Biography
The Winding Stair take knotted acoustic folk, and fuse it with chamber music mood to make a style that has moved audiences and critics alike. Comprised of acoustic guitar, cello, violin and plaintive vocal, it’s as compelling as it is unique.
Formed in late 2005, the BBC realised their potential early on, inviting the band to record two well received live sessions. One of these (‘TWS: In Session’) was released in 2006, leading to a feature in the respected Hotpress magazine.
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The success of these sessions led to a specially commissioned promo video for the band’s lead song ‘The Meadow’, which aired on BBC2 in May 07. With headline slots now standard, the band continued to work hard at writing.
Then something amazing happened: after catching a chance gig in a Belfast bookstore, respected booking agents Asgard (Tom Waits, Smokey Robinson) hand picked The Winding Stair to play the Glastonbury Acoustic Stage in July 07.
Alongside fellow Acoustic Stage artists like KT Tunstall, Moya Brennan, Damien Rice and Hothouse Flowers, The Winding Stair brought their inventive acoustic music to thousands at the gig of a lifetime – a remarkable feat for an as yet unsigned band.
Back home, supports with Martha Wainwright, Mi & L’au and Mr Hudson & The Library have allowed the band to impress fans from across the genres. Having even played a showcase gig at the historic Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, they’ve consistently impressed crowds throughout the country.
The release of their debut album, Finistère, shows them in confident and fiercely individual style. Taking influence from the vintage folk of Clannad and Pentangle, they add modern darkness from David Sylvian, Tori Amos and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy to make this melancholy, intricate music.
Haunting and inventive, the band are never content to rest on the laurels of the alt-folk bandwagon. Rather, their top notch playing and powerful moods show a band committed to their craft.
“Sublime”
- Belfast Newsletter
“Spellbinding,
beautiful music”
– BBC Radio
www.myspace.com/thewindingstair
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.