Bio
Meet The Stanfields, a maelstrom of rock ‘n’ roll, Celtic and bluegrass. Hailing from the gritty post-industrial towns of Nova Scotia, Canada, The Stanfields play every show like it’s their collective last night on earth. Their kitchen party harmonies, thunderous rhythm section, high-octane stage show and genuine chemistry have won over audiences from coast to coast.
Since forming in the summer of 2008, The Stanfields wasted no time making their mark on the venerable Atlantic Canadian music scene. Hailed as “The Clash meets Steve Earle” by Great Big Sea’s Sean McCann and “The Bastard Children of AC/DC and Stan Rogers” by Halifax’s Q104 FM, further accolades began rolling in, including a double win for “Best New Artist” and “New Artist/Group Recording” at the 2009 Nova Scotia Music Awards. In November 2010 The Stanfields picked up a third Nova Scotia Music Award for Best Alternative Band before being voted Halifax’s “Best Band” and “Band Most Likely to Make it Big” by readers of The Coast magazine. The Coast recognized the band again in 2011 for “Best Local Video”, “Best Single”, and for the third consecutive year, “Best Band to get trashed to”.
The Stanfields continued their winning streak with a 2011 East Coast Music Award for Rising Star of the Year along with three other nominations, including Entertainer of the Year. It’s no surprise they’ve been hailed as Halifax’s next big musical export with Halifax Magazine recently declaring, “These guys are going to be big.” The band has been heavily embraced by the local media and their community, earning the #1 spot on Q104′s Top 104 songs of 2010 and securing cover features in local weekly papers The Coast and Here Magazine.
The Stanfields’ folk-influenced rock sound is not only turning heads on the east coast but across the country as well. ChartAttack wrote, “The Stanfields make you proud to be a Maritimer, and jealous if you aren’t.” The Stanfields’ groundbreaking live performances have earned them much-lauded opportunities to shine on stages at the Vancouver Olympics, 2010 Nova Scotia Music Awards and 2011 Canada Games Opening Ceremonies, and CTV’s New Year’s Special in Halifax. They have shared the stage with Flogging Molly, The Arkells, Big Sugar, Great Big Sea, Matt Mays and many more.
The Stanfields debut recording has turned a lot of heads. Vanguard of the Young and Reckless was released on GroundSwell/Warner in June 2010 and mirrors the intensity of the band’s live performance. A thematic departure from traditional Canadian East Coast fare where good times and family values are emphasized and celebrated, Vanguard explores the darker, unspoken side of Maritime living and how it relates to an increasingly globalized world.
The sinister, feedback-laced opening track “Dagger Woods” is a dementia-fueled whirlwind in the Crazy Horse style with the barely contained rage and furious delivery of vocalist/guitarist Jon Landry in the fore. The lead single “The Dirtiest Drunk (in the History of Liquor)” portrays substance-driven lunacy beneath the thin veneer of a traditional rock ‘n’ roll party tune, propelled by bassist Craig Eugene Harris and drummer Mark Murphy’s relentless barrage of heart stopping rhythms. The most identifiable Stanfields number to date is “Ship to Shore“, a dark, energetic romp highlighted by the duel cascading leads of guitarist Jason MacIsaac and Jason Wright on bouzouki.
“Ship to Shore is an ode to the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way, not for an idealistic agenda or political will, but to preserve a social hierarchy that is increasingly letting them down at every turn, at home and abroad,” says Jon Landry.
“Of course, I recognize that we might come off as a bunch of doomsayers to the uninitiated, but really, we are all pretty positive guys”, he continues. “Let me be clear in this. Our ‘art’, so to speak, is left at the tavern door. Seeing people having the time of their lives at a rock show trumps any perceived barstool prophet credo we’re spouting. We show up at the venues every night to entertain, to make people party their asses off and to forget their troubles, at least for a few hours. That is the commitment we have made to our audience, and believe me, there have been many, many mornings after where we are hoarse, sore and bleeding from the process.”
The Stanfields have already resonated with a wide cross section of music lovers with this release. Vanguard of the Young and Reckless lyrically delivers a layman’s perspective to the thought process while musically catering to primal rock ‘n’ roll instinct, inviting you to think, drink, dance or fight back.
It’s your call.
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SHORT BIO
Meet The Stanfields, a maelstrom of rock ‘n’ roll, Celtic and bluegrass. Hailing from the gritty post-industrial towns of Nova Scotia, The Stanfields play every show like it’s their collective last night on earth. Their kitchen party harmonies, thunderous rhythm section, high-octane stage show and genuine chemistry have won over audiences clear across the nation. Winners of 2011 East Coast Music Award for Rising Star of the Year, The Stanfields cater to primal rock ‘n’ roll instinct, inviting you to think, drink, dance or fight back. It’s your call.
