first record in three years (after ‘Swamp Street Soul’), continuing their explosive exploration of goth, punk and death-rock jazz-blues, while paying tribute to the strong riffing and cool, dead-pan delivery of the dark wave scene at the time.

They also share a fun documentary on the journey from their formation in 1983 in the now-legendary deck-access flats of Hulme in Manchester to where they are today - on their ninth studio record. Designed as executive ‘cities in the sky’, these homes quickly became cockroach-infested slums inhabited by students, artists and druggies. Dubbed them "the Hulme Cramps" for their Gothabilly twang by writer CP Lee, their 1984 debut single 'Interior' presented an unusual sound for Manchester - a departure from Joy Division, Buzzcocks, The Fall and The Smiths, but with a nod to their influences,

Incas frontman Harry Stafford (guitar, keys, vocals) revisits the raw guitar sounds of the band's 80s output, joined by Rob Haynes (drums, percussion), Jim Adama (bass) and Kevin G. Davy (trumpet).

A vibrant part of Britain's early postpunk / goth /death rock scene, they amassed a steady following through touring and releasing a further six singles and four albums in the next five years, all entering the UK Indie Charts. They also recorded four sessions for BBC's legendary John Peel show between 1984 and 1988 before calling it quits that year. The band reformed in 2007 and hasn't looked back since.

Driving for the sake of it driving to escape. Headlights in the dark: red and blue dash lights; wondering why anyone but you is driving this late. The ghost on the highway, the grease-ball mechanic who says you’ll keep going for miles and miles. It’s number 9, the ninth Inca’s album the first of nine songs on the album. The rush of energy from the first track sets the tone for the rest of the album.

The Incas most recently shared the single ‘Ghost Mechanic 9’, a driving guitar blast, whose powerful sound recalls the Incas' early music. With its singular hypnotic bass rhythm, it could have fit neatly on their 1986 album ‘Opium Den’. Earlier, they released 'Spacewalk', a timeless Rockabilly groove inspired by Link Wray, Alan Vega and Brian Setzer (set to a Sci-Fi space opera), together with its B-side 'Monster In The Deep'.

With Simon ‘Ding’ Archer (The Fall, PJ Harvey) at the controls, this album's production offers an analogue, yet contemporary, zing to the production. Recorded at 6Db Studios in Salford, Archer and Stafford recorded and mixed this album over two years, with 'Ding' also contributing sonic and dub flourishes. Marco Butcher mastered this record at his Boombox studio in North Carolina.

These darkly invigorating tunes visits a similar place as where Inca Babies got their start with raw and spiky psychobilly trash rock, reconnecting with their roots, where The Gun Club and The Cramps met - the very intersection where Inca Babies found their most passionate and loyal following. ‘Insect Symphony’ is a Stooges lead-riff tribute to all those bands that are no longer with us. The inclusion of a longer and remixed version of the fan favourite ‘Opium Den’, now called ‘Opium Dub’, is a masterful example of Archer's sonic dexterity at the dub controls.

Since reforming in 2007, they've released three albums and toured extensively around Europe, Russia, North America, India and beyond. Renewed interest in the Incas was propelled by Cherry Red Records 'Best of’ compilation release ‘Inca Babies 1983-87: Plutonium’. After Bill Marten's death in 2008, the band decided to continue creating music, subsequently releasing their Death Blues Album Trilogy - 'Death Message Blues' (2010), 'Deep Dark Blue' (2012) and 'The Stereo Plan' (2014).

'Ghost Mechanic Nine' is available everywhere, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. Also released on vinyl and digitally, it can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp and the Louder Than War shop.

CREDITS
Written by Harry Stafford & Rob Haynes
Harry Stafford – vocals, guitars & keyboards
Rob Haynes - drums & percussion
Jim Adama – bass guitar
Kevin G Davy - trumpet, horns
Simon 'Ding' Archer - sonic and dub flourishes
Released by Black Lagoon Records
Catalogue no. BLRLP0060
Recorded, mixed & produced by Simon ‘Ding’ Archer & Harry Stafford
Recorded at 6Db in Salford under Simon ‘Ding’ Archer
Mastered by Marco Butcher at Boombox Studio (North Carolina, USA)
Artwork created by Harry Stafford
Live photos by Simona Masoni
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

Manchester post-punk / death-rock stalwarts Inca Babies unleash 'Ghost Mechanic 9' single

October 30, 2024

Manchester post-punk death-rock rockers Inca Babies present ‘Ghost Mechanic 9’,the title track and second single from their ninth studio album 'Ghost Mechanic Nine'. A driving blast of a guitar song, this song is a powerful indication of the flavour of the album as a whole, the sound owing more to the Incas' early music as Harry Stafford revisits the raw guitar sounds of their 80s output. Earlier, they released the lead track 'Spacewalk', a timeless Rockabilly groove inspired by Link Wray, Alan Vega and Brian Setzer (but set in a Sci-Fi space opera), together with the B-side 'Monster In The Deep'.

Today, Inca Babies is made up of Harry Stafford (guitar, keys, vocals), Rob Haynes(drums, percussion), Jim Adama (bass) and Kevin G. Davy (trumpet). This will be their first release in three years, following their 2021 album ‘Swamp Street Soul’. Continuing their explosive exploration of goth, punk and death-rock jazz-blues, this album explores the essence of the 80s death-rock vibe, with a tribute to the strong riffing and cool, dead-pan delivery of the dark wave scene at the time.

