The Story (British band)
The Story is an English psychedelic folk duo comprising the former Forest member Martin Welham and his son Tom Welham.[1] They write and record melodic songs that range from psychedelic pop to stream-of-consciousness folk and play an array of predominantly acoustic instruments as a backdrop to their blend of vocal harmonies.[2]
The Story | |
|---|---|
 Tom & Martin Welham | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| Genres | Psychedelic folk, psychedelic pop, progressive folk, psychedelic rock, acoustic, folk rock |
| Years active | 2002– present |
| Labels | Good Village, Sunbeam, Cold Spring, Rainbow Quartz |
| Members | Martin Welham Tom Welham |
| Website | thestoryuk |
Biography
Martin Welham was part of the influential 1960s acid folk trio Forest.[3] In the early 2000s, thirty years after Forest disbanded, he formed the Somerset based band The Story with his son Tom and returned to recording music. Their sound has echoes of Martin's earlier work[4] with authentic psychedelic songwriting at its core.[2]
The band's first release was a 2005 vinyl split album, The Dawn Is Crowned, with Californian freak folk band Whysp on Good Village Records. The Story's side has five broadly acoustic tracks that blend esoteric, dark imagery with powerful vocal harmonies resulting in an unattributable psychedelic air.[5]
In 2006, the band released its first full-length album, Tale Spin, on Sunbeam Records, the first contemporary artists released by the label.[6] This psychedelic folk album features acoustic guitars, keyboards and light percussion combined with airy harmony vocals and wistful melodies.[7]
A follow-up album, Arcane Rising, was released in 2007. A stream of consciousness conceptual song cycle, the album is made up of improvised melodies and acoustic guitar backings augmented by flutes, melody harp, harmonica and hand percussion. Lyrically, the album celebrates life and nature through the changing seasons while questioning religious doctrines and humankind's ecological footprint.[8] Also in 2007, The Story's sinister track "The Wicker Man" appeared on the dark folk compilation album John Barleycorn Reborn on Cold Spring Records.[9]
The band's acclaimed[10] third full-length album, Joy Ride on Memory Lane, was released in 2011 by Rainbow Quartz Records under the band name The Story UK.[11] This confident, hook-laden[12] psychedelic album has a rockier sound than previous releases[13] while continuing to incorporate the duo's warm harmonies and highly melodic aesthetic.[14] Cold Spring Records' 2011 dark folk compilation album, John Barleycorn Reborn: Rebirth, included The Story's ritualistic celebration piece "All Hallow's Eve".[15]
In 2018, the psychedelic folk rock release, The Dawn is Crowned with Opium Tears, brought together the first ever digital release of the band's 2005 vinyl LP, with five esoteric, darkly oblique, progressive psychedelic rock songs.[16]
Discography
Split album
| The Dawn is Crowned | |
|---|---|
| Studio album (split vinyl album) by The Story and Whysp | |
| Released | October 2005 |
| Genre | Psychedelic folk, acoustic |
| Label | Good Village Recordings |
| Producer | The Story |
The Dawn Is Crowned
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Beginning" | T. Welham | 1:20 |
| 2. | "Floating Box" | M. Welham, T. Welham | 4:17 |
| 3. | "Road to Ascension" | T. Welham, M. Welham | 3:53 |
| 4. | "Emergency" | M. Welham | 2:26 |
| 5. | "English Oak" | T. Welham | 4:54 |
| Total length: | 16:06 | ||
Studio albums
| Tale Spin | |
|---|---|
| Studio album by The Story | |
| Released | 7 March 2006 |
| Genre | Psychedelic folk |
| Length | 37:32 |
| Label | Sunbeam |
| Producer | The Story |
Tale Spin
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Story" | M. Welham | 3:38 |
| 2. | "Hope and Pray" | T. Welham | 2:51 |
| 3. | "Roll of the Dice" | T. Welham | 1:33 |
| 4. | "Down to the Trees" | M. Welham, T. Welham | 3:07 |
| 5. | "Windmills" | T. Welham | 4:33 |
| 6. | "Walking the Wall" | M. Welham | 3:21 |
| 7. | "Anyway" | T. Welham | 3:05 |
| 8. | "Strange World" | T. Welham | 2:43 |
