Members:
Prydwyn (Prydwyn Olvardil Piper) - Green Crown, Quickthorn, Stone Breath
Sarada (Sarada Holt) - White Gloves And Party Manners, Breathe Stone, Crow Tongue, Stone Breath
Timothy Renner - Black Happy Day, Breathe Stone, Moth Masque, Mourning Cloak, The Spectral Light And Moonshine Firefly Snakeoil Jamboree, Stone Breath
“Before there were many, there were few” - So starts the chapter about Stone Breath in Jeanette Leech’s book, “Seasons They Change: The Story of Acid and Psychedelic Folk” - and so it was back in 1995 when Stone Breath started. The 1960s had come and gone (the revival of the 60s and 70s folk bands was yet to come), the post-industrial scene’s flirtation with folk music had swayed to neo-classical or art-song, and the modern psychedelic scene was far more interested in Krautrock’s burning electricity than it was in acoustic instruments. Stone Breath, however, remained firmly rooted in folk music.
Wood, skin, bone, bronze, steel, gut. These are the materials of acoustic instruments. Materials of the earth. Stone Breath wanted to make earth music. Timeless music. Music that could be made without electricity. Music that could be played in field or forest (or even in lonely graveyards as was the case in the early days of the band). Stone Breath have held true to this vision over 9 albums, several eps, various compilation appearances, and almost 20 years.
Having remained a 3 piece for most of the band’s life, recent years have seen the core band adding more members. The sound has moved gradually from sparse Syd Barrett meets Nick Drake ghost-songs to a much fuller sound - often incorporating layers of vocal harmonies and intricate instrumentation ranging from guitar and banjo to Middle Eastern instruments to homemade lyres, dulcitars, and more.
Members of Stone Breath backed Tom Rapp (of 60s/70s acid folk touchstone, Pearls Before Swine) for most of his comeback shows and recorded with Tom on his “Journal of the Plague Year” album. Stone Breath played most of the legendary Terrastock festivals sharing the bill with such acts as Tom Rapp, Country Joe, Sonic Youth, Acid Mothers Temple, The Bevis Frond, Kendra Smith, and many more. In 2001, Stone Breath conceived and helped organize The Poor Minstrels of Song and the Temple of the Moon tour - a traveling festival of acid/psychedelic/experimental acoustic music.
In recent years they have become more active in both recording and live modes.
last.fmAlbums
Songs Of Moonlight And Rain (CD) Camera Obscura CAM 001CD 1997
Songs Of Moonlight And Rain (Expanded Edition) (CD, Album, RE) Hand/Eye h/e031 2007
A Silver Thread To Weave The Seasons (CD) Camera Obscura CAM010CD 1998
A Silver Thread To Weave The Seasons (Expanded Edition) (2xCD, Album, RE, Cha) Hand/Eye h/e033 2008
Lanterna Lucis Viriditatis (CD, Album) Hand/Eye h/e006 2000
Lanterna Lucis Viriditatis (Expanded) (2xCD, Album, RE) Hand/Eye h/e042 2008
The Silver Skein Unwound (CD, Album) Camera Obscura CAM 061CD 2003
The Silver Skein Unwound (CD, Album, RE) Hand/Eye h/e045 2009
Knotwork (CD, Album) Hand/Eye h/e043 2008
The Shepherdess And The Bone-White Bird (LP, Album) Hand/Eye h/e046 2009
Stone Breath / Forest Beggars, The - The Shepherdess And The Bone-White Bird / Virgo, Mater, Domina Hand/Eye 2010
Stone Breath with Forest Beggars, The - The Shepherdess And The Bone-White Bird / Virgo, Mater, Domina (2xCD, Album + 5", Single + Box) Hand/Eye h/e0471 2010
Stone Breath / Forest Beggars, The - The Shepherdess And The Bone-White Bird / Virgo, Mater, Domina (2xCD) Hand/Eye h/e047 2010
The Ætheric Lamp (CD, Album) Hand/Eye h/e050 2011
Stone Breath / Mike Seed with the Language Of Light - The Ætheric Lamp (LP) AntiClock Records, Hand/Eye AC0012, h/e049 2011
Who Is Listening? (CDr) Hand/Eye h\e054 2012
The Night Birds Psalm (CD, Album) Hand/Eye H/E053 2012
Twist Of Thorn (Cass, Ltd) Brave Mysteries CQBL031 2012
Spear Of Flame, Horse Of Air (LP, Album, TP) Not On Label (Stone Breath Self-released) No Catalog Number 2013
Spear Of Flame, Horse Of Air (LP, Album, Ltd) Brave Mysteries MYST010 2013
Singles & EPs
Strange Familiars EP (7", Ltd, Cle) Hand/Eye h/e002 1996
Fit And Limo / Stone Breath - The Silence Of A Million Tongues (7", Ltd) Hand/Eye H/E005 2000
Green Shrouds For Dead Gods...Green Swaddling For Gods Reborn (7") Vauva VAUVA-04 2002
Ephrata (Let Water Pass Above Me) (7", Ltd) Time-Lag Records Time-Lag 008 2002
Revelation Moon (CDr, Mini, Ltd, Dig) Hand/Eye h/e-moon1 2005
Sacco's Last Letter (CDr, Mini) Hand/Eye hew02 2007
The Holly Crown (CDr, Mini, Ltd, On ) Hand/Eye hew03 2007
Fire Beyond The Seventh Gate (5", EP, Ltd, Num, Lat + CDr, Mini, EP, Ltd, Num, 3) Hand/Eye h/e059 2014
Compilations
Iditarod, The, Stone Breath, Charalambides, Bardo Pond, Sonic Youth, The - Terrastock 5 (5x7", Ltd + , Comp) Time-Lag Records Time-Lag 007-011 2002
The Long Lost Friend: A Patchwork (CD, Album) Perun Run 0404 2003
Miscellaneous
The Snow-White Ghost-White Stag (CDr) Deep Water Acres DW036 2012
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