With its singular hypnotic bass rhythm, 'Ghost Mechanic 9' could have fit neatly on their 1986 album ‘Opium Den’ . But those days of analogue imprecision are behind us and, with Simon ‘Ding’ Archer (The Fall, PJ Harvey) at the controls, there is still a contemporary zing to the production and a snap to the overall sound. Recorded at 6Db Studios in Salford, Archer and Stafford recorded and mixed this album over two years, with with 'Ding' also contributing serious sonic and dub flourishes. Marco Butcher subsequently mastered this record at his Boombox studio in North Carolina.

This collection of darkly invigorating tunes,album visits a similar place to where Inca Babies started in the 80s with their psychobilly trash rock, reconnecting with their roots, where The Gun Club and The Cramps met, the intersection where Inca Babies found their most passionate and loyal following. This song is a calling card for the album, taking listeners back to a sound that is raw, spiky and reminiscent of their early days in the 80s.

“This is a surging highway groove that drives us on into the night with a rumbling bass line. Driving for the sake of it; driving to escape. Headlights in the dark: red and blue dash lights; wondering why anyone but you is driving this late. The ghost on the highway, the grease-ball mechanic who says you’ll keep going for miles and miles. And all the numbers are the same. It’s number 9, the ninth album for Inca Babies and he first of nine songs on the album," says Harry Stafford.

Originally comprised of Harry Stafford, Bill Marten, Mike Keeble and Pete Bogg, Inca Babies began in 1983 in the now-legendary deck-access flats of Hulme in Manchester. Intended as executive ‘cities in the sky’, they quickly became cockroach-infested slums inhabited by students, artists and druggies. They released their 1984 debut single 'Interior' on their Black Lagoon label with an unusual sound for Manchester, which was then associated with Joy Division, Buzzcocks, The Fall and The Smiths. With a nod to their influences, Writer CP Lee dubbed them "the Hulme Cramps" for their Gothabilly twang.

A vibrant part of Britain's early postpunk / goth /death rock scene, they amassed a steady following through touring and by releasing a further six singles and four albums over the next five years, all of which entered the UK Indie Charts. They also recorded four sessions for BBC's legendary John Peel show between 1984 and 1988 before calling it quits that year.

Since reforming in 2007, they've released three albums and toured extensively around Europe, Russia, North America, India and beyond. Renewed interest in the Incas was propelled by Cherry Red Records 'Best of’ compilation release ‘Inca Babies 1983-87: Plutonium’. After Bill Marten's death in 2008, the band decided to continue creating music, subsequently releasing their Death Blues Album Trilogy - 'Death Message Blues' (2010), 'Deep Dark Blue' (2012) and 'The Stereo Plan' (2014).

'Ghost Mechanic 9' is available everywhere as of October 30, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. On November 29, the ‘Ghost Mechanic Nine’ album will be released on vinyl and digitally, and can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp and the Louder Than War shop.

CREDITS
Written by Harry Stafford & Rob Haynes
Harry Stafford – vocals, guitars & keyboards
Rob Haynes - drums & percussion
Jim Adama – bass guitar
Kevin G Davy - trumpet, horns
Simon 'Ding' Archer - sonic and dub flourishes
Released by Black Lagoon Records
Catalogue no. BLRLP0060
Recorded, mixed & produced by Simon ‘Ding’ Archer & Harry Stafford
Recorded at 6Db in Salford under Simon ‘Ding’ Archer
Mastered by Marco Butcher at Boombox Studio (North Carolina, USA)
Artwork created by Harry Stafford
Live photos by Simona Masoni
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

Manchester legacy act INCA BABIES releases 'Spacewalk', previewing 'Ghost Mechanic Nine' LP

October 3, 2024

"Combine Brian Setzer's twang, the silver lining amidst Bauhaus' dark expanse and the post-punk fever fired up by Gang of Four, you'd end up with the sonic output of long-time deathrock supremos Inca Babies... a captivating blend of angularity and intensity with a driving rhythm" ~ The Spill Magazine

"From their emergence in 1982, they've sculpted a perpetual warped seduction... Their almost serpentine invention and dark musical incitements have continued to inspire and invigorate... truly one of the leading lights and template setting protagonists of British rock ‘n’ roll" ~ Ringmaster Review

"Thirty years down the line the Inca Babies' recordings are not just a collection of outstanding songs from independent music's golden age, but for those of us who were there, they remain pretty much a life statement; a declaration of intent" ~ Isolation Records

Manchester post-punk death-rock rockers Inca Babies are back with a new collection of darkly invigorating tunes on their ninth studio album 'Ghost Mechanic Nine'. Ahead of this, they present the lead track 'Spacewalk', a timeless Rockabilly groove that was inspired by Link Wray, Alan Vega and Brian Setzer, but set in a 50s going on 2020s Sci-Fi space opera. The single also comes with B-side 'Monster In The Deep'.

This album visits a similar place to where Inca Babies started in the 80s with their psychobilly trash rock. 'Spacewalk' sees the band reconnect with their roots, where The Gun Club and The Cramps met - it is in this intersection where Inca Babies found their most passionate and loyal following. This song is a calling card for the album, taking listeners back to a sound that is raw, spiky and reminiscent of their early days in the 80s.

Today, the band is made up of Harry Stafford (guitar, keys, vocals), Rob Haynes(drums, percussion), Jim Adama (bass) and Kevin G. Davy (trumpet). This will be their first release in three years, following their 2021 album ‘Swamp Street Soul’. Continuing their explosive exploration of goth, punk and death-rock jazz-blues, Inca Babies deliver an album that explores the essence of the 80s death-rock vibe, with a tribute to the strong riffing and cool, dead-pan delivery of the dark wave scene at the time.

