One of our favourite UK artists, S. T. Manville, has announced the forthcoming EP How To Belong (released 17th November) with new single Stalemate.

Stalemate signifies a change in pace for the rising alt-folk artist, a lo-fi bedroom-pop ode to a collapsing relationship, Manville’s sincere delivery morphs effortlessly between poetic metaphor and conversational dialogue. Accompanying music video directed by Nick Lee-Shield (Neck Deep, Moose Blood, Holding Absence) highlights the track’s relatable lyrical themes.

About the track, Manville says, “Stalemate is a song about reaching tipping point in a relationship, when no matter how much you might want to work through something there just isn’t a way of reconciling it. It’s easy to see a ‘relationship’ as a singular entity, and I guess I realised that relationships are ultimately two individuals that must choose how much they’re willing to adapt to maintain it. It’s hard to accept it when the needs of two people don’t align over a subject that is going to indefinitely shape both of their lives. This song is about finding and accepting the limit of what you’re willing to sacrifice to stay with someone. Although on one hand it’s sad reaching that point and knowing it’s not necessarily anyone’s fault, I also think there’s something positive and empowering about letting something go for the right reasons.”

After his marriage of 10 years ended, he found himself looking after his 2 children alone and between places to live, as he puts it: "In a sort of purgatory between a past life and a future one". He explains; “Over the last 12 months my marriage ended, and so I bought a canal boat to live on. Due to complicated circumstances, it took over 6 months before I could move on to it permanently. I felt a real sense of displacement and it forced me to think about the nature of ‘home’, and what it means beyond being just a place to live. I was drawn to certain songs of mine that related to home in one way or another – the people, the places, and the buildings that have been important in shaping who I am and my life as it is now. This EP is a collection of those songs”.

Manville will also be heading out on tour with OWEN (Mike Kinsella of American Football) upon the release of the EP, as well as folk legend Willy Tea Taylor in September.

It’s another top quality offering from the Midlands songwriter, and we hope to have the man himself performing at a Laid Bare show soon enough too..