We first collaborated on a limited-edition vinyl EP in 2000, after which other commitments took Glove north. By 2007, digital advances meant we were able to connect our Manchester and Birmingham studios via broadband, and Stately resumed work.
The digital edition of our eponymous debut album was released in August: 13 songs built from guitars, keyboards, crisp beats and a smattering of samples, journeying from the fictional idyll of Badger's Edge to the reality of a world in disarray. The tempo-nudging Remixed, a free-to-download EP reworking five tracks from the album, put a smile back on our faces mere weeks later.
We're currently working on the Belleville EP, a set of songs inspired by the peculiarly British response to the first wave of Detroit techno. If you were there, you'll hopefully remember: we certainly do.
You will never read a more try-hard list than that written by a band itemising their supposed influences. Instead, we'd rather direct you to some stuff we like (Spotify required). If there's a thread tying these artists together, it's perhaps a streak of eccentricity – and a certain outsider attitude.
And the Stately flavour? Our music has been described as whimsical, but we simply think of it as original: strong lyrics, decent grooves and tunes the milkman can whistle. If yours likes them as much as ours, you can probably expect an extra pint some day soon.
Stately Homes Of England, September 2009
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