Stornoway

Stornoway are a British indie folk band from Cowley in Oxford, led by ornithologist Brian Briggs as singer and main songwriter, with multi-instrumentalists Jon Ouin and Oli Steadman.

Their sound incorporates an ever-changing selection of stringed instruments and keyboards, supported by a typical pop backline of guitar, drums and bass guitar, embellished with avant-garde percussion including DIY hardware (saw & axe), cutlery, and Welsh gravel. The trio typically performs live with additional musicians including Thomas E Hodgson on trumpet and percussion; Susie Attwood on violin and percussion; Charlotte Glasson on violin, percussion, saxophone and flute; Felix Higginbottom on drums, percussion and backing vocals; and Adam Briggs on trumpet and percussion.

The band is named after the Scottish town of Stornoway on the Hebridean Isle of Lewis, having never been to Stornoway when they decided to name themselves after the town. They have since visited multiple times, the first expedition comprising a performance on 9 April 2010 and the signing of their recording contract with label 4AD. They have explained "We were looking in books about knots and [...] guides to natural history of the seashore [...] this [Stornoway] was the only one that stuck, and it was reinforced by the fact that if you see the BBC weather forecast, Stornoway is up there... so we get this wonderful free promotion every time there's a weather report".

Starting with Dig The Mountain! (and subsequent reissues of Beachcomber's Windowsill & Tales From Terra Firma as well as 2026 album Beyonder), the band have released their music chiefly on recycled materials and packaged in sustainable card packaging. They are informally linked to many nature conservation trusts including BBOWT, HIWWT, RSPB, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, British Trust for Ornithology, and the Woodland Trust. They have also pioneered economic sustainability in local music scenees, particularly their hometown of Oxford (by performing in alternative performance spaces), and particularly with reference to birds & birdsong.