“This is a rockabilly Sci-fi song about the wonders of the Space age. From Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 to the mega cities of Blade Runner and the fact that when I was a kid, in the far-off future, 2024 was supposed to be a silver suited, hover car space age with pills instead of Pizza," says Harry Stafford.

"We were to have a completely automated world on the moon. Thank God this fulsome nonsense never happened so it’s time to reintroduce Rockabilly to the world’s consciousness instead.”

Recorded at 6Db Studios in Salford under Simon ‘Ding’ Archer (The Fall, PJ Harvey), this album was recorded and mixed by ‘Ding’ and Stafford over two years, with with 'Ding' also contributing serious sonic and dub flourishes. Marco Butcher mastered this record at his Boombox studio in North Carolina.

Originally comprised of Harry Stafford, Bill Marten, Mike Keeble and Pete Bogg, Inca Babies began in 1983 in the now-legendary deck-access flats of Hulme in Manchester. Intended as executive ‘cities in the sky’, they quickly became cockroach-infested slums inhabited by students, artists and druggies. They released their 1984 debut single 'Interior' on their Black Lagoon label with an unusual sound for Manchester, which was then associated with Joy Division, Buzzcocks, The Fall and The Smiths. With a nod to their influences, Writer CP Lee dubbed them "the Hulme Cramps" for their Gothabilly twang.

A vibrant part of Britain's early postpunk / goth /death rock scene, they amassed a steady following through touring and by releasing a further six singles and four albums over the next five years, all of which entered the UK Indie Charts. They also recorded four sessions for BBC's legendary John Peel show between 1984 and 1988 before calling it quits that year.

Since reforming in 2007, they've released three albums and toured extensively around Europe, Russia, North America, India and beyond. Renewed interest in the Incas was propelled by Cherry Red Records 'Best of’ compilation release ‘Inca Babies 1983-87: Plutonium’. After Bill Marten's death in 2008, the band decided to continue creating music, subsequently releasing their Death Blues Album Trilogy - 'Death Message Blues' (2010), 'Deep Dark Blue' (2012) and 'The Stereo Plan' (2014).

As of October 3, 'Spacewalk' will be available everywhere, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. On November 29, the ‘Ghost Mechanic Nine’ album will be released on vinyl and digitally, and can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp and the Louder Than War shop.

CREDITS
Written by Harry Stafford & Rob Haynes
Harry Stafford – vocals, guitars & keyboards
Rob Haynes - drums & percussion
Jim Adama – bass guitar
Kevin G Davy - trumpet, horns
Simon 'Ding' Archer - sonic and dub flourishes
Released by Black Lagoon Records
Catalogue no. BLRLP0060
Recorded, mixed & produced by Simon ‘Ding’ Archer & Harry Stafford
Recorded at 6Db in Salford under Simon ‘Ding’ Archer
Mastered by Marco Butcher at Boombox Studio (North Carolina, USA)
Artwork created by Harry Stafford
Live photos by Simona Masoni
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

Manchester's Harry Stafford (Inca Babies) & North Carolina's Marco Butcher present 'We Are The Perilous Men' LP

September 10, 2023

"Unapologetically weaving their way through varied genres, Stafford and Butcher’s bluesy story-based music is raw around the edges, while sucking you willingly inside – a sonic diamond in the rough, so to speak" ~ The Spill Magazine

"The symmetry between the two artists is remarkable... refreshing, meshing the grit of blues with an urban thematic. This is dirty but agreeable... Goes down smooth like a good shot of bourbon" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

"Raucous and unapologetically gritty... a sonic experience that is both nostalgic and fresh... exudes a captivating rawness from the very beginning" ~ Skylight Magazine

Manchester underground music icon Harry Stafford, perhaps best known as the frontman and founder of groundbreaking post-punk band Inca Babies, and US-based trash blues guitarist Marco Butcher present their new album 'We Are The Perilous Men', released via Black Lagoon Records.

Following the resounding triumph of their 'Bone Architecture' album in 2021, the duo present the second chapter of this exploration, upholding their lockdown-inspired tradition of sending ideas back and forth between North Carolina and Manchester. Creating this album unconsciously - perhaps even telepathically - their musical connection has ignited this album with an infectious energy and spirit.

"When we decided to release the album back in January, we had to decide on ten tracks (now eleven) out of a possible twenty. We agonised long and hard, but it was actually quite a satisfying endeavour because we were unaware just how many great tracks we had and that, if we kept this up, there must surely be another album in a couple of years, but that we’ll probably have to choose ten out of a possible forty tracks by then," says Harry Stafford.

"This was also a moment we both realised that we had had such a great time working together on these tracks, which had now effortlessly merged into the great album, so we spent at least an hour feeling very pleased with ourselves."

In the lead-up to the album, the duo released the diabolical and swampy post-punk single 'The Rules of the House' and the lead track 'Walk Among The Spectres', which explores our own fragile mortality, with a video filmed in the expansive Southern Cemetery in Didsbury South Manchester, dating back to 1700 and used throughout the Victorian era. Now a public park, people are invited to wander among the tombstones... to literally Walk among the Spectres.

'We Are The Perilous Men' LP / Bandcamp https://harrystafford.bandcamp.com/album/we-are-the-perilous-men

Based in North Carolina, Brazil-raised trash blues guitarist Marco Butcher (Jam Messengers, Jesus and the Groupies) provides a solid backbeat, jumping with a frenetic rhythm. This foundation ranges from a mess of blues to a stumbling electro beat with Dwayne Eddie funeral guitar. His forays into dance and Hiphop see him mess with the rhythmic DNA, often inspiring the creation of a new dance shuffle at will.

