The three girls that make up Staves started out singing and harmonising together in their kitchen as young teenagers, then at some point started doing that in the local pub, and then slowly started doing it in more and more places. And more places. And more places.
“It’s less timid than our first record” – The Staves
Eventually they were noticed by Ethan Johns, the producer responsible for recording a range of artists including Kings of Leon, Paul McCartney, Ray LaMontagne, Laura Marling, Mumford and Sons, the list goes on…who then together with his father – who was also enamoured with their music (Glyn Johns, responsible for producing people like Clapton and the Stones) – recorded them, and thus was born their first album.
Out on the road and touring relentlessly, the three sisters couldn’t seem to stop impressing people and have gathered an army of fans and influential followers along the way.
“The combination of their voices is unlike anything I’ve ever heard” – Justin Vernon
They ended up supporting Bon Iver on tour and jamming with them after the gigs, and singer Justin Vernon invited them to his studio and recorded their next album, If I Was, together with various members of his band. Vernon said “The combination of their voices is unlike anything I’ve ever heard…these complicated arrangements that they just come up with on the spot when they’re singing…that comes from a well of family and history and something that you can’t just get…and that’s the magic of the Staves.” And it’s the album that the girls recorded with Bon Iver that has just been released at the end of March.
the Staves have definitely ratcheted the whole thing up a few notches
Whereas their first album involved extremely sparse instrumentation, was pretty folky, and concentrated on their voices, If I Was brings in a lot more instrumentation, textures and more complex arrangements, so that some of the material carries very strong Americana influences and a couple of the songs are downright rocky. With this new backdrop for the three harmonising voices, the Staves have definitely ratcheted the whole thing up a few notches. No longer a simple folk-singing trio, they’ve grown and matured and become a definite band to reckon with.
Want to catch the gig? Write to win at indieberlin.de for a pair of tickets for the show!
Article by Noel Maurice, author of The Berlin Diaries Vol. I: Tacheles ’91 (English Edition)
