The Stephen Stanley Band - Before The Collapse Of The Hive (2023) Hi-Res

Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist Stephen Stanley is best known from his many years as a founding member, lead guitarist and vocalist with The Lowest of the Low

After years of touring and sharing the stage with the likes of Billy Bragg, The Violent Femmes, The Jayhawks and Lloyd Cole, a gold record for their “genuinely timeless album” Shakespeare My Butt was a career highlight. Stanley now leads his own band, and has logged other monumental shows with 54•40, Bob Mould, Cracker, Lee Ann Womack, Jake Clemons and Willie Nile.

“The songs are big and bold, unafraid, unashamed to flaunt their heritage… Stanley’s voice being not a thing of beauty but a workman’s tool skillfully used to create just the right effect…”

Making another album with producer Chris Brown became a challenge during the pandemic.
Recording on Wolfe Island is an integrated life experience. Start times and stop times are not regimented. Often, we’d go and play a set at the Hotel Wolfe Island (co-owned by Chris Brown) and recording would take place around the timing of the show.
Except for Kate Fenner and Ron Hawkins, outside of my band, everyone who played on the record lives on Wolfe Island. This wonderful stable of players and singers, deeply affected the sound of this album. This is to say nothing about what Hugh Christopher Brown brought to the proceedings.