Beyonder Stornoway

• 1 River Of Voices 03:20
• 2 Marco Polo 05:24
• 3 Fire And Water 03:39
• 4 Skydiver 03:34
• 5 Hummingbird Feathers 03:53
• 6 The Honeyeater’s Song 03:47
• 7 The Book Of Time 03:32
• 8 Mariana 04:07
• 9 Spirit Walker 04:41
• 10 Wild Geese 03:39
• 11 Leave Your Light On 04:27
• Total Runtime 44:03

Info for Beyonder

Fresh from their sold-out Royal Albert Hall show - the biggest headline performance of their career - Stornoway return with their most ambitious album yet. BEYONDER, out 25 September on Cooking Vinyl, an album of wild hope, born from isolation, exploration, and a deep connection to the natural world.

The journey began on Britain’s highest sea cliffs. On St Kilda, 100 km west of the Outer Hebrides, frontman Brian Briggs stood 430 metres above the Atlantic with no land between him and Canada. Surrounded by wheeling fulmars and dive-bombing skuas, he recalls: “I was in their world, I couldn’t survive here for long.” A photograph he took that day now forms the album cover and marks the start of a creative rebirth.

Volunteering as a National Trust ranger by day and writing by night, Briggs absorbed the island’s stark contrasts: abandoned blackhouses built by a community that lived sustainably for 4,000 years, alongside a modern military base watching the same horizon.

That tension, between nature and geopolitics, fragility and resilience, runs through BEYONDER, shaping songs that speak to both the wild and the human heart.

By the time Stornoway took the stage at London’s Royal Albert Hall, they were standing at a different kind of edge, not just geographically, but artistically. What began on a remote Atlantic outpost has evolved into their most open-hearted record yet: a collection of songs about exploration, belonging, fragility, and resilience, powered by the natural world yet speaking directly to modern life, and mixed by Grammy award wining Oli Jacobs (Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, The 1975).

With BEYONDER, Stornoway continue to lead the conversation between music and conservation, proving that the pulse of nature can resonate through song, and through us all. It’s a record for anyone who has ever longed to feel both the wildness of the world and the strength of being alive.

Brian Briggs, lead vocals, guitar
Jon Ouin, keyboards
Oli Steadman, bass
Additional musicians:
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, vocals on "The Honeyeater's Song"
Daisy Chute, vocals on "Wild Geese"

Stornoway
named for a Scottish island but hailing from Oxford, formed in 2006 and quickly started leaving an indelible mark on the indie folk scene.

Their debut album, Beachcomber's Windowsill (2010), unveiled a delightful blend of folk, pop, and whimsy. Led by the captivating voice of frontman Brian Briggs, the album's standout tracks, 'Zorbing' and 'I Saw You Blink', showcased the band's ability to craft infectious hooks that nestled deep into the listener's consciousness.

Stornoway's follow-up release, Tales From Terra Firma, arrived in 2013 and further solidified their status as storytellers. The album showed off a more introspective side, exploring themes of love, loss, and longing with a nuanced touch. Tracks like 'The Great Procrastinator' and 'Farewell Appalachia' landed big, earning Stornoway critical acclaim and a dedicated following as well as chart success.

The band's infectious energy transformed their shows into communal celebrations. Playlisted everywhere, they toured with the likes of Sting, Norah Jones, Jay-Z, and Foo Fighters. Whether they were headlining massive festivals or playing intimate local gigs with an environmental focus, Stornoway fostered a profound connection with their audience. And then everything stopped.

After four studio albums, including the heartfelt Bonxie (2015) and the introspective The Bonxie Unseen (2016), Stornoway announced an indefinite hiatus in 2017. The fans were distraught, but it allowed the band members to follow their own individual paths and recharge their creative batteries.

Reforming for Truck festival in 2020, Stornoway began work on a comeback album. After a 6-year hiatus, the band returned in 2023 with their playful 4th album ‘Dig The Mountain!’, which reached number 7 in the sales charts and saw them further build their dedicated fanbase, with multiple headline sold-out tours in unique venues across the UK and further afield, including a run of their popular outdoor ‘Unplucked’ shows at nature reserves.

This album contains no booklet.