"I really like the fact the that we left behind all those rock music school rules and jumped into this new world of freedom and ideas, which could take us anywhere as long as we both are having a good time with it. So I guess I would say that the experimental part of it is my fave,” says Marco Butcher.

"I try to not overthink music as much as possible. For me, being able to play it and having fun with it is the paycheck already!"

As of September 8, 'We Are The Perilous Men' is available from fine music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. This album will be available on black vinyl, as well as digitally.

CREDITS
Harry Stafford - vocals, piano, organ, wah wah guitar, jazz flute, synth
Marco Butcher - drums, percussion, guitars, sequencers, bass, keyboards
Tex Napalm - Drones and loops
Produced and Mastered by Marco Butcher at Boombox Studio
Catalogue no. BLRLP0057
Video for 'Rules of the House' directed by Harry Stafford Cinematography by Marco Butcher and Jonny Stafford
Video for 'Walk Among The Spectres' directed by Harry Stafford
Cinematography by J.P. Conway
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

Manchester's Harry Stafford (Inca Babies) & North Carolina's Marco Butcher lay down the 'Rules of the House' ahead of new album

August 24, 2023

"Unapologetically weaving their way through varied genres, Stafford and Butcher’s bluesy story-based music is raw around the edges, while sucking you willingly inside – a sonic diamond in the rough, so to speak" ~ The Spill Magazine

"The symmetry between the two artists is remarkable... refreshing, meshing the grit of blues with an urban thematic. This is dirty but agreeable... Goes down smooth like a good shot of bourbon" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

Manchester underground music icon Harry Stafford (Inca Babies) and US-based trash blues guitarist Marco Butcher present 'The Rules of the House', the second taster of their forthcoming album 'We Are The Perilous Men', out in September via Black Lagoon Records.

Directed by Harry Stafford with camera work by Marco Butcher and Jonny Stafford, the accompanying video was filmed in Wales and North Carolina in 2023.

On this track, Marco shows what a total stone rocker he is, with foot to the floor guitars and drums. Harry adds the story, which was inspired by a terse publican’s list of rules on the specials blackboard. Harry Stafford says, "I don’t remember them all, but 'get a round in' was definitely one of them".

Marco Butcher adds, "Rules of the House is a diabolical and swampy kind of song, mixing some sort of very solid groove with over-the-edge 'No Wave' type of guitars, cutting and dancing with the rhythm".

This single follows the release of the lead track 'Walk Among The Spectres', which explores our own fragile mortality, the video for which was filmed in the expansive Southern Cemetery in Didsbury South Manchester, which dates back to 1700 and was used throughout the Victorian era. Now a public park, people are invited to wander among the tombstones... to literally Walk among the Spectres.

Following the resounding triumph of their 'Bone Architecture' album in 2021, the duo present the second chapter of this exploration, upholding their lockdown-inspired tradition of sending ideas back and forth between North Carolina and Manchester. Creating this album unconsciously - perhaps even telepathically - their musical connection has ignited this album with an infectious energy and spirit.

Inca Babies' Harry Stafford and trash blues guitarist Marco Butcher take us on a 'Walk Among The Spectres', previewing new album

August 7, 2023

"Unapologetically weaving their way through varied genres, Stafford and Butcher’s bluesy story-based music is raw around the edges, while sucking you willingly inside – a sonic diamond in the rough, so to speak" ~ The Spill Magazine

"The symmetry between the two artists is remarkable... refreshing, meshing the grit of blues with an urban thematic. This is dirty but agreeable... Goes down smooth like a good shot of bourbon" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

Manchester underground music icon Harry Stafford (Inca Babies) and US-based trash blues guitarist Marco Butcher present 'Walk Among The Spectres', the loaded first shot from their forthcoming album 'We Are The Perilous Men', coming this autumn via Black Lagoon Records.

'Walk Among the Spectres' is a cool piece of walking blues, with percussive Hammond organ and Marco Butcher’s laconic backbeat. The song is about an old friend who is fondly remembered and, in the video, our hero travels across town to put an electric piano-keyboard on his grave, discovering his own fragile mortality along the way.

Directed by Harry Stafford with cinematography by J.P. Conway, this video was filmed in the expansive Southern Cemetery in Didsbury South Manchester, which dates back to 1700 and was used throughout the Victorian era. Now a public park, people are invited to wander among the tombstones... to literally Walk among the Spectres.

Following the resounding triumph of their 'Bone Architecture' album in 2021, the duo present the second chapter of this exploration, upholding their lockdown-inspired tradition of sending ideas back and forth between North Carolina and Manchester. Creating this album unconsciously - perhaps even telepathically - their musical connection has ignited this album with an infectious energy and spirit.

Based in North Carolina, Brazil-raised trash blues guitarist Marco Butcher (Jam Messengers, Jesus and the Groupies) provides a solid backbeat, jumping with a frenetic rhythm. This foundation ranges from a mess of blues to a stumbling electro beat with Dwayne Eddie funeral guitar. His forages into dance and Hip hop see him mess with the rhythmic DNA, often inspiring the creation of a new dance shuffle at will.

“I have discovered that I spend a lot of my time knowing what I don’t want to sound like. My musical education began with punk and then, when I came to University in Manchester in the early 80s, I found myself submerged into the strange beat infused darkness of the Big city post punk music scene (Joy Division, ACR, The Fall) and I had to form the Inca Babies to make sense of it all," says Harry Stafford.

