Esteemed alumni as and when:
Brendon Massei, Laura Goetz, Jess Burnett-Wain, Malcolm Benzie, Pablo Clark, Jamie Wallace O'Connor, Robin Spottiswoode, Stenhouse, James M Clark, Andy Mallarkey, Alastair Henderson
Influences
fife kills:
bear scotland
tracer trails
fence
burnley fc
alfred wainwright
aldo leopold
roger deakin
"St John's guitar jangles discordantly from time to time, the harmonium wheezes gently in the background, and the eerie warblings of a saw occasionally rises from the ether, lending the whole thing a comforting, after-hours feeling reminiscent of James Yorkston or David Thomas Broughton" - **** The Skinny
"the soft and searching brilliance of ‘Paper Ships’ is matched only by the understated beauty of ‘The Wicker Basket’ - both deserving the attentions of a much wider audience than this limited release will reach" - Bearded Magazine
"Live, RSJ are simply pulse-stopping. Rob's quivering intone coils around audiences like a wreath, whiles his cohorts (including members of local heroes eagleowl, Emily Scott, The Great Bear and Pineapple Chunks) tenderly orchestrate a graveyard of spellbinding, organic melody." - The Scotsman
"Rob St. John's (****) gentle pop fixates on his soft voice, a reserved David Gedge who pulls away from the microphone constantly, afraid of sharing his secrets, as the cosying chorus of Emily Scott and Bart Owl lead him on. Serenely chiming together, the dynamic flux of St. John's tunes becomes decidedly endearing. The (as yet untitled) final track suddenly throws all restraint aside, storming with near outright riffage, the wonderful release of shining pop." - The Skinny
"Later on in the day, Leith based but Lancashire raised ambient folk master Rob St John takes to the stage. ‘The Shipping Forecast’ is a wistful pop song that allows St John’s vocals to come to the fore. Finale ‘The Sargasso Sea’ is a frenetic beast of a rock track over which the muse of Neil Young looms. It’s a startling finish to St John’s set, which was at one time known for being the epitome of low key." - Fest magazine - Retreat! festival 2009
"Rob St. John’s voice has a richness that instantaneously immerses you in calm. As all wonderful voices do, it has an edge of sorrow even when talking about the sun and shores. This melancholy waltz seems has the feeling of quietly falling in love. It belongs in the soundtrack of an indie film involving espresso cups, lingering touches and heavy, mascarerred eyelashes." - Leith Records
"In "A Red Heron" there is a hint of John Martyn in the arrangement - the track also showcases St. John's uniquely woozy voice - while the concluding cut brings the disk to a close in suitably spectral fashion. Original instrumentation, quality recording and an unusual voice make this a really good listen" - Terrascope
"Despite the languid mood of the record, there's a richness and depth that more than repays repeated listens..One thing is sure, this record confirms Rob St John as a maturing talent to be treasured and celebrated." - 10/10 Whisperin & Hollerin
"Combining lo-fi folk with traditional finger-picking guitar and a sonorous voice, he’s in the same stubbly field as James Yorkston and has enough originality to stand out from the pack." - **** The List
"There’s also a real feeling that the band are kicking up and having fun with the recording. However, although clearly a collegiate undertaking, the stand-out feature of the EP is St John’s voice, at times barely above a whisper, at others swooping though the roof bosses, but always as clear as the streams of his native Lancashire moors" - 9/10 Audioscribbler
“I’m hearing fragments of James Yorkston, and this time there are clear echoes of David Thomas Broughton ..I reckon Rob St John should be lauded as one of the country’ finest young troubadours around right now. Like Alchemy is simply one of the best EPs I’ve heard in 2008 and the title track is one of this year’s most beautiful songs. Simple as that.” - The Daily Growl
"Paper Ships is six-minutes of desolate sadness which also manages to be warm, gentle and uplifting despite the seemingly end-of-world feeling. A Red Heron is as close to upbeat as the band gets - tinkling sweetly like a music box, and slowly growing into a big, black, campfire song...your soul'll be stirred, and that is a rare thing indeed" - A New Band a Day
"Their laid-back, slightly folksy yet crystal-clear sound is captured perfectly on the sublime opener ‘A Red Heron’. Its mournful melody perfectly matches the mood of the lyrics: “all this talk of getting so old”. And although it is easy to focus on St John’s voice, theirs is very much a collective effort. On ‘Paper Ships’ their true originality shines through as band member Louise Martin plays a large bandsaw; other instruments in their arsenal include a harmonium and what appears to be a hand-held harp" - Audioscribbler
"A Yamaha synth deputised ably as he opened the Tracer Trails-stewarded line-up at Hew Scott Hall with a set of gorgeous, pastoral folk, hushed and sleepy enough to send an insomniacs convention off to the land of nod." - The Scotsman Homegame 2008 review
"This three track EP is an absolute gem. Limited to 100 copies (act quickly!) these three songs are music to lose yourself in (and quite possibly find yourself, too). His whispered vocals and gentle guitar playing lure you in, and reward you with each and every listen. Rob St John is a name to be mentioned in the same breath as Bill Callahan or John Martyn. That special, that rare, that brilliance" - ***** Is This Music
"A manly, but delicately downbeat Hefner yawing and gently buzzing between the equal and opposite poles of emotion and clarity." - Unpeeled magazine
"his soft, searching folk expels any notion of the predictable - he's definitely one to keep an eye on" - The List
MPFREES OF EPs AND LIVE SET HERE: http://sites.google.com/site/robstjohnthefreeeps/
(might have to cut and paste URL as myspace seems to have difficulties linking to googlesites!)
