Adam Stafford
Encyclopedia
Adam Stafford is a musician & film maker from Falkirk, Scotland.
Adam Stafford is probably best known for being the lead singer and song writer with critically acclaimed Scottish band Y'all is Fantasy Island
. Having formed the band in 2001 as a solo project Stafford added various members to augment his alternative
folk
sound. To date they have released 4 albums.
In 2009 Adam Stafford directed the short film "The Shutdown" written by Scottish author and playwright Alan Bissett
. The film went on to win the "Best Short Documentary" award at the San Francisco International Film Festival
, "Best Short Documentary" at Palm Springs Film Festival, along with both the Jury and Audience prizes for Scottish Short Film at the Jim Poole Awards. At the end of 2010 the film also won "Best International Short Documentary" at The Belo Horizonte Film Festival in Brazil and Grand Jury prize for "Best European Short" at Festival Premier Plans in France in January 2011.
The Shutdown was also nominated for a BAFTA Scotland
"New Talent Award", and for the "Scottish Short Documentary Award" at the Edinburgh International Film Festival
.
Stafford also the composed the music for "The Shutdown". The 23 minute track entitled "Hammer Eats Hoover" can also be found as the finale on Y'all is Fantasy Island
's fourth album "Infanticidal Genuflector"
The film has been selected in competition in excess of 30 International film festivals since 2009.
In 2010 Stafford directed the promotional video for fellow Scottish act The Twilight Sad
's single "Seven Years of Letters" from their second album "Forget the Night Ahead".
As well as his film making Adam Stafford is about to release his third solo album of 2010. On the first two records - "Awnings" and "Miniature Porcelain Horse Emporium" - Stafford experiments with vocal looping and textural soundscapes. He was quoted as saying "I'd been experimenting with looping and layering vocals before – inspired, primarily, by Steve Reich
's vocal arrangements on Music For 18 Musicians and Edinburgh artist Wounded Knee."
The third record "Music in the Mirabel" is a collection of covers and re-workings with tracks ranging from Daniel Johnston
to Austrian Poet Georg Trakl
. It is due for release on Stafford's own Wise Blood Industries label in July.
Adam Stafford is probably best known for being the lead singer and song writer with critically acclaimed Scottish band Y'all is Fantasy Island
Y'all Is Fantasy Island
Y'all Is Fantasy Island are a Scottish alternative folk band from Falkirk, formed in 2001.-Overview:Originally formed in 2001 by singer/songwriter Adam Stafford...
. Having formed the band in 2001 as a solo project Stafford added various members to augment his alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
sound. To date they have released 4 albums.
In 2009 Adam Stafford directed the short film "The Shutdown" written by Scottish author and playwright Alan Bissett
Alan Bissett
Alan Bissett is an author and playwright from Hallglen, an area of Falkirk in Scotland. After the publication of his first two novels, Boyracers and The Incredible Adam Spark, he became known for his different take on Scots dialect writing, evolving a style specific to Falkirk, suffused with...
. The film went on to win the "Best Short Documentary" award at the San Francisco International Film Festival
San Francisco International Film Festival
San Francisco International Film Festival is the oldest continuously running film festival in the Americas. Organized by the San Francisco Film Society, the International is held each spring for two weeks, presenting an average of 150 films from over 50 countries...
, "Best Short Documentary" at Palm Springs Film Festival, along with both the Jury and Audience prizes for Scottish Short Film at the Jim Poole Awards. At the end of 2010 the film also won "Best International Short Documentary" at The Belo Horizonte Film Festival in Brazil and Grand Jury prize for "Best European Short" at Festival Premier Plans in France in January 2011.
The Shutdown was also nominated for a BAFTA Scotland
BAFTA Scotland
BAFTA in Scotland is the Scottish branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Formed in 1997, the branch holds an annual awards ceremony, the British Academy Scotland Awards , to recognise achievement by performers and production staff in Scottish film, television and video games...
"New Talent Award", and for the "Scottish Short Documentary Award" at the Edinburgh International Film Festival
Edinburgh International Film Festival
The Edinburgh International Film Festival is an annual fortnight of cinema screenings and related events taking place each June. Established in 1947, it is the world's oldest continually running film festival...
.
Stafford also the composed the music for "The Shutdown". The 23 minute track entitled "Hammer Eats Hoover" can also be found as the finale on Y'all is Fantasy Island
Y'all Is Fantasy Island
Y'all Is Fantasy Island are a Scottish alternative folk band from Falkirk, formed in 2001.-Overview:Originally formed in 2001 by singer/songwriter Adam Stafford...
's fourth album "Infanticidal Genuflector"
The film has been selected in competition in excess of 30 International film festivals since 2009.
In 2010 Stafford directed the promotional video for fellow Scottish act The Twilight Sad
The Twilight Sad
The Twilight Sad are an indie rock band from Kilsyth, Scotland, comprising James Graham , Andy MacFarlane and Mark Devine . The band are currently signed to Fat Cat Records and have released two full-length albums, as well as several EPs and singles...
's single "Seven Years of Letters" from their second album "Forget the Night Ahead".
As well as his film making Adam Stafford is about to release his third solo album of 2010. On the first two records - "Awnings" and "Miniature Porcelain Horse Emporium" - Stafford experiments with vocal looping and textural soundscapes. He was quoted as saying "I'd been experimenting with looping and layering vocals before – inspired, primarily, by Steve Reich
Steve Reich
Stephen Michael "Steve" Reich is an American composer who together with La Monte Young, Terry Riley, and Philip Glass is a pioneering composer of minimal music...
's vocal arrangements on Music For 18 Musicians and Edinburgh artist Wounded Knee."
The third record "Music in the Mirabel" is a collection of covers and re-workings with tracks ranging from Daniel Johnston
Daniel Johnston
Daniel Dale Johnston is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and artist. Johnston was the subject of the 2006 documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. He currently lives in Waller, Texas....
to Austrian Poet Georg Trakl
Georg Trakl
Georg Trakl was an Austrian poet. He is considered one of the most important Austrian Expressionists.- Life and work :Trakl was born and lived the first 18 years of his life in Salzburg, Austria...
. It is due for release on Stafford's own Wise Blood Industries label in July.