"Now 40 years later, while I have never forgotten that seismic guidance, my interests, and influence stretch so far, I need someone like Marco to constantly surprise me.”

On August 2, 'Walk Among The Spectres' will be available from fine music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. The full album 'We Are The Perilous Men' will be released on September 8 and will be available on black vinyl, as well as digitally.

CREDITS
Harry Stafford - vocals, piano, organ, wah wah guitar, jazz flute, synth
Marco Butcher - drums, percussion, guitars, sequencers, bass, keyboards
Tex Napalm - Drones and loops
Produced and Mastered by Marco Butcher at Boombox Studio
Catalogue no. BLRLP0057
Video directed by Harry Stafford
Cinematography by J.P. Conway

Keep up with Harry Stafford
Facebook | Bandcamp | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud | YouTube | Vimeo | Spotify | Apple Music | Booking contact | Press contact

Keep up with Marco Butcher
Facebook | Bandcamp | Twitter | Spotify | Apple Music | Press contact

Keep up with Shameless Promotion PR
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud | LinkedIn | Email

Manchester's Inca Babies releases 'Swamp Street Soul', first LP in 7 years. Watch the new video for 'Crawling Garage Gasoline'

November 22, 2021

"Their almost serpentine invention and dark musical incitements have continued to inspire and invigorate... one of the leading lights and template setting protagonists of British rock ‘n’ roll" ~ Ringmaster Review

"Coming in like a hurricane and tastefully blending rock, grunge, punk and blues, the Incas serve up unhinged sophistication and moody textures. Packing a big punch, their high octane sound is loaded with adrenaline and spunk" ~ The Spill Magazine

"Thirty years down the line the Inca Babies' recordings are not just a collection of outstanding songs from independent music's golden age... they remain pretty much a life statement; a declaration of intent" ~ Isolation Records

"Beautifully wrought... grows on you each time you listen to it. The production integrity is particularly notable and the twangy baseline sits in your brain well after listening" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

"All the drive and spunk of an adrenaline-filled 30-something viper rocker" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

"A distinctive presence around Manchester and beyond in the 80s... the new songs are leaner, more direct, Stafford summoning up psychobilly demons on his guitar... It’s powerful and it’s punk. It’s great to see a forgotten band back on their own terms and thriving" ~ The Spill Magazine

Post-punk swamp-goth rockers Inca Babies pare back with resent ‘Swamp Street Soul’, their eighth studio album. This collection of new tunes, drawn from their fantastic imagination, offers a hefty dose of the gritty sound that the Manchester-based deathrock / postpunk outfit have become known for over the decades since forming in 1983.

Produced by Simon 'Ding' Archer (The Fall, PJ Harvey) at 6Db Studios, the clarity and fullness of sound on this 11-track offering surpasses that of any previous Inca release.

Today Inca Babies is a trio made up of Harry Stafford (guitar, keys, vocals), bassist Vince Hunt (A Witness, Blue Orchids) and Rob Haynes (The Membranes, Goldblade) on drums and percussion. It's been seven years since the final release of their Death Blues Trilogy - 'Death Message Blues' (2010), 'Deep Dark Blue' (2012) and 'The Stereo Plan' (2014).

‘Swamp Street Soul’ takes us across a tightly euphoric path of differing moods and new arenas of guitar songwriting. This LP continues the band's explosive exploration of goth-punk and death-rock and trash blues with epic cautionary ballads. Frontman Harry Stafford has written a fulsome collection of tall tales of madness, fearfully larger-than-life characters and extravagant yarns, backed by a no-nonsense rhythm section locked into a pounding backbeat.

The trio also present their new video for 'Crawling Garage Gasoline' (along with b-side 'Grunt Cadillac Hotel', produced by Harry Stafford at NoiseBoy Studios in Salford. Earlier, the Incas previewed lead track 'Walk In The Park' with a strutting blues beat, infectious guitar lick and bluesy post-punk musings.

"This 'Crawling Garage Gasoline' is a re visiting of a 1980s Inca’s classic, all bluster and ‘pedal to the metal’ speed punk. It’s a tale of the descent into the maelstrom but don’t forget to get some gas along the way. The urge to re-record this came from its popularity as a live song at recent Inca gigs, now paired down and with more bite, it has certainly stood the test of time. It was originally released on the 'Surfin’ in Locustland' EP back in 1985 and was also recorded for the Incas' third John Peel session in June that year," says Harry Stafford.

A vibrant part of Britain's early postpunk / death rock scene, Inca Babies' story began in 1983 in the now-legendary deck-access flats of Hulme (Manchester), which were intended as ‘cities in the sky’ for young executives but quickly became cockroach-infested slums mostly inhabited by students, artists, and drug addicts. True to DIY ethos, they self-released their debut single 'Interior' in 1984.

With a further six singles and four albums over five years, all of which entered the UK Indie Charts, they also recorded four sessions for BBC's John Peel show in 1984-1988 before calling it quits. Since reforming in 2007, they've released three albums and toured extensively around Europe, including Russia, as well as North America and India. Renewed interest in the Incas was propelled by Cherry Red Records 'Best Of’ compilation release ‘Inca Babies 1983-87: Plutonium’.

As of November 23, the ‘Swamp Street Soul’ album will be available digitally everywhere, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp, where it can be ordered directly from the band. It can also be obtained via the Louder Than War shop.

