Track of the Day: Lone Stag – Don’t Lie
Using a stripped-back, brutally honest style, UK-based singer-songwriter Lone Stag connects with listeners on an intimate and personal level with his music. Only recently introduced to the Scottish artist, I had no idea what to expect from Lone Stag; however, what I do know is he has already turned the heads of several critics including American Pancake, York Calling and Sinusoidal Music. Having spent his formative years in the UK, Ireland, Africa and Europe, Lone Stag has a strong cultural backing which he draws together in his unique sound. One of the most recent releases from this musician is the single ‘Don’t Lie’.
Inspired by the likes of Bonnie Prince Billy, Bon Ivor and Iron & Wine, Lone Stag delivers rugged songs filled with profoundness and sincerity. ‘Don’t Lie’ is his first single on The Animal Farm label and can boast being a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition 2021 – I mean the song, not the label. Defining his style as a “heart-on-sleeve indie-folk” sound, Lone Stag’s track ‘Don’t Lie’ adopts a certain sentimentality in its acoustic-inspired design. I mean, seriously, this tune has a tenderness that can make you cry without even meaning to.
One of the tracks off his album Sing When I’m Dead, ‘Don’t Lie’ showcases the beauty of simplicity using an acoustic guitar with dulcet vocals. The thing is, while the vocal execution is as soft as a whisper, the personal narrative and meaning make it as powerful as the hardest 70s folk-rock song out there. I’m thinking Uriah Heep meets Simon & Garfunkel with the intensity of Leonard Cohen…or something thereabouts.
A relative newbie in the folk music scene, I mean he only began releasing music in 2021, Lone Stag is bringing a contemporary edginess to the kaleidoscopic soundscape. Calming and languid, but with a certain poignancy, Lone Stag is easily a refreshing breath of air in a stagnant indie scene. I cannot wait for more from this anthemic individual.
For more from Lone Stag check out his Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
