The Staves are very pleased to reveal Nazareth, the band’s first new music since their collaborative EP with the New York based chamber ensemble yMusic back in 2017.
Nazareth finds all the crucial ingredients of a Staves song present and correct; the lilting melody and verse entwined over finger-plucked guitar, and those crystalline harmonies swelling in unison. It’s a tender reintroduction to three sisters who have spent nigh on ten years now writing music from the heart and soul with the express reaction of warming both heart and soul. Nazareth was self-produced by Jessica, Camilla and Emily Staveley-Taylor.
Listen to Nazareth HERE
“We recorded Nazareth in one take on a field recorder sat outside the studio in the summer of 2018. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. We tried recording it in the studio but just kept coming back to this version. It seemed to have the magic.
“The song was intended to be in the spirit of an Irish blessing or a kind of a prayer, asking to be kept safe – but it pretty quickly became a more personal and introspective lyric. Moments of glory quickly faded. Worrying, trying. How we mean everything and nothing at the same time. To everyone, to no-one.” – The Staves
It’s been five long years since the release of the band’s acclaimed second album, If I Was, but the trio have been busy with extra-curricular. Jessica contributed vocals to Leonard Cohen’s final, posthumous record “Thanks For The Dance” produced by his son, Adam Cohen. And all three laid down their voices across a handful of tracks for Paul Weller’s recent number 1 album, On Sunset. With contributions over recent years for the likes of Lucy Rose, Bon Iver, and Flyte, those vocals remain in high demand.
As they put the finishing touches to further new music, The Staves have recently relaunched their podcast on Spotify. ‘Dial-A-Stave’ is an irreverent, fly-on-the-wall listen to the band’s everyday conversations with one another. Complete nonsense has rarely sounded quite so essential. A welcome late addition to your lockdown listening. Try it here