CREDITS
Harry Stafford - guitar, vocals
Vince Hunt - bass
Rob Haynes – drums
Kevin Davy – trumpet
Black Lagoon Records catalogue #BLRCD0058
Photography by Steve Nicholl

Keep up with Inca Babies
Facebook | Bandcamp | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcoud | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music | Booking contact

Harry Stafford and Marco Butcher present protest-infused 'Bone Architecture', title track from their new album

September 24, 2021

“Unapologetically weaving their way through varied genres, Stafford & Butcher’s bluesy story-based music is raw around the edges, while sucking you willingly inside – a sonic diamond in the rough, so to speak" ~ The Spill Magazine

"The symmetry between the two artists is remarkable... a refreshing track, meshing the grit of blues with an urban thematic. This is dirty but agreeable, weaving straightforward guitar work through the prism of a junkyard instrument approach. Goes down smooth like a good shot of bourbon" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

"Right from the introduction, one is reminded of Lynch’s Twin Peaks and, at the same time, the opening beats of Tones on Tail’s “Happiness,” before you’re thrust into jazzy blues territory" ~ Stereo Embers Magazine

Manchester indie music stalwart and Inca Babies frontmen Harry Stafford and US-based Brazilian guitarist Marco Butcher present their new video for ‘Bone Architecture’ from the album of the same name, which the duo released several weeks ago.

‘Bone Architecture’ is a song about being caught in a riot. It could be an Extension Rebellion Riot, a poll tax riot or even the Peterloo massacre of 1819. Harry’s film puts him as a broadcaster reporting on events that happened. But because he doesn’t mince his words, he tells it in a bloody and visceral way. As humans when our bodies are broken and bruised by the police batons it’s our ‘bone architecture’ that is smashed and broken.

The video was shot on the streets of Manchester, where the riots may or may not have happened. This is a piece with drums, piano and trumpet – dub jazz – and a fitting sampler of the full ‘Bone Architecture’ album with Harry Stafford on piano and vocals, Marco Butcher on drums, and London's Kevin Davy on trumpet.

Despite the distance, Stafford and Butcher are punk soul brothers from the same muddy musical pond. Connecting during a year of ‘lockdown hell’ inadvertently led to their collaboration. Marco's tracks were recorded at his Boombox Studio.

“There’s something about collaborating that is pure magic to me, cause you're not sharing ideas at the same time and you're in the moment. There’s something about the not knowing what the other will bring . . the surprise factor. The fact that music is very elastic and not always the way ya listen to it in your mind but something else, something cooler, greater," says Marco Butcher.

'Bone Architecture' is a superb collection of songs that is raw and, at times, an unforgiving forage into urban punk blues with fuzzed up jazz and garage trash rock. Here, Harry and Marco’s styles have clashed magnificently into a powerful record that crosses a multitude of genres but with a dirty blues makeover. The LP includes reworked older material, brand-new compositions and even a dirty blues version of the Pink Floyd classic 'Arnold Layne'.

Earlier, Stafford and Butcher released singles 'Termite City' and 'There's Someone Tryin' To Get In', which has garnered the duo press attention and airplay in several dozen countries.

Best known as founder, guitarist and vocalist of Manchester post-punk gothic rockers Inca Babies, Harry’s two most recent solo albums ('Guitar Shaped Hammers' and 'Gothic Urban Blues') reflect a cooler, less frenetic vibe, leaning on piano, trumpets and blues guitar. All this made him the perfect collaborator to set words and lyrics to Marco’s sonic backdrop.

From Sao Paulo, Marco Butcher now lives in Winston Salem, North Carolina. A prolific artist, his acts include The Jam Messengers, Chicken Snake, and The Jesus and The Groupies. Professing the American underground of blues, jazz, rockabilly and screaming punk blues, he has collaborated with Hugo Race and members of Tex and the Horseheads, Pussy Galore, Gumball, The Gories, Gibson Brothers, Jerry Teel, The Oblivians and The Workdogs.

The 'Bone Architecture' album is out now, released on CD and digitally everywhere online, including Spotify and Apple Music. Both formats can be ordered via Bandcamp and the Louder than War shop.

CREDITS
Harry Stafford - vocals, piano, guitar
Marco Butcher - drums, percussion, bass, sax, guitars, vibraphone
Kevin Davy - horns
Written by Harry Stafford and Marco Butcher
Produced and Mastered by Marco Butcher at Boombox Studio
Catalogue no. BLRCD0055

Keep up with Harry Stafford
Facebook | Bandcamp | Soundcloud | YouTube | Vimeo | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify | Apple Music | Booking contact

Keep up with Marco Butcher
Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter

Inca Babies' Harry Stafford and Brazilian guitarist Marco Butcher release 'Bone Architecture' LP and video for 'Termite City'.

September 6, 2021

"Unapologetically weaving their way through varied genres, Stafford & Butcher’s bluesy story-based music is raw around the edges, while sucking you willingly inside – a sonic diamond in the rough, so to speak" ~ The Spill Magazine

"The symmetry between the two artists is remarkable... a refreshing track, meshing the grit of blues with an urban thematic. This is dirty but agreeable, weaving straightforward guitar work through the prism of a junkyard instrument approach. Goes down smooth like a good shot of bourbon" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

Manchester underground music icon Harry Stafford and US-based Brazilian guitarist Marco Butcher present the new 'Bone Architecture' album, a 12-track effort, made possible thanks to the power of the internet.

