Stereo Embers' TRACK OF THE DAY: Harry Stafford and Marco Butcher's "Bone Architecture" - Stereo Embers Magazine Stereo Embers Magazine

Written by: Matt Sloan

Inca Babies frontman Harry Stafford and multi-instrumentalist Marco Butcher present their new video for ‘Bone Architecture’ from the album of the same name, a 12-track collection that they spent their lockdown year making (and which released a couple weeks ago).

Right from the introduction, one is reminded of Lynch’s Twin Peaks and, at the same time, the opening beats of Tones on Tail’s “Happiness,” before you’re thrust into jazzy blues territory, recalling that you’re on this unique bridge created by Stafford (based in Manchester, UK) and Butcher (based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina but originally from Sao Paolo, Brazil).

“Bone Architecture” is a song about being caught in a riot. It could be an Extension Rebellion Riot, a poll tax riot or even the Peterloo massacre of 1819. Harry’s film puts him as a broadcaster reporting on events that happened. But because he doesn’t mince his words, he tells it in a bloody and visceral way. As humans when our bodies are broken and bruised by the police batons it’s our ‘bone architecture’ that is smashed and broken. This video was filmed of the streets of Manchester, where the riots may or may not have happened.

This is a piece with drums, piano and trumpet – dub jazz – and a fitting sampler of the full Bone Architecture album with Harry Stafford on piano and vocals, Marco Butcher on drums, and Kevin Davy on trumpet.

Despite the distance, 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. Marco’s tracks were recorded at his Boombox Studio. Harry laid down vocals, piano and other instruments at Black Lagoon Records. London trumpet supremo Kevin Davy added jazz tones into the mix.
“There’s something about collaborating that is pure magic to me, cause you’re not sharing ideas at the same time and you’re in the moment. There’s something about the not knowing what the other will bring . . the surprise factor. The fact that music is very elastic and not always the way ya listen to it in your mind but something else, something cooler, greater,” says Butcher.

Keep up with Harry Stafford