Stealing Sheep

Liverpool's Stealing Sheep emerged as a forward-thinking trio whose sound revolves around inventive vocal interplay and draws from sources ranging from medieval folk traditions to modern pop. Early efforts like their 2012 debut Into the Diamond Sun reveal the group still refining an eclectic palette shaped by Broadcast, Kraftwerk, and psychedelia, all while highlighting their enchanting vocal harmonies. Their follow-up, 2015's Not Real, shifted toward a more streamlined method that juxtaposed warm vocals against icy synthesizers. Subsequent releases expanded their scope: the bright, glossy Big Wows of 2019 reimagined contemporary pop through the lens of the members' own personalities, whereas the atmospheric La Planète Sauvage from 2021 harnessed their command of hallucinatory textures to revitalize the classic science-fiction film. The 2022 album Wow Machine honored electronic music's trailblazing women.

Guitarist Emily Lansley, keyboardist Rebecca Hawley, and drummer Lucy Mercer first connected in 2010 and established the group during a tea meeting at Liverpool's Mello Mello café. That summer they began composing and rehearsing, cultivating a haunting psych-folk aesthetic saturated with ethereal harmonies, buoyant guitars, and near-tribal, trance-inducing rhythms. After completing several songs, Stealing Sheep recorded their debut EP, the self-released What If the Lights Went Out of 2010. Novice producer Joe Wills assisted by constructing a temporary studio inside a Toxteth school, where the band's initial material took shape; his guidance fostered experimental approaches that ultimately defined their broad sonic identity.

During 2011 the trio released the singles "The Mountain Dogs" and "I Am the Rain," the latter captured during a single midnight session at Abbey Road, both later compiled on the 2012 EP Noah and the Paper Moon. Positive response brought airplay on BBC 6 Music from tastemakers including Lauren Laverne and Jarvis Cocker, prompting Heavenly Records to sign them. Their proper debut album was tracked at the Mello Mello café itself under producer Sam Crombie. The resulting Into the Diamond Sun, an expansive and idea-rich collection, appeared in 2012 and was followed by tours across the United Kingdom and Europe. While preparing their next record, the band participated in the 2014 Barbican event In Dreams: David Lynch Revisited in London, offering reinterpretations of music from the director's films.

When fresh material surfaced, Stealing Sheep presented a tighter, more immediate approach that largely dispensed with psych-folk elements in favor of electronic textures and upbeat energy. A key touchstone became the Pointer Sisters' "Automatic," signaling a clear departure from their earlier work. Not Real arrived in April 2015. The musicians continued honing their craft, commencing the next album immediately after touring concluded. Initial sessions occurred at their homes before relocating to Liverpool's Invisible Wind Factory. By this stage the members had broadened their instrumental roles: Mercer adopted a complete drum kit, Lansley added bass guitar, and Hawley crafted custom synth patches. Recording paused briefly in early 2018 for a Liverpool concert marking the centenary of women's suffrage, then resumed. Upon completion, mixing duties were shared among several producers, among them Marta Salogni, known for work with Björk, and Ash Workman, whose credits include Christine and the Queens and Metronomy. The resulting blend of disco, synth pop, and R&B, anchored by the group's signature vocal harmonies, surfaced as Big Wows on Heavenly in April 2019.

Stealing Sheep's subsequent endeavor paired them with Bob Earland, Dick Mills, and Roger Limb of the Radiophonic Workshop for a live re-scoring of the 1973 animated science-fiction classic La Planète Sauvage as part of Fire Records' series of reimagined film scores. Issued on Delia Derbyshire Day in 2021, the project merged psych-rock with atmospheric analog electronics. Wow Machine, drawing inspiration from Derbyshire alongside Suzanne Ciani, Daphne Oram, and further female pioneers of electronic music, followed in 2022. Both Sides Records released the commissioned album under the auspices of the Brighter Sound gender-equality initiative.