| Howard Eliott Payne | |
|---|---|
Howard Eliott Payne (right) with Noel Gallagher (left) |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Howie Payne |
| Born | November 5, 1975 Liverpool, England |
| Genres | Alternative rock, indie rock, folk, acoustic |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter, guitarist |
| Instruments | Guitar, harmonica |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Labels | Move City |
| Associated acts | Magic Clock, The Windmills, Telefone, Blueseed, The Big Kids, The Stands |
| Website | www.howardeliottpayne.com |
Howard Eliott "Howie" Payne (born 5 November 1975)[1][2] is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Liverpool, England. Having played in numerous bands since the early 1990s Payne formed The Stands in 2002.[3] After The Stands split, Payne embarked on a solo career and released his debut album Bright Light Ballads in 2009.
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In 1993, Payne formed his first band Magic Clock at age 17.[4] He also fronted bands The Windmills (with Keith O'Neill, later of Cast, on drums),[5] Telefone and Blueseed.[6] Blueseed released a mini-album Special Care and Spare Change (1998) on Ultimate Records. He was also the lead guitarist in The Big Kids with ex-The Stairs frontman Edgar Summertyme.[7] and his brother Sean Payne (drums) and Russell Pritchard (bass) who both went on to play in The Zutons.
The Stands were together for two and a half years together and signed to Echo Records. The band had a succession of 5 top 40 UK singles, toured with acts including Oasis,[8] The Libertines, Spiritualized, Paul Weller, and Jet, and released two albums, All Years Leaving and Horse Fabulous. Despite this success, Payne grew frustrated by the artistic constraints of being in The Stands and quit the group in 2005.[9]
Payne returned to the USA, spending time in Texas and Los Angeles before returning once more to England and teaming up with producer Ethan Johns to record his debut solo album Bright Light Ballads under his full name Howard Eliott Payne.[10] Bright Light Ballads was recorded and mixed in seven days using a vintage 8 track tape machine. Other musicians on the record include singer Candie Payne (Payne's sister), Dean Ravera (formerly of The Stands) and Ethan Johns, among others. The album was released digitally through Payne’s own label "Move City Records" on 14 April 2009, and entered the iTunes Folk Album Charts at #1 and the iTunes Albums Charts at #13. The album was then given a physical CD release in the UK on 5 May 2009.
On 21 September 2009 Move City Records released digital LP "Live at the Luminaire" a live album of Payne's sold-out solo performance at The Luminaire club, London, 28 May 2009. "Live at the Luminaire" features material from Payne's debut solo album as well as songs from The Stands' album "All Years Leaving".[11] The album entered the iTunes UK Folk Charts at #10.