“The idea behind Five Grand Stereo,” says lead songwriter Chris Singleton, “is to take a 1970s band, shove them in a time machine, deposit them in 2016 and ask them to make a record about the world they find themselves in.”
The result: a darkly humorous and theatrical concept album in the can about, amongst other things, sex, money and missing David Bowie. Four-part harmonies, dueling guitars, raspy sax and above all, soaring melodies abound; classic artists like Marc Bolan, Bryan Ferry and the Thin White Duke himself are frequently referenced sonically but put through Five Grand Stereo’s proprietary blender to create some delightfully quirky results. Taking aim at everything from reality TV to sexism and from Page 3 to the ‘Big Society’, the band somehow manage to conjure up the sounds of 1975…to take a pop at 2016. All while bashing some instantly memorable tunes into your eardrums.
Their latest video release, shot at The Fish Factory Studios in London, sees them perform a new track ‘Clip Joint’, live. With a nod to the likes of Joseph Arthur, Frank Zappa and The Velvet Underground, it tells the story of a somewhat accidental (and unsuccessful) trip to one of Soho’s more dubious establishments. Languid vocals, Hammond organ, driving guitar and sleazy sax set the scene perfectly.
Five Grand Stereo are Chris Singleton (vocals, keyboards); Jane Fraser (vocals); Stelios Kalisperides (guitars); Michael Kirkland (sax and synths); Zane Maertens (bass) and Ben Woollacot (drums).
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