Stoney (musician)
Encyclopedia
Stoney is a British
musician, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
, it was independently distributed initially through a few local record shops on his own Holy Moly label. Stoney played all the instruments on the record.
In response to the positive public reaction, a full band was formed to take the songs to the stage, and a three track EP of songs from the album, enitled Amber EP, was released nationally the next year gaining Stoney his first national radio airplay.
Stoney signed to Island Records
in 2003, teaming up with producers Kevin Bacon and Jon Quarmby (Longpigs, Richard Hawley
, Sugarbabes, Finlay Quaye) to record an album. During this time, Stoney and his band performed under the name of Stoneylacuna, to reflect the change from the singer-songwriter feel of Amber to the bigger, full band sound of the new recordings. However, political wrangles ensued and Stoney parted company with the label the following year without a record being released.
A few months later, the limited edition single Constantly Running was released nationally on the small Transistor
label. Despite positive reviews and some significant champions on UK radio, momentum had been lost and Stoneylacuna parted company.
In late 2004, Stoney focused on producing other artists, and set up Lacuna Productions, a record production company with fellow Sheffield producer Sam Jones. Lacuna birthed debut singles from several rising Sheffield indie stars such as Bromheads Jacket
and Little Ze.
Stoney had all but stopped performing until early 2005, when Constantly Running was hailed as the single of the week on the iTunes
music store, restarting a frenzy of activity. The single achieved over 17,000 downloads in the UK alone in the first week. Stoney followed up with the Soap In a Bathtub EP, which brought him further national exposure. After forming a new band, Stoney provided the support for the Arctic Monkeys
first sell-out UK tour in the Summer of 2005, alongside festival appearances at Glastonbury
and Leeds
.
Stoney became a regular guest on BBC Radio 2
and BBC 6Music and further shows with high profile acts such as Jamie T
, Athlete
& Feeder
along with his own headline shows quickly gained him a reputation as an exhilarating and charismatic live performer, continuing to win him a steadily growing underground UK fanbase. A double A-side single featuring fan favourites Until You Leave and Holds the Stars was released at the end of 2005.
In 2006, following an acoustic show at the SXSW festival in Texas, he was flown to Los Angeles
by Rick Rubin
for a private showcase. At the time of writing, it is unconfirmed if the two will be working together on a future record, but emerging champions of Stoney on US radio such as Nic Harcourt
at KCRW
are quickly developing a strong fanbase over the Atlantic and his tracks have been featured in several Hollywood films & TV series. Stoney released the 12 track album The Scene and The Unseen in the summer of 2006 on the independent Manchester
based label Too Nice Recordings and as a download on iTunes. Despite a typically low-key and organic release, it prompted widespread critical acclaim from the national UK papers, with rave reviews from The Independent
, NME
, The Sunday Times
and The Daily Express. The album was re-released with full UK distribution on his own Sonic Roar Label in November 2007.
Since 2008, Stoney has been working in the US on new material with producers C.J Eiriksson (u2
, the rocket summer, Blue October) and Darin Prindle (Madonna
, Destiny's child
) and now lives in Austin
, Texas.
In March 2009 he played a stripped back set at the British Music Embassy showcase at SXSW alongside Laura Marling
& Aqualung
and presented by Nic Harcourt
.
In Late 2010, Stoney made available a 4 track E.P entitled "The Soar Before", a fan funded record sold exclusively on his website and at live shows featuring new tracks "Let it Go", "Albatross", Skyline" and "Glory Days" co-produced with C.J Eiriksson. A 16 date U.K tour supporting Athlete followed in November & December during which he performed a live session and interview on Dermot O'Leary
's BBC Radio 2 show accompanied by various members of Athlete.
Stoney also continues to work with other artists on a production basis, and is currently working on two forthcoming feature film soundtracks. He is also regularly collaborating with award winning songwriter Guy Chambers
on various side projects.
As Stoneylacuna:
As Stoney:
Compilations:
Production & Songwriting credits:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
musician, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
Career
Stoney first appeared on the UK music scene following the release of his debut inventive and homegrown-style album Amber in 2001. A quirky collection of songs written in his teens, and recorded in his Sheffield basement following his escape from his hometown of CroydonCroydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, it was independently distributed initially through a few local record shops on his own Holy Moly label. Stoney played all the instruments on the record.
In response to the positive public reaction, a full band was formed to take the songs to the stage, and a three track EP of songs from the album, enitled Amber EP, was released nationally the next year gaining Stoney his first national radio airplay.
Stoney signed to Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
in 2003, teaming up with producers Kevin Bacon and Jon Quarmby (Longpigs, Richard Hawley
Richard Hawley
Richard Hawley is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer. After his first band Treebound Story broke up, Hawley found success as a member of Britpop band Longpigs in the 1990s. He later joined the band Pulp, led by his friend Jarvis Cocker...