Despite the distance, Stafford and Butcher are punk soul brothers from the same muddy musical pond. Connecting during a year of ‘lockdown hell’ inadvertently led to their collaboration. Marco's tracks were recorded at his Boombox Studio. Harry laid down vocals, piano and other instruments at Black Lagoon Records. London trumpet supremo Kevin Davy added jazz tones into the mix.

“There’s something about collaborating that is pure magic to me, cause you're not sharing ideas at the same time and you're in the moment. There’s something about the not knowing what the other will bring . . the surprise factor. The fact that music is very elastic and not always the way ya listen to it in your mind but something else, something cooler, greater," says Marco Butcher.

'Bone Architecture' is a superb collection of songs that is raw and, at times, an unforgiving forage into urban punk blues with fuzzed up jazz and garage trash rock. Here, Harry and Marco’s styles have clashed magnificently into a powerful record that crosses a multitude of genres but with a dirty blues makeover. The LP includes reworked older material, brand-new compositions and even a dirty blues version of the Pink Floyd classic 'Arnold Layne'.

The duo have also revealed the video for 'Termite City', featuring Stafford riding through England's northern capital, half scoffing at it while fully loving it nevertheless.

“’Termite City’ is a celebration of the dirty city that always keeps standing no matter what people throw at it. Bombs, Riots, Scottish Football fans, Demolition, bad planning. People love this city and will do everything to protect it and despite their cynicism, they just can’t help themselves but be proud. Show a little love. A city is a termite tower with thousands of people all working to make their way in it. This termite Tower is Manchester; termites even build cathedral mounds," says Harry Stafford.

Earlier, Stafford and Butcher released 'There's Someone Tryin' To Get In', which has garnered the duo press attention and airplay in several dozen countries.

Best known as founder, guitarist and vocalist of Manchester post-punk gothic rockers Inca Babies, Harry’s two most recent solo albums ('Guitar Shaped Hammers' and 'Gothic Urban Blues') reflect a cooler, less frenetic vibe, leaning on piano, trumpets and blues guitar. All this made him the perfect collaborator to set words and lyrics to Marco’s sonic backdrop.

From Sao Paulo, Marco Butcher now lives in Winston Salem, North Carolina. A prolific artist, his acts include The Jam Messengers, Chicken Snake, and The Jesus and The Groupies. Professing the American underground of blues, jazz, rockabilly and screaming punk blues, he has collaborated with Hugo Race and members of Tex and the Horseheads, Pussy Galore, Gumball, The Gories, Gibson Brothers, Jerry Teel, The Oblivians and The Workdogs.

On September 3, the 'Bone Architecture' LP will be released on CD and will also be available everywhere online, including Spotify and Apple Music. Both formats can be ordered via Bandcamp and the Louder than War shop.

CREDITS
Harry Stafford - vocals, piano, guitar
Marco Butcher - drums, percussion, bass, sax, guitars, vibraphone
Kevin Davy - horns
Written by Harry Stafford and Marco Butcher
Produced and Mastered by Marco Butcher at Boombox Studio
Catalogue no. BLRCD0055

Keep up with Harry Stafford

HARRY STAFFORD (INCA BABIES) & punk-blues vet MARCO BUTCHER take on Manchester on 'Termite City' ahead of 'Bone Architect

August 22, 2021

Underground music icon Harry Stafford, long associated with the city of Manchester, has teamed up with Marco Butcher for the new 'Bone Architecture'album. Ahead of releasing the 12-track effort, they reveal the track 'Termite City'with a video featuring Stafford riding through England's northern capital.

“’Termite City’ is a celebration of the dirty city that always keeps standing no matter what people throw at it. Bombs, Riots, Scottish Football fans, Demolition, bad planning. People love this city and will do everything to protect it and despite their cynicism, they just can’t help themselves but be proud. Show a little love. A city is a termite tower with thousands of people all working to make their way in it. This termite Tower is Manchester; termites even build cathedral mounds," says Harry Stafford.

“Jazz supremo Kevin Davy plays trumpet on this track and it is one of his finest pieces of work ever, IMO, and one of the best collaborations I have had the fortune to put on my record. The cat can blow.”

Not long ago, the duo released the single 'There's Someone Tryin' To Get In', which was well received and has garnered the duo press attention and airplay in several dozen countries.

Despite the distance between them Stafford and Butcher are punk soul brothers from the same muddy musical pond. Connecting during a year of ‘lockdown hell’ inadvertently led to their collaboration.

'Bone Architecture' is a superb collection of songs that is raw and, at times, an unforgiving forage into urban punk blues with fuzzed up jazz and garage trash rock. Here, Harry and Marco’s styles have clashed magnificently into a powerful record that crosses a multitude of genres but with a dirty blues makeover. The LP includes reworked older material, brand-new compositions and even a dirty blues version of the Pink Floyd classic 'Arnold Layne'.

Best known as founder, guitarist and vocalist of Manchester post-punk gothic rockers Inca Babies, Harry’s two most recent solo albums ('Guitar Shaped Hammers' and 'Gothic Urban Blues') reflect a cooler, less frenetic vibe, leaning on piano, trumpets and blues guitar. All this made him the perfect collaborator to set words and lyrics to Marco’s sonic backdrop.

From Sao Paulo, Marco Butcher now lives in Winston Salem, North Carolina. A prolific artist, his acts include The Jam Messengers, Chicken Snake, and The Jesus and The Groupies. Professing the American underground of blues, jazz, rockabilly and screaming punk blues, he has collaborated with Hugo Race and members of Tex and the Horseheads, Pussy Galore, Gumball, The Gories, Gibson Brothers, Jerry Teel, The Oblivians and The Workdogs.

