A Little Payne Never Hurt Anyone...the musical guide to Howard Eliott Payne
by Christopher Parkes
@rocknrollparksy
@rocknrollparksy
One of my favourite singer/songwriters, Howie Payne, mostly know for fronting Liverpool favourites The Stands as well as releasing his debut solo album 'Bright Light Ballads' under his full name of Howard Eliott Payne in 2009, but this was far from Payne's first ever band or musical release...
Payne first formed psychedelic rockers Magic Clock in 1992, before later fronting bands The Windmills(which featured would-be Cast drummer Keith O'Neill), Telefone and Blueseed.
The latter bands would appear on 'Unearthed Liverpool Cult Classics' compilations released by the Liverpool based Viper label, ran by former members of The La's.
 |
| a 'Telefone' poster at recently re-opened, The Lomax; Liverpool |
Payne's next band, Blueseed, released a mini-album 'Special Care and Spare Change' in 1998 on Ultimate Records.
Again on The Viper label, Howie featured on 'The Great Liverpool Acoustic Experiment' alongside a number of other Liverpool acts, with 'In So Many Ways' described as "the sound of Laurel Canyon 1968 relocated to Sefton Park..."
The song would later be re-recorded and released as a Stands B-Side, though the version on the above mentioned compilation, is superior (in my opinion of course...)
For a number of years, Howie and family re-located to New York, with Payne growing up in Queens, as well as the streets of Liverpool, and first began playing busking in Washington Square Park at the age of 15, before heading back to Liverpool.
At the end of the decade, Payne joined Liverpool cult legend Edgar Summertyme, formerly of The Stairs, in The Big Kids on lead guitar with his brother Sean Payne on drums and Russell Pritchard on bass, who both went on to sucess in rockers The Zutons.
The Big Kids released one 7' "I'm Bored" and the B-side of "Too Much Baby" on Heavenly Records and received acclaim from Oasis and High Flying Birds songwriter Noel Gallagher.
The Big Kids later appeared on another compilation by Viper, 21st Century Liverpool Underground alongside fellow Bandwagonites Tramp Attack.
The Big Kids would go on to have a storming residency at The Magnet in Liverpool. The new Millennium broke and Russell and Sean went on to join Liverpool rockers The Zutons, Edgar went on to release a number of solo records with his band The Joneses, while Howie then went on to form The Stands, later receiving public and critical acclaim and touring alongside Paul Weller, Jet and Oasis.
There was no fixed line up in the band originally and local musicians Martyn Campbell (Richard Ashcroft, Rain) Sean Payne (Zutons) Russel Pritchard (Zutons) and Robby Stevenson (Hokum Clones) all contributed to early shows.
At this point, Payne recruited local acoustic performer Steve Pilgrim to play drums and Luke Thomson on Guitar.
The trio, along with Martyn Campbell on Bass recorded a selection of demos at Parr St Studios in Liverpool. Payne reportedly financed the demos by roadying for The Zutons on their first UK tour.
In September 2002, ITV program This Is Music headed to Liverpool to film a number of bands who played at The Bandwagon night, headed up by The Bandits at The Zanzibar Club in the city.
On the night, The Stands were not on the bill until the rest of the bands appearing petitioned the producers of the show to add The Stands to the Program.
The Stands were then added to the program and performed 'All Years Leaving', with no set line up, Russ Pritchard (Zutons) played the bass guitar.
The Stands were then added to the program and performed 'All Years Leaving', with no set line up, Russ Pritchard (Zutons) played the bass guitar.
It was at this show the line up was complete, and the band were invited to support The Coral on the autumn UK tour.
During the tour with The Coral, Payne received a phone call from Oasis man Noel Gallagher. Gallagher had received a copy of the Parr Street demos by Martyn Campbell at an Oasis concert and Gallagher invited The Stands to support them at their Liverpool Royal Court gig in December 2002.
After the show Oasis invited the band to play two nights at Birmingham's N.I.A arena. In the early months of 2003 ,The Stands toured with The Burn, Alfie, Stephen Fretwell as well as fellow Bandwagonites The Zutons and The Coral.
The Stands were also invited to play Glastonbury, V Festival, T in the park and two shows with Oasis at Dublin's Point Theater. The band was still without management or a record deal at this point.
Their debut album, 'All Years Leaving' was released in February 2004, and entered the UK Albums Chart at number 28 released by Echo label. The album produced three Top 40 singles in the UK Singles Chart, spawning singles and videos for 'Here She Comes Again', 'I Need You' and 'Outside Your Door'
The Stands made a number of high profile performances the Glastonbury, V and T festivals along with The Isle of White Festival and the Asagari Jam Festival in Japan.
In October 2004, The Stands relocated to Los Angeles, California to record their second album, 'Horse Fabulous' with record producer Tom Rothrock at Sunset Sound Studios.
