Paste Premieres New Christopher Paul Stelling Song "Scarecrow"
Paste is premiering a new song from singer and musician Christopher Paul Stelling. The track “Scarecrow” is from Stelling’s forthcoming album Labor Against Waste which comes out June 16th on Anti-.
The soaring melody and heartfelt vocals of “Scarecrow” barely contain a profound sadness, slowly building into something deep and effortless. The sound, a lone guitar quickly augmented by soft drumming, a harmonica and a French horn, recalls classic singer-songwriters, with elements of gospel, folk and a bittersweet soul. The lyrics build on a haunting refrain, as Stelling asks us to “Breathe through the doubts” while the hesitant syncopation of the vocal seems to hold its own breath.
“We could have fleshed it out more, perfected it,” Stelling explains, “but I've come to love songs that are recorded in a way that captures that time and place. There're little things about the recording that couldn't have been present without the spontaneity we employed: like the slight jingle of Ben’s keys (Ben Knox-Miller of the Low Anthem who engineered the session). He had sprained his ankle and was hopping around on one foot all week up and down the long hallways above the theatre where we recorded the first sessions. Hearing that familiar sound of his keys brings me right back to that week we spent tracking what would become Labor. Adding to the soundscape are Liz Rubard (the Loom) on French Horn, Dom Billet (Toy Soldiers) on Drums, and my partner Julia Christgau on harmony vocals.”
Listen to the song “Scarecrow” via Paste: http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2015/04/song-premiere-christopher-paul-stelling---scarecro.html
Christopher Paul Stelling will be appearing at the storied Newport Folk Festival this July in Newport Rhode Island alongside artists such as Iron & Wine, Calexico and more.
Stelling's sound, his timeless voice and virtuosic fingerpicked guitar, channels the restless spirit of the troubadour tradition: endless nights alone on stage with a guitar, playing to packed houses, other times to nearly empty rooms. He estimates that he’s played over four hundred shows in just the past three years. It places him in a line that stretches back centuries.
“What a real self contained, modern day troubadour looks and sounds like. A voice to be reckoned with in the years to come.” - American Songwriter