Stornoway

Formed in Oxford in 2006 around Brian Briggs, Jon Ouin, Oli Steadman and originally Rob Steadman, Stornoway developed a sound that sits between indie folk, indie rock and chamber pop, with a pronounced taste for harmonies, acoustic arrangements and imagery drawn from the natural world. The band first attracted attention on the local scene with several self‑released EPs, then through appearances on BBC Introducing and a slot on Later... with Jools Holland while still unsigned. Stornoway went on to release Beachcomber’s Windowsill (2010), Tales from Terra Firma (2013) and Bonxie (2015), records on which their melodic folk expanded into more orchestral textures without abandoning a clear, direct song format. Live, Stornoway often operates as a core trio augmented by additional musicians, which emphasizes strings, brass and percussion in their sound. After announcing a split in 2016 and a farewell tour in 2017, Stornoway resumed activity in 2022. This return culminated in Dig the Mountain! (2023), an album that extends the band's identity with a blend of British folk, chamber pop and choral arrangements.