Longstone

In the 24 years since Mike Ward and Mike Cross began working as Longstone they have been busy. Without the luxury of a major label budget they have released 9 albums, 2 studio mini albums, 3 live recordings (including their performance at the New York CMJ festival (10”) and Live at Highbury Garage when they were joined by Echo and the Bunnymen’s Will Sergeant) and have contributed a multitude of tracks to assorted independent 7”, compilation and fanzine releases.

Previous releases have proved to be radio favourites with John Peel and Mary Anne Hobbs on BBC Radio 1 and have also crossed over to BBC Radio 3 (with plays on Mixing it, Late Junction and Freeness) as well as Resonance FM, who asked Longstone to contribute a themed two hour special. Longstone also play live around the U.K. on a regular basis (including appearances at the Cheltenham Jazz festival and Stranger Songs festival as well as the Le Weekend festival in Stirling).

Over the years they have collaborated with a number of other artists and musicians including Will Sergeant, Sonic Boom, Paul Simpson, Werner Herzog collaborator Ernst Reijseger as well as various members of Guillemots. Longstone have also had the pleasure of being chosen by Osbert Parker to perform a live re-score to his short animated film “Film Noir” during a Future Shorts event at the Brixton Ritzy cinema in 2009.

Media coverage has been enjoyed via a wide variety of publications and websites such as the Sunday Times Culture magazine, Uncut, Louder Than War, The Wire (including two tracks appearing on the Wiretapper 17 and 37 CDs), Future Music (including a featured interview and track on the cover mounted CD) and a two-page article in the Guardian about the recording of the Serpents album.