| 9. | "Winterborn" | M. Welham | 4:24 |
| 10. | "All Around Me" | T. Welham | 3:34 |
| 11. | "Between the Lines" | T. Welham, M. Welham | 4:43 |
| Total length: | 37:32 | ||
| Arcane Rising | |
|---|---|
| Studio album by The Story | |
| Released | 6 November 2007 |
| Genre | Psychedelic folk, acoustic |
| Length | 39:58 |
| Label | Sunbeam |
| Producer | The Story |
Arcane Rising
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A Story to Tell" | T. Welham, M. Welham | 1:15 |
| 2. | "Lingering" | M. Welham, T. Welham | 2:46 |
| 3. | "Watch Out" | M. Welham, T. Welham | 2:42 |
| 4. | "You Caught Me Just in Time" | T. Welham, M. Welham | 1:57 |
| 5. | "Winter Light" | M. Welham, T. Welham | 2:21 |
| 6. | "The Darkened Path" | M. Welham, T. Welham | 2:44 |
| 7. | "Slipstreams" | M. Welham, T. Welham | 4:26 |
| 8. | "A Wheel Turns" | T. Welham, M. Welham | 1:00 |
| 9. | "Awake Aware" | T. Welham, M. Welham | 1:24 |
| 10. | "Away With It All" | T. Welham, M. Welham | 1:42 |
| 11. | "The Fox" | M. Welham, T. Welham | 1:54 |
| 12. | "Precious One" | T. Welham, M. Welham | 4:43 |
| 13. | "Flash Across The Sky" | M. Welham, T. Welham | 3:01 |
| 14. | "Dappled Stream" | T. Welham, M. Welham | 3:00 |
| 15. | "A Course of Action" | T. Welham, M. Welham | 3:47 |
| 16. | "Night Calls" | M. Welham, T. Welham | 1:16 |
| Total length: | 39:58 | ||
| Joy Ride on Memory Lane | |
|---|---|
| Studio album by The Story UK | |
| Released | 11 September 2011 |
| Genre | Psychedelic pop, rock |
| Length | 50:23 |
| Label | Rainbow Quartz |
| Producer | The Story UK |
Joy Ride on Memory Lane
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Her Name Is Love" | T. Welham | 4:02 |
| 2. | "Standing in the Rain"[17]" | T. Welham | 3:55 |
| 3. | "For the Good of Your Soul" | M. Welham | 4:41 |
| 4. | "Running Out of Time" | T. Welham | 3:29 |
| 5. | "A Stone's Throw Away" | M. Welham, T. Welham | 3:06 |
| 6. | "Roundabout" | T. Welham | 5:17 |
| 7. | "Sixty Eight" | M. Welham | 4:17 |
| 8. | "Andromeda" | M. Welham | 4:32 |
| 9. | "She Doesn't Care" | M. Welham, T. Welham | 3:53 |
| 10. | "Real World" | M. Welham | 3:29 |
| 11. | "The Chase" | T. Welham, M. Welham | 4:27 |
| 12. | "Magic Lantern" | T. Welham, M. Welham | 5:15 |
| Total length: | 50:23 | ||
| The Dawn is Crowned with Opium Tears | |
|---|---|
| Studio album by The Story UK | |
| Released | 1 March 2018 |
| Genre | Psychedelic folk, psychedelic rock |
| Length | 38:13 |
| Label | The Story UK |
| Producer | The Story UK |
The Dawn is Crowned with Opium Tears
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Beginning" | T. Welham | 1:27 |
| 2. | "Floating Box" | M. Welham, T. Welham | 4:24 |
| 3. | "Road to Ascension" | T. Welham, M. Welham | 4:02 |
| 4. | "Emergency" | M. Welham | 2:27 |
| 5. | "English Oak" | T. Welham | 4:22 |
| 6. | "The Moon, The Sun" | M. Welham, T. Welham | 5:00 |
| 7. | "Wonderland" | T. Welham | 4:41 |
| 8. | "Dawn Tourist" | M. Welham | 4:13 |
| 9. | "The Wickerman" | M. Welham, T. Welham | 2:30 |
| 10. | "Opium Tears" | M. Welham | 5:07 |
| Total length: | 38:13 | ||
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Dusted | Positive[18] |
| The Unbroken Circle | Favorable[19] |
The Dawn Is Crowned
The Story's contribution to the split vinyl LP The Dawn Is Crowned was described by Doug Mosurak of Dusted as "panoptic in scope and fairly timeless, interjecting frills and fantasy elements into solid, warm musicianship",[18] while The Unbroken Circle's Mark Coyle described the song "Road To Ascension" as "a masterpiece of any era" and the vocal harmonies as "incredible with an un-attributable psychedelic air".[19]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| FoxyDigitalis |   [20] |
| Psychedelic Folk | Favourable[21] |
Tale Spin
Jeff Penczak of Foxy Digitalis described Tale Spin as "a whistful collection of melodic folk pop full of gorgeous harmonies" while Psychedelic Folk's Gerald Van Waes noted the "warm, delicate beautiful harmony vocals, simple guitars and percussion" making it "a beautiful album and another winner for true and truthful acid folk collectors".