LIKE ALCHEMY EP (Fife Kills: Records, 2008) SOLD OUT
The new release, recorded live with minimal overdubs in one evening in Stockbridge Church in Edinburgh in autumn 2008. Strictly limited to 250 copies in hand stamped and numbered recycled packaging through Fife Kills: records. Creaks and drones of the double bass, musical saw, cello, autoharp, glockenspiel, harmonium and baritone uke on four songs:
1) Like Alchemy
2) Paper Ships
3) A Red Heron
4) The Wicker Basket
TIPPING IN EP (Fife Kills: Records 2007): SOLD OUT
Debut EP recorded in a portacabin in Dalkeith in autumn 2007(like a lowbudget Bon Iver then...) 100 numbered copies:
1) Tipping In
2) A Wooden Rose
3) The Acid Test
TILLY002 'Flameless Electric Heat' by Various Artists: An international cassette compilation documenting DIY musicians from France, England, the U.S., Canada and Scotland.
Hearts thumping in your pocket. This is a limited "very good" release for £3 ppd to the UK, and featuring almost entirely exclusive material from:
The Hailstones - A Trip to the Acropolis // Francois - In Bed // Rob St John - A Red Heron // Vase - Apple, Table, Penny (First Version) // Your Heart Breaks - Holding On // Tissø Lake - In the Falls // Waterboatmen - Challenge 37: Poppy Hop // The Great Bear - Love and Death Song // Lightening Tree Singers feat. members of Waterboatmen, LAKE and T.L. // Owl Eyes - What the Body Remembers // Library Band - How Do You Play Upside-down C? // Tek Paste - Clogs on Handlebars.
The Skinny magazine just named us one of the top 10 acts to watch in 2009, alongside such crackers as Meursault, Over The Wall, Sky Larkin and We Were Promised Jetpacks. Chuffed is an understatement:
"The hushed reverence of Rob St John is a sound to behold. The Edinburgh based troubadour’s cerebral tones and stupefying sense of atmosphere is always breathtaking, and at best the purpose of adjoining strum and voice as one. Tingling neck-hairs with his slow-handed brilliance, St John’s knack for a tune is similar to local luminary James Yorkston, but there’s enough autumnal despair in his finger-plucked trinkets to suggest Messrs Drake and Buckley have had a hand in developing his wispy, evocative laments. Either way, Rob St John’s a remarkable, uncut diamond soon to be dug up."
The RSJ band have had the luck/pleasure of sharing stages with: Diane Cluck, Woodpigeon, Adrian Crowley, Viking Moses!, Golden Ghost, Benjamin Wetherill, Leafcutter John, Peter Walker, Thomas Truax, Billy Childish, Super Furry Animals, Daniel Higgs, Teenage Fanclub, King Creosote, Alasdair Roberts, Jack Rose, Dent May, Mike Bones, Hush Arbors etc etc, the ever-fantastic Fife Kills: collective, and a few sets at the Fence Homegame.
Hi folks, thanks for letting us play December & Whisky on this weeks podcast. You can listen at www.glsgowpodcart.com or download and subscribe free from iTunes. You can also listen or stream from www.radiomagnetic.com. Looking forward to seeing you soon!
My word, that live version of the Sargossa Sea is loud! Distortion and all Rob, never thought I'd see the day. Retreat! shall be all the better for that. Presuming you're going full band.
Here is a photo of Kilmarnock striking icon Kevin Kyle. Fear the immense power!
We've been listening to last.fm at our house recently. In a moment of ego inspired curiosity I put my own name in to see what related artists would come up. Apart from a load of my mates bands you came up so I checked out your myspace too, the wonders of the internet hey! Beautiful musicc on your page,