'Horse Fabulous' was much more polished and a step in a different direction for the band. But did produce this wonderful track, 'You Said'
The Stands then returned to the UK and joined Oasis for their European tour. The band had been through a number of line-up changes by this point in their career.
The Stands also appeared on an Acoustic Compilation, with an emotional rendition of Bob Dylan's 'Lay Lady Lay', one of my favourite Dylan songs in Howie's voice. Magic.
You can hear that here:
Above is a performance of 'I Need You' from the Japanese festival, and below, former Jam and Style Council frontman Paul Weller joins the band at Shepherds Bush Empire in London for a cover rendition of The Band's classic 'The Weight' both via Howie's YouTube channel.
The band's fifth single, "Do It Like You Like", entered the UK Top 30 in May 2005, and the band embarked on a second tour of the U.S. and toured the UK festival circuit through the summer Horse Fabulous was released on 25 July 2005 and spent one week in the UK Albums Chart.
The band parted company with the Echo Label, The Stands embarked on a fourth UK tour in September 2005, finishing with their final concert at the Carling Academy in London.
The band broke up in November 2005, with Payne noting artistic restraints within the band leading to the split. Payne broke the news to NME, the article still available here: http://www.nme.com/news/the-stands/21603
“It has been a
wonderful few years or so but over the last months my heart has been slowly
being drawn towards the idea of change and musical pastures new.... recent
times have been both creative and difficult in equal measure. I guess in order
to seek clarity I want to now take the time to take some time to get some fresh
air and move onto something new.”
Payne then added
that all the band thanks the fans for their “support” and “taking the time to
listen to our records”.
Below is a
performance from their last ever concert in London.
After a few years in different cities across the Atlantic, staying at a friends house in Los Angeles and hanging around the world famous Sunset Studios, and starting to listen to a lot of different bands and influences, such as Hank Williams, Fairport Convention, Tom Petty and Curtis Mayfield.
Payne notes that it "bent his head a certain way and for a couple of days he stayed up pretty much non-stop and wrote around 5 or 6 songs that put me him in a new place.."
And began 'thinking about producing a record quick...with the thought of doing the record really fast, raw, still get choice sounds but bypass the smoke and mirrors, no overdubs, push the button, everyone plays the song and the best version of each goes to make a record..'
Payne then released ten track folk-Americana inspired album 'Bright Light Ballads' under his full name, Howard Eliott Payne, and spawned the singles 'I Just Want To Spend Some Time With You' and 'Come Down Easy'
The album was produced by Ethan Johns, who had worked alongside Kings of Leon, Rufus Wainwright, Crowded House and Tom Jones.
The album was released digitally through Payne’s own label "Move City Records" on 14th of April 2009, and entered the iTunes "Singer/Songwriter" Album Charts at #1 and the iTunes Albums Chart at #13.
The album was then given a physical CD release in the UK less than a month later on 5th of May 2009.
On 21st September 2009, Move City Records then released the digital LP "Live at the Luminaire" a live album of Payne's sold-out solo performance at The Luminaire club in London.
The LP featured material from Payne's debut solo album as well as songs from The Stands' album "All Years Leaving".
Above is 'I Need You' from The Stands album, and below is the duet for Radio Merseyside with his sister, Candie Payne, together on album track 'Seven Years' from Howie's solo album.
Howie and Candie also covered folk cornerstone 'Silver Dagger', most famous for the versions by Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.
The live album entered the iTunes UK "Singer/Songwriter" Charts at #10. Around this time Howie was recording sessions with popular radio presenter Dermot O'Leary for the BBC, including covers of Elvis Costello's "Alison" and The Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale", as well as an acoustic version of Stands single, "Do It Like You Like", all three are below:
Howie also toured with Oasis as a solo artist, playing to packed out arena's across Europe.
Five songs written by Payne were recorded by upcoming Salford singer Ren Harvieu for her debut album 'Through the Night'
Lately, Howie has been uploading demo's from his upcoming release, demo's such as 'The Brightest Star', 'Hold Steady The Wire' and 'Holding On' have been met with rave reviews, with the sound most definitely being a progression from The Stands and his solo album as well as writing and helping sister Candie with her new upcoming record.
Howie made a rare live outing in November 2012, playing at Filthy McNasty's, a London haunt made famous by The Libertines years earlier. Me and a few friends made the trip down from Liverpool, there's a few snaps below:
As ever, I'll be eagerly awaiting his next release.
Hopefully, whoever is reading this has more of an insight and has heard a few rarities and understand more now into this talented singer/songwriter.
I met up with Howie in April 2013, the interview is here: http://rockndolestar.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/coming-down-easy-in-conversation-with.html
You can keep up with Howie online on sites below:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HowiePayneMusic
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/HowiePayneMusic
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/howiepaynemusic
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/howiepayne
Thanks for reading!
@rocknrollparksy
