Biography
Wesley Stace maintains two separate artistic identities. His recordings issued as John Wesley Harding established an international audience for him as a performer, whereas under his given name he has issued several well-regarded novels, contributed reviews to leading newspapers and magazines, and continued to write and record music. Although his melodic approach echoes that of his earlier work, Stace’s releases favor a quieter and more polished tone that draws from contemporary folk and adult alternative pop rather than rock, conveying seasoned reflections on existence and romance. He first appeared under his own name with the understated 2013 album Self-Titled, joined forces with the Jayhawks for 2017’s Wesley Stace’s John Wesley Harding, and ventured into cool cocktail jazz on 2021’s Late Style.
Born October 22, 1965, in Hastings, East Sussex, England, Stace took up guitar during adolescence and developed a strong admiration for singer-songwriters including Phil Ochs, Loudon Wainwright III, John Prine, and especially Bob Dylan, whose 1967 album supplied the stage name he adopted. He read English literature and social and political science at Jesus College, Cambridge, yet abandoned his doctoral studies to concentrate on music. Performing on the British folk circuit as John Wesley Harding, he gained the notice of Demon Records after opening for John Hiatt; the label issued his debut, the 1988 live recording It Happened One Night. Sire Records soon signed him and released his first studio album, Here Comes the Groom, in 1990, followed by The Name Above the Title in 1991 and Why We Fight in 1992. Despite favorable notices and strong live responses, the major-label association failed to expand his reach or dispel frequent Elvis Costello comparisons, prompting a return to independents with 1996’s John Wesley Harding’s New Deal. In 1995 Bruce Springsteen, appearing solo at California’s Berkeley Community Theater, chose Harding as his opener—the first time in two decades Springsteen had used support on such dates.
During the new century John Wesley Harding persisted in writing and recording while Stace revived his literary interests. His debut novel, Misfortune, appeared in 2005 and received warm notices, earning a place among The Washington Post’s best books of the year. By George followed in 2007 and Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer in 2010. As his profile as an author grew comparable to his musical standing, Stace began supplying reviews and essays to The New York Times, The Times Literary Supplement, and The Washington Post along with various prominent music magazines and literary journals. In 2009 he resumed musical activity with the John Wesley Harding album Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead and inaugurated the variety series John Wesley Harding’s Cabinet of Wonders, presenting rotating lineups of musicians, comedians, and spoken-word artists. Another John Wesley Harding album, The Sound of His Own Voice, arrived in 2011. In 2013 Stace declared that subsequent releases would appear under his own name, beginning with that year’s Self-Titled. He published his fourth novel, Wonderkid, in 2014. The 2017 album Wesley Stace’s John Wesley Harding marked a collaboration with alt-country figures the Jayhawks. Returning briefly to the John Wesley Harding name, he issued the 2018 compilation Greatest Other People’s Hits, gathering covers recorded across his career. Stace supplied the liner notes for the 2019 Bob Dylan collection The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings. On 2021’s Late Style he explored production and arrangements shaped by cocktail jazz and the cool pop of the 1950s and early 1960s.
Born October 22, 1965, in Hastings, East Sussex, England, Stace took up guitar during adolescence and developed a strong admiration for singer-songwriters including Phil Ochs, Loudon Wainwright III, John Prine, and especially Bob Dylan, whose 1967 album supplied the stage name he adopted. He read English literature and social and political science at Jesus College, Cambridge, yet abandoned his doctoral studies to concentrate on music. Performing on the British folk circuit as John Wesley Harding, he gained the notice of Demon Records after opening for John Hiatt; the label issued his debut, the 1988 live recording It Happened One Night. Sire Records soon signed him and released his first studio album, Here Comes the Groom, in 1990, followed by The Name Above the Title in 1991 and Why We Fight in 1992. Despite favorable notices and strong live responses, the major-label association failed to expand his reach or dispel frequent Elvis Costello comparisons, prompting a return to independents with 1996’s John Wesley Harding’s New Deal. In 1995 Bruce Springsteen, appearing solo at California’s Berkeley Community Theater, chose Harding as his opener—the first time in two decades Springsteen had used support on such dates.
During the new century John Wesley Harding persisted in writing and recording while Stace revived his literary interests. His debut novel, Misfortune, appeared in 2005 and received warm notices, earning a place among The Washington Post’s best books of the year. By George followed in 2007 and Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer in 2010. As his profile as an author grew comparable to his musical standing, Stace began supplying reviews and essays to The New York Times, The Times Literary Supplement, and The Washington Post along with various prominent music magazines and literary journals. In 2009 he resumed musical activity with the John Wesley Harding album Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead and inaugurated the variety series John Wesley Harding’s Cabinet of Wonders, presenting rotating lineups of musicians, comedians, and spoken-word artists. Another John Wesley Harding album, The Sound of His Own Voice, arrived in 2011. In 2013 Stace declared that subsequent releases would appear under his own name, beginning with that year’s Self-Titled. He published his fourth novel, Wonderkid, in 2014. The 2017 album Wesley Stace’s John Wesley Harding marked a collaboration with alt-country figures the Jayhawks. Returning briefly to the John Wesley Harding name, he issued the 2018 compilation Greatest Other People’s Hits, gathering covers recorded across his career. Stace supplied the liner notes for the 2019 Bob Dylan collection The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings. On 2021’s Late Style he explored production and arrangements shaped by cocktail jazz and the cool pop of the 1950s and early 1960s.
Albums
Singles