macstanley
REMEMBRANCE
New single From Macstanley
‘Remembrance’ was recorded at Bellville Studios, Cape Town, in early January 2023. This was the first time since 2008’s ‘Between 2wo Worlds’, that Macstanley worked with producer and good friend Theo Crous. Wistful and evocative, the song hints at longing, and changes to come.
In the Beginning
Macstanley happened by accident – two non-professional musicians (Andy and Clinton) entering a song-writing contest with their only song, unexpectedly winning it, and then faced with significant panic due to the resulting gig requests. Enter Neil, bringing some much needed performing experience. Three albums and many gigs later, Andy, Clinton and Neil have always been as different as three individuals could possibly be, yet the creative results have always been bigger than the sum of their parts. It is a joy for them to write, record and perform music, and to be able to share this with their appreciative audiences – at home in Cape Town, and beyond. They are proud to have consistently shared the stage for many years with musicians of the calibre of Rob Nel, Robert Jeffery, and Werner von Waltsleben.
Of Secrets And Wine
MACSTANLEY’s first offering is a very organic and acoustic collection of 17 songs, produced by South African legend Theo Crous. The beautiful guitar and haunting cello, the lyrical depth, and the heartfelt vocals make for an entrancing debut. Of Secrets and Wine included the two successful radio singles ‘Treading Air’ and ‘Real Live girl’, as well as their first song ‘Rain’ which launched the band after winning a local song-writing contest. The pending recording of this album opened the floodgates, with years of songs, ideas and emotions cascading out of the band, and promising of the depth and consistency of albums to come.
Between 2 Worlds
MACSTANLEY’s SAMA Nominated second album featured a much bigger, electric sound, and spawned the singles “As I Am”, “Freedive”, and “Daytrippers”. In this second offering the band’s rock sensibilities come to the fore, whilst managing to retain the distinctive Flat Stanley feel throughout, thanks to the consistent songwriting and distinctive charisma of Andy Mac’s vocals. Lyrically, the content covers topics as diverse as a dedication to the band’s supporters (‘Daytrippers’) and day-to-day financial difficulties (‘Paper Thin’), to toxic masculinity (‘I, warrior’) and the challenges of being an introvert in a world of extroverts (‘Outer Space’). Between 2 Worlds opened more doors for the band, with a resulting European release, radio singles and tours. Legal constraints in Europe at this point resulted in the name change from Flat Stanley to Macstanley.
Lucid Alive & Dreaming
For their third album MACSTANLEY worked with another legendary South African producer duo, Brian O’Shea & Chris Tuck. Lucid, Alive & Dreaming for the first-time featured keyboards and programming on one of their releases, bringing a smoother and more lush sound to the maturing songwriting. The album spans indie pop (‘Hold on’) and darker rock (‘Forgiveness’), with a stream of engaging diversions in between. Highlights include the beautiful radio single ‘Angel’, the haunting and insistent ‘Star’, and the closing track ‘Feels like home’ which is dedicated to the band’s families. The CD release included a plastic sheet which could be used to animate the album cover.
FLATSTANLEY or MACSTANLEY ?
The original band name ‘Flat Stanley’ came from a children’s book (by Jeff Browne), about a boy who is flattened by a noticeboard which falls on him in the night. After this he experiences the benefits of being flat, including being posted overseas on holiday in an envelope.
A few years later, a Canadian school teacher later started a project in which children would cut out a “Flat Stanley’ figure and post him overseas to family and friends, hoping he would get sent back with pictures of where he had been. In 2000 the original band members received such a cut-out and pinned it to the microphone stand for good luck at their first ever live performance, which happened to be the final of a local songwriting contest. By the end of the evening they left with the title, and with clarity that there was only one name for the newly-to-be band…
REMEMBRANCE
NEW MACSTANLEY SINGLE
‘Remembrance’ was recorded at Bellville Studios, Cape Town, in early January 2023. This was the first time since 2008’s ‘Between 2wo Worlds’, that Macstanley worked with producer and good friend Theo Crous. Wistful and evocative, the song hints at longing, and changes to come.
In The Beginning
Macstanley happened by accident – two non-professional musicians (Andy and Clinton) entering a song-writing contest with their only song, unexpectedly winning it, and then faced with significant panic due to the resulting gig requests. Enter Neil, bringing some much needed performing experience.
Three albums and many gigs later, Andy, Clinton and Neil have always been as different as three individuals could possibly be, yet the creative results have always been bigger than the sum of their parts. It is a joy for them to write, record and perform music, and to be able to share this with their appreciative audiences – at home in Cape Town, and beyond. They are proud to have consistently shared the stage for many years with musicians of the calibre of Rob Nel, Robert Jeffery, and Werner von Waltsleben.
Of Secrets & Wine
MACSTANLEY’s first offering is a very organic and acoustic collection of 17 songs, produced by South African legend Theo Crous. The beautiful guitar and haunting cello, the lyrical depth, and the heartfelt vocals make for an entrancing debut.
Of Secrets and Wine included the two successful radio singles ‘Treading Air’ and ‘Real Live girl’, as well as their first song ‘Rain’ which launched the band after winning a local song-writing contest. The pending recording of this album opened the floodgates, with years of songs, ideas and emotions cascading out of the band, and promising of the depth and consistency of albums to come.
Between 2 Worlds
MACSTANLEY’s SAMA Nominated second album featured a much bigger, electric sound, and spawned the singles “As I Am”, “Freedive”, and “Daytrippers”. In this second offering the band’s rock sensibilities come to the fore, whilst managing to retain the distinctive Flat Stanley feel throughout, thanks to the consistent songwriting and distinctive charisma of Andy Mac’s vocals.
Lyrically, the content covers topics as diverse as a dedication to the band’s supporters (‘Daytrippers’) and day-to-day financial difficulties (‘Paper Thin’), to toxic masculinity (‘I, warrior’) and the challenges of being an introvert in a world of extroverts (‘Outer Space’). Between 2 Worlds opened more doors for the band, with a resulting European release, radio singles and tours. Legal constraints in Europe at this point resulted in the name change from Flat Stanley to Macstanley.
Lucid Alive & Dreaming
For their third album MACSTANLEY worked with another legendary South African producer duo, Brian O’Shea & Chris Tuck. Lucid, Alive & Dreaming for the first-time featured keyboards and programming on one of their releases, bringing a smoother and more lush sound to the maturing songwriting.
The album spans indie pop (‘Hold on’) and darker rock (‘Forgiveness’), with a stream of engaging diversions in between. Highlights include the beautiful radio single ‘Angel’, the haunting and insistent ‘Star’, and the closing track ‘Feels like home’ which is dedicated to the band’s families. The CD release included a plastic sheet which could be used to animate the album cover.
FLATSTANLEY or MACSTANLEY ?
The original band name ‘Flat Stanley’ came from a children’s book (by Jeff Browne), about a boy who is flattened by a noticeboard which falls on him in the night. After this he experiences the benefits of being flat, including being posted overseas on holiday in an envelope.
A few years later, a Canadian school teacher later started a project in which children would cut out a “Flat Stanley’ figure and post him overseas to family and friends, hoping he would get sent back with pictures of where he had been. In 2000 the original band members received such a cut-out and pinned it to the microphone stand for good luck at their first ever live performance, which happened to be the final of a local songwriting contest. By the end of the evening they left with the title, and with clarity that there was only one name for the newly-to-be band…