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| PopMatters | [22] |
| Shindig! | Positive[23] |
| Uncut | [24] |
Joy Ride on Memory Lane
Joy Ride on Memory Lane received positive reviews. For PopMatters, Stephen Haag described the album as "Utterly Charming" and noted that the duo "definitely have near-encyclopedic knowledge of the Britfolk/psych genre".[22] Shindig! magazine's Pat Curran described the songs as "highly melodic, warm and inviting" and commented that the album "bears repeated listening and comes highly recommended".[23] Uncut magazine's Rob Young said the father and son "make a hugely sympathetic pairing" and that the album "combines the best elements of Brit folk-rock's heyday".[24]
The TimeLarks
In 2011, Martin and Tom began performing as part of the folk trio The TimeLarks[25] and appeared at the 2012 International Pop Overthrow festival at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. In 2016, they released two progressive acoustic folk albums, Wheel of Stone and Grain of Light.[26]
References
- Young, Rob (2010). Electric Eden. London: Faber and Faber Ltd. p. 604. ISBN 978-0-571-23752-4.
- "Profile of The Story". The Unbroken Circle. 31 January 2008. Archived from the original on 31 January 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- "Classic Artist Profile". The Unbroken Circle. 31 January 2008. Archived from the original on 31 January 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- "Citizens Arcane". Shindig!. 2: 32. May–June 2008.
- "The Dawn Is Crowned Review". The Unbroken Circle. 3 February 2008. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- "The Story biography at". Sunbeam Records. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- "Tale Spin review". Other Music. 11 May 2006. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- "The Story Arcane Rising Review". Shindig!. 2: 59. May–June 2008.
- "The Wicker Man video". Youtube. 28 June 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- "Album Review", Uncut, November 2011
- "Red Eye Distribution artist information". Red Eye Distribution. 27 September 2011. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- Haag, Stephen. "Popmatters review". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 8 June 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- "THE STORY UK – JOY RIDE ON MEMORY LANE". Terrascope. 26 April 1997. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- "Joy Ride on Memory Lane Review". Shindig!. 4. 24 November 2011.
- "John Barleycorn Reborn: Rebirth information". Cold Spring Records. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- "The Story - UK psych band in conversation: 'The Whole Story' (2018)". Youtube. 9 March 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
- Standing in the Rain video, Youtube
- Mosurak, Doug. "the Story/Whysp The Dawn is Crowned split 12" LP". Dusted. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- Coyle, Mark (December 2005). "The Story / Whysp - The Dawn in Crowned". The Unbroken Circle. Archived from the original on 3 February 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
- Penczak, Jeff Review: The Story: Tale Spin. Retrieved 28 August 2012. Archived 21 January 2013 at archive.today
- Van Waes, Gerald Review: The Story: Tale Spin, Psychedelic Folk. Retrieved 28 August 2012. Archived 23 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- Haag, Stephen. "Review: The Story UK: Joy Ride on Memory Lane". PopMatters. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- Curran, Pat (24 November 2011). "Review: Joy Ride on Memory Lane". Shindig!.
- Young, Rob (November 2011). "Review: Album Review". Uncut: 102.
- "TimeLarks profile". Facebook. 27 May 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- "The TimeLarks discography". CD Baby. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2018.