1. Amy Walker
Double Page Spread Article
Sat tweaking his classic, Fender guitar, Stephen tells Acapella “This is just so surreal, I can’t
believe how much progress I’ve gained over the last 18 months. It’s more than I could have
ever asked for.” Life for the new, up and coming Mancunion is finally on the positive end of
the scale. It seems that ‘luck’ is certainly what makes this quirky artist an independent star.
“I felt like fame was never going to happen for me. Having played at almost 600 gigs before I
even got spotted, it was just draining. I was on the verge of giving up”. Since the age of 15,
Stephen has been doing gigs in pubs, local festivals and at weddings. “After the 200th gig, I
just thought f**k it, this isn’t for me. Luckily, thanks to my highly supportive mates I didn’t
give up. I knuckled down, wrote some do stuff and bob’s your Uncle”.
Stephen then went on to describe and explain how band, Bon Iver has also been an
incredibly large influence throughout his rise to fame. “I respect and admire Bon Iver’s style
of music and passion for their work. Justin Vernon’s such an inspirational guy, his musical
ability just never ends. Yeah, as you probably gathered, I’m a massive fan of Bon Iver.”
When releasing his forthcoming album, Disclosed Desires, set to be hitting our stores in June
this year, he paid a visit to Bon’s distribution label, Jagiaguwar for some hints and tips on his
latest release. “Yeah, they were a massive help for me, they gave me really good
distribution advice which is why I attended the shindig”
“At the end of the day, my guitar is my life and I don’t know where’d I’d be without it”.
Stephen then began to discuss his latest album, Disclosed Desires, and what lies beneath its
estranged title. There has been a rumour that he recorded his debut single, ‘Pack Up’ was
recorded on his Nokia. “It’s true; I was really going through a tough time so the only thing
available for me was my old Nokia.” Stephen talks about his troublesome childhood and the
struggles he had to through whilst living in his shed throughout his debut single which is
now available for download on iTunes and to buy. With the single currently at number 5 in
the charts, it’s clear that young Stephen is definitely one to look out for this year.