, Sugarbabes, Finlay Quaye) to record an album. During this time, Stoney and his band performed under the name of Stoneylacuna, to reflect the change from the singer-songwriter feel of Amber to the bigger, full band sound of the new recordings. However, political wrangles ensued and Stoney parted company with the label the following year without a record being released.
A few months later, the limited edition single Constantly Running was released nationally on the small Transistor
Transistor
A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and power. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current...
label. Despite positive reviews and some significant champions on UK radio, momentum had been lost and Stoneylacuna parted company.
In late 2004, Stoney focused on producing other artists, and set up Lacuna Productions, a record production company with fellow Sheffield producer Sam Jones. Lacuna birthed debut singles from several rising Sheffield indie stars such as Bromheads Jacket
Bromheads Jacket
Bromheads are a two-piece English garage rock band originating from Sheffield, England-History:Bromheads was formed in Sheffield in 2005, from the ashes of a band called Fixated. Although often compared to other Sheffield bands who found fame around the same time, such as Arctic Monkeys and...
and Little Ze.
Stoney had all but stopped performing until early 2005, when Constantly Running was hailed as the single of the week on the iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
music store, restarting a frenzy of activity. The single achieved over 17,000 downloads in the UK alone in the first week. Stoney followed up with the Soap In a Bathtub EP, which brought him further national exposure. After forming a new band, Stoney provided the support for the Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
first sell-out UK tour in the Summer of 2005, alongside festival appearances at Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
and Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
.
Stoney became a regular guest on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
and BBC 6Music and further shows with high profile acts such as Jamie T
Jamie T
Jamie Alexander Treays , known by his stage name Jamie T, is an English singer/songwriter from Wimbledon, South London.-Early life:Jamie Alexander Treays, was born in Wimbledon, South-West London...
, Athlete
Athlete (band)
Athlete are a British rock band formed in Deptford, London, comprising Joel Pott , Carey Willetts , Stephen Roberts and Tim Wanstall...
& Feeder
Feeder
-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...
along with his own headline shows quickly gained him a reputation as an exhilarating and charismatic live performer, continuing to win him a steadily growing underground UK fanbase. A double A-side single featuring fan favourites Until You Leave and Holds the Stars was released at the end of 2005.
In 2006, following an acoustic show at the SXSW festival in Texas, he was flown to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
by Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
for a private showcase. At the time of writing, it is unconfirmed if the two will be working together on a future record, but emerging champions of Stoney on US radio such as Nic Harcourt
Nic Harcourt
Nic Harcourt was, most recently, the Music Director for Santa Monica, California-based radio station KCRW. Before joining KCRW, Harcourt worked for eight years as a news director and music director at radio station WDST in Woodstock, New York...
at KCRW
KCRW
KCRW is a public radio station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California, carrying a mix of National Public Radio news, talk radio and freeform music format. The general manager of KCRW is Jennifer Ferro...
are quickly developing a strong fanbase over the Atlantic and his tracks have been featured in several Hollywood films & TV series. Stoney released the 12 track album The Scene and The Unseen in the summer of 2006 on the independent Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
based label Too Nice Recordings and as a download on iTunes. Despite a typically low-key and organic release, it prompted widespread critical acclaim from the national UK papers, with rave reviews from The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
and The Daily Express. The album was re-released with full UK distribution on his own Sonic Roar Label in November 2007.
Since 2008, Stoney has been working in the US on new material with producers C.J Eiriksson (u2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, the rocket summer, Blue October) and Darin Prindle (Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Destiny's child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
) and now lives in Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
, Texas.
In March 2009 he played a stripped back set at the British Music Embassy showcase at SXSW alongside Laura Marling
Laura Marling
Laura Beatrice Marling is an English folk musician from Eversley, Hampshire.Initially prominent within the London folk scene, she has also toured with a number of well-known indie artists in the UK. Her debut album Alas, I Cannot Swim and her second album I Speak Because I Can were nominated for...
& Aqualung
Aqualung (musician)
Matthew "Matt" Hales , better known as Aqualung, is an English singer and songwriter best known in the UK for his song "Strange and Beautiful", which was featured on a television advertisement for the new Volkswagen New Beetle during the summer of 2002 and went on to become a Top 10 hit in the UK...
and presented by Nic Harcourt
Nic Harcourt
Nic Harcourt was, most recently, the Music Director for Santa Monica, California-based radio station KCRW. Before joining KCRW, Harcourt worked for eight years as a news director and music director at radio station WDST in Woodstock, New York...
.
In Late 2010, Stoney made available a 4 track E.P entitled "The Soar Before", a fan funded record sold exclusively on his website and at live shows featuring new tracks "Let it Go", "Albatross", Skyline" and "Glory Days" co-produced with C.J Eiriksson. A 16 date U.K tour supporting Athlete followed in November & December during which he performed a live session and interview on Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary is an English television and radio presenter. He established himself as a presenter of Big Brother's Little Brother on Channel 4 before moving on to The X Factor on ITV. O'Leary has also presented on the BBC and has his own radio show on BBC Radio 2...
