Stornoway

Stornoway play The Queen's Hall on Wednesday 17 February, with the set built around their new album Beyonder. It's a record they describe as channeling the powers of the natural world to reconnect people with nature, and one that confronts the biodiversity and climate crises. The night is a celebration of that album, so expect the newer material to take centre stage.

If you're coming to them late, there's a fair bit of ground to catch up on. The project started with their debut, Beachcomer's Windowsill, in 2010 — the result of a five-year journey that began with a Freshers week meeting at Oxford University between singer Brian Briggs and arranger Jon Ouin, and eventually led to them signing with 4AD. That record reached the UK Top 15 and went Gold. It was followed by Tales from Terra Firma and Bonxie, both of which made the Top 20 and earned five stars from The Guardian. After a six-year hiatus, they returned in 2023 with their fourth album, Dig The Mountain!, which hit number seven in the sales charts and saw them resume their 'Unplucked' shows at nature reserves.

They've long been recognised as a band working at the intersection of music and conservation, and that thread runs from the early days through to Beyonder. The sound is defined by Briggs' clear tenor, and they record in locations as varied as campervans, barns, chapels and community centres. It's a band that keeps a foot in the outdoors, and Beyonder is the latest chapter in that.

The gig starts at 7:00pm, with the box office opening at 6:30pm. Tickets are £29.50, which includes a 10% booking fee per ticket and a £2 transaction fee.