“There’s something about collaborating that is pure magic to me, cause you're not sharing ideas at the same time and you're in the moment. There’s something about the not knowing what the other will bring . . the surprise factor. The fact that music is very elastic and not always the way ya listen to it in your mind but something else, something cooler, greater," says Marco Butcher.

Marco's tracks were recorded at his Boombox Studio. Harry laid down vocals, piano and other instruments at Black Lagoon Records. London-based trumpet supremo Kevin Davy added jazz tones into the mix. After engineering, agonising, production and debates, they were finally mastered by Marco.

As of August 20, 'Termite City' will be available everywhere online, including Spotifyand Apple Music. The 'Bone Architecture' LP will be released on September 3 via Black Lagoon Records, both digitally and on CD, now available for pre-order via Bandcamp and the Louder than War shop.

CREDITS
Harry Stafford - vocals, piano, guitar
Marco Butcher - drums, percussion, bass, sax, guitars, vibraphone
Kevin Davy - horns
Written by Harry Stafford and Marco Butcher
Produced and Mastered by Marco Butcher at Boombox Studio
Catalogue no. BLRCD0055

Keep up with Harry Stafford
Facebook | Bandcamp | Soundcloud | YouTube | Vimeo | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify | Apple Music | Booking contact | Press contact

Keep up with Marco Butcher
Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter |

HARRY STAFFORD (INCA BABIES) and punk-blues veteran MARCO BUTCHER present lead track of joint LP

July 31, 2021

“The symmetry between the two artists is remarkable... a refreshing track, meshing the grit of blues with an urban thematic. This is dirty but agreeable, weaving straightforward guitar work through the prism of a junkyard instrument approach. Goes down smooth like a good shot of bourbon" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

Harry Stafford and Marco Butcher have never actually met in the flesh. But they are punk soul brothers from the same muddy musical pond. Connecting with one another during a year of ‘lockdown hell’, their exchange of ideas and talk of musical influences inadvertently led to their collaboration.

As innovative juices began to boil, the frenetic exchange of digital files culminated in 'Bone Architecture', a 12-track album that both of them had been itching to make. This superb collection includes reworked older material, brand-new compositions and even a dirty blues version of the Pink Floyd classic 'Arnold Layne'. Ahead of the album, the duo present lead single 'There's Someone Tryin To Get In' with video created by Stafford.

“For me, this record is a blast of energy with a cool raw groove that I have been itching to express for a while and, with Marco Butcher, I found the perfect collaborator to express it. His garage punk soul music, fused with jazz and swing was the tonic I needed after the doldrums of the last year and a half. The songs we put together fell into place like puzzle pieces in a fuzzed up sonic soundscape," says Harry Stafford.

Best known as founder, guitarist and vocalist of Manchester post-punk gothic rockers Inca Babies, Harry’s two most recent solo albums ('Guitar Shaped Hammers' and 'Gothic Urban Blues') reflect a cooler, less frenetic vibe, leaning on piano, trumpets and blues guitar. All this made him the perfect collaborator to set words and lyrics to Marco’s sonic backdrop.

Originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Marco Butcher now lives in Winston Salem, North Carolina. A prolific recording artist, he has recently released music with his various acts: The Jam Messengers, Chicken Snake, and The Jesus and The Groupies. Centred around the American underground of blues, jazz, rockabilly, and screaming punk blues, he has collaborated with Hugo Race, as well as members of Tex and the Horseheads, Pussy Galore, Gumball, The Gories, Gibson Brothers, Jerry Teel, The Oblivians and The Workdogs.

'Bone Architecture' is a collection of songs that is raw and, at times, an unforgiving forage into urban punk blues with fuzzed up jazz and garage trash rock. Here, Harry and Marco’s styles have clashed magnificently into a powerful record that crosses a multitude of genres but with a dirty blues makeover.

“There’s something about collaborating that is pure magic to me, cause you're not sharing ideas at the same time and you're in the moment. There’s something about the not knowing what the other will bring . . the surprise factor. The fact that music is very elastic and not always the way ya listen to it in your mind but something else, something cooler, greater," says Marco Butcher.

"I guess mutual respect has a lot to do it too, sharing the same type of ideas about music and life... For a period of time, Inca Babies 'This Train' was my bandstand music when I was crossing a very dark and dangerous lifestyle, when I decided NOT to die. This album was the one I listened to the most.”

Marco's tracks were recorded at his Boombox Studio in Winston Salem, then shipped by a well-known bulk file sender to Manchester, where Harry laid down vocals, piano and any instrumental tomfoolery he saw fit at Black Lagoon Records. On four occasions, the files also flew to London for supremo trumpet player Kevin Davy to lay some jazz tones into the mix. After the engineering, agonising, production and debates, they were finally mastered by Marco.

As of August 6, 'There's Someone Tryin To Get In' will be available everywhere online, including Spotify and Apple Music. The 'Bone Architecture' LP will be released on September 3 via Black Lagoon Records, both digitally and on CD. CDs can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp and the Louder than War shop.

CREDITS
Harry Stafford - vocals, piano, guitar
Marco Butcher - drums, percussion, bass, sax, guitars, vibraphone
Kevin Davy - horns
Written by Harry Stafford and Marco Butcher
Produced and Mastered by Marco Butcher at Boombox Studio
Catalogue no. BLRCD0055

Keep up with Harry Stafford
Facebook | Bandcamp | Soundcloud | YouTube | Vimeo | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify | Apple Music | Booking contact | Press contact

Keep up with Marco Butcher
Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter |