Stanchions: Grunged Out Melodic Hardcore

If you like grunged out, melodic, hardcore math rock, you’ll be positively priapic when you hear Stanchions!

Twice in recent weeks we've been able to catch Stanchions live. First at Rough Trade Bristol, with awesome support from Iran Iran and Better Than Mending, then at The Wheatsheaf, Banbury. Both great gigs. We were impressed, twice.

Stanchions is a post-rock five-piece, with Louis Hunt and James Tait on guitars, Will Hensher on bass, Ryan Wilkinson on drums and backing vocals, and Max Macaulay out front with the vocals.

Experienced musicians all, the boys liken Stanchions to a hardcore phoenix rising from the ashes of various Bristol-based noisy projects. Since forming in early 2022, the band has certainly been making waves on the Bristol music scene and beyond.

New EP ‘Roamer’ has the dark, intense flavour we have come to expect from the Stanchions boys. This is perhaps best exemplified by powerhouse track 'Jupiter'.  It's ethereal, it's grungy, and it kicks like a mule. Elsewhere, Max’s impressive, expressive vocals weave their way through complex riffs, intricate time signatures and savage percussion.

It’s a first-class debut, blending raw emotion, technical proficiency and impressive musicianship. 'Roamer' is definitely worth pouring in your earholes, especially the five-minute masterwork that is 'Deserts of Arrakis'.

Before the band's gig at The Wheatsheaf, we got to grill drummer Ryan Wilkinson about his bandmates, the new EP, and what’s next for these Bristolian math rockers. For irritating kiwis, vibrant culture, and influences aplenty, read on!

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Hello, Ryan. Please introduce Stanchions for anyone who hasn’t heard you.

RYAN ᠆ We’re thrashy post-hardcore with doomy elements. Math rock and post-rock.

Tell us how the band started.

Me and Louis jammed for years in his shed at the bottom of his parent’s garden. Louise moved away, eventually settling in Bristol. I started heading down there monthly to write and jam with him. 

In 2019, I moved to Bristol. I lived with James. Louis, me, and James soon started talking about a starting a band. We spent the next year rehearsing. We were called Dragons of Eden then.

James and Will knew each other from uni. Will was up for playing bass with us, so we then became a four-piece. That's when we changed our name to Convenience Kills.

Louis met Max at a gig and they gelled immediately. Max is a singer with incredible vocal range. When Max joined us, we became Stanchions.

Did it take time for the five of you to gel?

There was a really good dynamic from day one. We’re happy to tell each other if something sucks. It’s a pretty collaborative effort. There’s no real leader.

Tell us a surprising fact about each of your bandmates.

James does magic. Louis has a knack for eating super-spicy food. Max walks across countries for fun. And Will is allergic to kiwis.

We guess you mean the fruit, not the people. What was your first Stanchions gig like?

It went really well, to be honest. It was at The Crown in Bristol. It’s a really popular venue. We were all pretty gassed. Five of us crammed onto this tiny stage meant we couldn’t really move around too much, but we made it work.

Max promotes bands in Bath in his spare time, so we leveraged that to just book ourselves a gig without having to worry about asking around and begging to get added to a lineup despite not having any music released to show anyone. 

Tell us about your new EP.

‘Roamer’ is six songs we recorded over four sessions at Studio 6 Productions. It's a really great studio just outside Royal Wootton Basset. Have to mention Chris Sanderson, who produced and mixed it all. He had the patience of a saint with us, dealing with all our requests for levels.

Have you got a favourite track from the EP?

Yeah, track two: 'Jupiter'. We love the dynamics of the tempo changes, time signature changes, heavy and soft moments. And then there’s this incredible burst of energy at the end, with everyone just giving it their all. We’re all really happy with how that track turned out, and the whole EP.

The EP came out in November [2022]. What has the response been like?

It's been really positive. People are sharing it around, recommending it to their friends, and we’re getting great feedback. The word is spreading. It’s really encouraging.

Who are your musical influences?

We listen to a lot of ArcTanGent-y bands. We’d love to play ArcTanGent. A lot of prog, post-rock, shoegaze, death metal, black metal, synthwave, and any combination of the above.

So many great artists we love: Coheed and Cambria, Opeth, Slowdive, Bossk, Deftones, This Will Destroy You, The Fall of Troy, Self-Evident, True Widow, Cloakroom, Spotlights, Shiner, Charlottefield, Hell is for Heroes, Sweet Cobra, High Vis, Russian Circles, Pigs x7. I could go on. 

Please don't. Is the Bristol music scene as good as they say?

Yeah, the vibrant culture of the city reflects in the scene. And it’s very accepting of heavy music and anything that's a little more left field.

What do you like to do when not making music?

When I’m not making music, I’m generally listening to music. I like having a few beers down the pub, cooking good food, getting outdoors, reading. watching live sports. All standard stuff.

You’ve been in bands since your teens. Do you have any advice for someone starting out?

Timing and rhythm are so important. Focus on those if you want to sound more accomplished as a player. And learn to accept criticism. Listen to as wide a variety of music as possible, not just your niche, to expand your understanding. 

If you’re in a band, work together from the get-go. Be honest with each other. It makes the band stronger.

Wise words. Thanks for answering our questions.

I’ve enjoyed it. Your tees are wavy-ass garments. We love them!

You have impeccable taste, Ryan. What’s next for Stanchions?

We’ve got plenty more gigs coming up. You’ll find the details on our social media.

Lovely jubbly. Thanks again. Any final words?

Keep your loved ones close. Never forget your roots. 

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