“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