The Stands

The indie rock outfit known as the Stands originated in Liverpool, England, when songwriter Howie Payne, who supplied vocals and guitar, assembled the group in 2001. Payne had previously worked alone before recruiting his younger brother Sean Payne on drums, along with Robbie Stevenson on guitar and Martin Campbell on bass. Their debut appearance occurred at Liverpool’s Bandwagon club in December 2001, after which strong local support prompted a search for additional live dates. Membership continued to shift throughout 2002 until Payne anchored a settled lineup that included Luke Thomson on guitar, Dean Ravera on bass, and Steve Pilgrim on drums.

Most of the material for the band’s first album had already been tracked by the time Echo Records offered a contract, with several songs laid down at Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher’s Buckinghamshire studio. All Years Leaving, which openly echoed the folk-rock manner of the Byrds and Bob Dylan, appeared in early 2004 and provoked sharply divided reviews. The single ‘When This River Rolls Over You’, first issued the previous August, uncannily recalled Dylan’s ‘It Ain’t Me Babe’, while ‘The Way She Does’ strayed too close to Beatles territory for some listeners; nevertheless, Payne’s magpie songwriting retained clear melodic appeal.

The quartet cut its next album at Sunset Sound studios in Los Angeles. Horse Fabulous reached stores in summer 2005 and received favorable notices, yet financial strain at Echo curtailed its prospects. The Stands disbanded after completing a tour in support of the record.