UK FINGERSTYLE GUITAR
ABOUT STEWART GARRY
Watching Stewart Garry at work is an inspiring thing. The Newcastle-born guitarist steals the listener into a space where the single voice of an acoustic guitar can spin a universal story. The focus of his playing, the deftness of his hands and the beauty of his music create a narrative, a memory of a particular time and place. His songs push and pull, ebb and flow with the twin desires to linger in a moment or to push onwards and progress.
Stewart brings his own personal spin to the technical proficiency of Eric Roache or Andy McKee, breaking the fingerstyle genre into new depths. Influenced equally by his tenures in jazz group Continental Breakfast and in post-hardcore noiseniks Juinera, he boasts a character of playing that is simply his own.
Stewart uses two custom Avalon guitars, and is endorsed by the companies below:
Listen to ‘Sojourner’
‘Sojourner’ is a cinematic folk album, recorded live in various locations around the UK and filmed at the same time. ‘Sojourner’ is the film and soundtrack to a story of growing up, getting inspired and finding home.
“Is it a film? Is it an album? Both, of course, and Sojourner is also a unique presentation of an artist and his music.” — Folking.com
“One of the UK’s finest acoustic guitar talents.” — FretMonkey Records
TESTIMONIALS
“Do you remember the harmonics on the movie August Rush? Well, Stewart Garry does that kind of thing at an exceptionally complicated level. Garry’s style is Avant Garde (in my limited knowledge of acoustic guitar styles), but I find his punctuated rhythms and melodies to be bright and moving. Without knowing the technical terms of what he’s doing, I’d describe the art as lively and invigorating, a welcome lubrication to the work of the mind that I do (both research and writing). Just in plain personal preference, “Stuck in a Memory” is the top track.”
— Ear to the Ground
“Because instrumental guitar music often contains no singing, it can be a challenge to draw a listener in who is accustomed to the sound of voices in music. Stewart Garry, one of the UK’s most promising fingerstyle acoustic guitar talents, has accepted the challenge of engaging all listeners, even those accustomed to the voice, by exploring what it means to develop as a musician under the influence of ‘place.’ Sojourner is more than just another acoustic guitar album; it’s a film adventure through the musical realm of Stewart Garry.”
— Modern Fingerstyle Guitar
“Stewart Garry has produced a heart-felt collection of sounds and sights in his new project that pulls you in right away. Exploring some of the most beautiful scenes in the UK combined with some solo and collaborative pieces, this is a really neat idea and I would recommend anyone take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to check this out!”
— Trevor Gordan Hall, Candyrat Records