's BBC Radio 2 show accompanied by various members of Athlete.
Stoney also continues to work with other artists on a production basis, and is currently working on two forthcoming feature film soundtracks. He is also regularly collaborating with award winning songwriter Guy Chambers
Guy Chambers
Guy Chambers is an English songwriter and record producer, perhaps best known for his long partnership with Robbie Williams.- Biography :...
on various side projects.
Discography
As Mark Stoney:- Amber. CD Album. 2001. Holy Moly Records.
- Amber EP. CD EP. 2002. Thunderbird Records.
As Stoneylacuna:
- Constantly Running. CD single. 2004. Transistor Records.
As Stoney:
- Constantly Running. iTunes single. January, 2005. Transistor Records.
- Soap in a Bathtub. CD, 7" and iTunes single. June, 2005. Transistor Records.
- Until You Leave/Holds The Stars. Double A-side CD, 7" and iTunes single. November, 2005. Too Nice Records.
- The Scene And The Unseen. CD Album. 2006. Too Nice Records.
- Holds The Stars. iTunes Single of the week. November 2006
- Jailbird CD Single November 2007 - Sonic Roar / Transistor
- The Scene & The Unseen CD Album (re-release) Nov 2007 Sonic Roar/Transistor
- The Soar before CD E.P Nov 2010 Sonic Roar Records
Compilations:
- The Saturday Sessions: The Dermot O'Leary ShowThe Saturday Sessions: The Dermot O'Leary ShowThe Saturday Sessions: The Dermot O'Leary Show is a 2-disc compilation album of BBC Radio 2 popular music recordings, released in the United Kingdom in July 2007...
(2007, Virgin/EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
) - "Waterfall" - KCRW's The Next One (2008) - Until You Leave
Production & Songwriting credits:
- Nolween Leroy "Lights are on" Lyricist
- Karoshi Bros "Hold your fire" Vocalist
- Kym Brown "I got the stuff" Arranged/Remixed
- Jonnie Horden, Forthcoming Album, Producer
- Midnights Silent Repose: Producer/ Co-writer
Film & TV
- The Moguls (2006 - Jeff Bridges, Ted Danson, US) features Stoney's track Underdog
- Fireflies in the GardenFireflies in the GardenFireflies in the Garden is a 2011 drama film starring Willem Dafoe, Ryan Reynolds, and Julia Roberts. Written and directed by Dennis Lee, the film premiered at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival, but did not get released in the United States until October 14, 2011.Fireflies in the Garden...
(2008 - Julia Roberts, William Dafoe, US) features Stoney's track Best laid plans - BBC EastendersEastEndersEastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
episode June 2006 Featured Stoney's Track Until you leave - D.I.R.TDirt (TV series)Dirt is an American television serial broadcast on the FX network. It premiered on January 2, 2007 and starred Courteney Cox as Lucy Spiller, the editor-in-chief of the first-of-its-kind "glossy tabloid" magazine DirtNow, which was previously two separate publications: drrt and Now Dirt (styled...
(Touchstone, US) Season 1, Episode 7 features Stoney's track Best Laid Plans - Heroes & VillainsHeroes and Villains (TV series)Heroes and Villains was a 2007-2008 BBC Television docudrama series looking at key moments in the lives and reputations of some of the greatest warriors of history. Each hour long episode featured a different historical figure, including Napoleon I of France, Attila the Hun, Spartacus, Hernán...
(2007 - Vertigo films, UK) Features Stoney track Holds The Stars - Dirty SanchezDirty SanchezDirty Sanchez is commonly mistaken to be an act where the faecal matter it purposefully smeared onto a partner's upper lip. The term 'dirty sanchez' originated in the porn industry, particularly films involving ass to mouth action. It describes the Dirty Sanchez is commonly mistaken to be an act...
(2008, MTV) Features various Stoney tracks - Hades Bridge - (2008, UK VHK films - in production)Trailer features Stoney Track Round Here
- Current TVCurrent TVCurrent TV, or Current, is a media company led by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and businessman Joel Hyatt. Comcast owns a ten percent stake of Current's parent company, Current Media LLC....
documentary on Stoney - 2008 Sheffield Rock Star (Current TV, UK/US) - My Dangerous Loverboy (2009-Vita Nova films UK) Features Stoney-produced Set me Free
- American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
Season 10, week 5, Features Stoney track "Ghost" - Falling OvernightFalling OvernightFalling overnight is a 2010 American drama film directed by Conrad Jackson and written by Parker Croft, Aaron Golden, and Conrad Jackson. Falling Overnight stars Parker Croft and Emilia Zoryan-Plot:...
(DPO productions, 2011) Features Stoney track "Until you leave"