If there was ever a doubt about how fascinating the city of Manchester is for music fans, I think you can drop it right here. But seriously, could there ever have been any doubts about this? Home to and breeding ground for such fantastic bands as Joy Division, The Smiths, Simply Red, The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, The Membranes, The Hollies, Herman’s Hermits, the Bee Gees, New Order and the subject of this fantastic ‘Burst Through The Borders’ video by the city’s own Caulbearers, really this is a city with much to boast on the musical front.

While England’s northern capital certainly has spawned a lot of greatness, nobody in the blues realm comes to mind more than Harry Stafford, who, apart from his solo work, also happens to be frontman and founder of 1980s post-punk band Inca Babies (who are still active by the way – expect a new album later this year.) In regards to his solo work, think Tom Waits, Jon Spencer, David J, Nick Cave, Bukka White, Son House, John Coltrane and the more recent output from another beloved UK outfit – Shriekback.

We are pleased to present ‘Termite City’, the latest collaborative track with Marco Butcher from their new ‘Bone Architecture’ album, a 12-track effort to be released in a few weeks’ time via Black Lagoon Records.

With a solid drive and penetrating sprinkles of tastefully-placed trumpet, this new song brings Stafford from straight blues back into somewhat rock-postpunk territory, creating some beautiful noise. That’s 2 out of 2 great tracks from the duo over the past month and a quick listen to the full album gives every indication that folks will be pleased, especially if they are fans of the above-mentioned artists.

“’Termite City’ is a celebration of the dirty city that always keeps standing no matter what people throw at it. Bombs, Riots, Scottish Football fans, Demolition, bad planning. People love this city and will do everything to protect it and despite their cynicism, they just can’t help themselves but be proud. Show a little love. A city is a termite tower with thousands of people all working to make their way in it. This termite Tower is Manchester; termites even build cathedral mounds,” says Harry Stafford.

“Jazz supremo Kevin Davy plays trumpet on this track and it is one of his finest pieces of work ever, IMO, and one of the best collaborations I have had the fortune to put on my record. The cat can blow.”

Despite the distance between them Stafford and Butcher are punk soul brothers from the same muddy musical pond. Connecting during a year of ‘lockdown hell’ inadvertently led to their collaboration. Not long ago, the duo released the single ‘There’s Someone Tryin’ To Get In’, which was well received and has garnered the duo press attention and airplay in several dozen countries.

‘Bone Architecture’ is a superb collection of songs that is raw and, at times, an unforgiving forage into urban punk blues with fuzzed up jazz and garage trash rock. Here, Harry and Marco’s styles have clashed magnificently into a powerful record that crosses a multitude of genres but with a dirty blues makeover. The LP includes reworked older material, brand-new compositions and even a dirty blues version of the Pink Floyd classic ‘Arnold Layne’.

Marco’s tracks were recorded at his Boombox Studio. Harry laid down vocals, piano and other instruments at Black Lagoon Records. London-based trumpet supremo Kevin Davy added jazz tones into the mix. After engineering, agonising, production and debates, they were finally mastered by Marco.

As of August 20, ‘Termite City’ will be available everywhere online and can be ordered HERE The ‘Bone Architecture’ LP will be released on September 3, both digitally and on CD and can already be ordered via Bandcamp

On the deeper blues spectrum of their album, check out the previous single:

Harry Stafford
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Marco Butcher
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