Stacey

Greg: The power of love is a curious thing, it can make one man weep, or make Stacey sing.

Not to launch into a Patrick Bateman style rant, but occasionally there comes a song or collection of songs that reach out with ghostlike hand that spans time and space to reach into your soul and grab hold of your heart. Toronto’s Stacey, has mastered this.

Clay: I know I’ve said it countless times, but it bears repeating: typically an artist draws from personal experience and rolls the dice that they will connect with their audience.  Love, or relationships in general, seem to be an unending well of material to draw from and make connection easy; just ask Adele or Ms. Swift about that – based on the absurd number of breakups they have experienced, I’m beginning to think they are vampires who have lived for centuries.

One of the things that I fee like those two previous Grammy nominated/winning eternal creatures of the night I referred to miss is how incredibly messy relationships can be, and it is something Stacey hits with a dead shot.  Sometimes they are messier than Mr. Bateman’s apartment shortly after he yells “Hey, Paul!”  There are layers behind “he chose the cheerleader over me” or “I am going to rain down hellfire upon you after breaking up with me,” but encroach on difficult themes like that exact moment someone leaves, or even understanding the difficulties of stealing some time with someone who already spoken for.

I am a little hesitant to use the word that word, “love,” since I feel like most of the songs on this EP speak to more specific themes like desire, regret and cruelty.  But those are powerful themes nonetheless, and coupled with the brooding piano backing up those haunting vocals?  Forget it – to build off of your line about ghostly fingers, I just had a stranger pull my soul out of my body and hold it up in front of me and say: “I’m sorry, did you still need this?”

Greg: Don’t shy away from feelings Clay. I will send Stacey after you. Love is a great word to use for her music. Paired with her incredibly moving, sometimes haunting, piano she creates a simple, elegant, mind-boggling songwriter style that will move even the hardest of individuals to take a deep breath and try not to tear up.

Though I was immediately drawn to Yukimi Nagano “Twice” sensation initially, when “Sleep Alone” struck I was captivated. I felt like some strange voyeur gazing into a side of humanity we all experience but hide from the world around us. It drives a giant steel nail through the hearts of those who have been left and those who have done the leaving with unreal precision. When she laments “Give me one more chance/a living room slow dance” – pausing to dry my eyes – I knew, without a doubt in my mind, that Stacey is, if not more, brave than her words are strong. This happened. Eat your heart out Taylor Swift.

Clay: I’m sorry, but the realm of the undead are unable to eat their hearts, only feed on the flesh of the living, but I digress.

Your point about being allowed a voyeuristic look into someone’s life is a very apt one, but I feel like you’re invited to take a look.  It’s like someone handed you their journal and said “this will help,” (which actually did happen on an incredibly awkward date I had) and it does serve as a brilliant guide to the road map of their feelings.  To have someone share incredibly human experiences was a true delight, and I look forward to hearing more from Stacey.  If I can borrow one of her phrases, “the worst part’s wanting more.”

NanoteamClay and Greg co-founded Nanobot. Although they are in tune with their feelings, this release gave them a whole new perspective on how far that can go. Hug it out.