The Stands frontman returns with new album and tour

After a long absence frontman of The Stands Howie Payne is back on the music scene with a new solo album and a tour that will bring him to Leeds.
Howie Payne, back on the music scene.Howie Payne, back on the music scene.
Howie Payne, back on the music scene.

Payne will be appearing at the Belgrave Music Hall on Friday, October 13 and will be premiering material from what will be his first album for over eight years in a career-spanning set with cuts from his earlier solo work and Stands favourites.

Long awaited new album ‘Mountain’ is released on October 27 on Full Stack Records. It is his first since his 2009 Ethan Johns-produced debut ‘Bright Light Ballads’ and contains the recent Radio X playlisted single ‘The Brightest Star’ plus new track ‘High Times’, which is available as an instant grat with album pre-orders from www.howiepayne.com

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‘Mountain’ was recorded at London’s State of The Ark Studios during the last week of July 2017 before being mixed and mastered in Los Angeles.

“I think ‘Mountain’ is my best record so far,” says Howie.“It’s got a mellow vibe but the songs are rooted in real life which gives it some weight and a bit of edge.

“We recorded it in just four days, and pretty much live, during one of the hottest weeks of the year, and you can hear it in the sound, like the voltage is heavier, and the air is thicker in the silence between the instruments.

“Most of the tracks were recorded in just a few takes - we’d never played them together before but the band were just really on it. We’d run through a song once or twice, get the sounds up and then play it until we got a version that sparked.

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“I did ‘Bright Light Ballads’ the same way and I really dug how after you do a take you can listen to the song right then, with the singing and everything. I’ve made records where I’ve built it up from a zillion parts, and it’s cool, but I went at this one live because there’s something different about the feel you get into the songs when everyone’s playing and singing at the same time, you know.”

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