We’re excited to feature a new guest playlist from St. Barbe.

The London instrumental trio brings together James Maltby on guitar and compositions, Edwin Ireland on bass, and Floyer Sydenham on drums.

The group’s new EP, Shoal, lands with four tracks that balance rhythmic intricacy with clear melodic focus. Underpinned by memorable melodies and immersive soundscapes, the group carve out a unique niche, sitting somewhere between jazz crossover groups like Waldo’s Gift and Kneebody, whilst also leaning into the progressive rock influences of Animals as Leaders and the intricate introspection of jazz guitarists like Bill Frisell and Julian Lage.

For their guest playlist, the band shares a glimpse into the music that inspires them as musicians and composers. Each member adds their own influences, creating a playlist that flows from Tigran Hamasyan to Djo to St Vincent, Tennyson, and Julian Lage, with a few surprises along the way.

We’re thrilled to share the trio’s playlist. Enjoy the music below and delve into their thoughts on each track.

Only The One Who Bought The Bird Can Make It Sing – Tigran Hamasyan (Floyer)

Tigran has always been a massive influence on our music. He leans away from conventional jazz, drawing inspiration from heavy rock and metal. Beyond his love of powerful drums and analogue synths, we’re heavily inspired by his approach to rhythm and metric movement within grooves, and his ability to write singable melodies on top of complex rhythms.

Picture Window – Matthew Stevens (James)

This comes from an album we often reference as a key influence on the sound of St. Barbe. Matthew Stevens is probably best known as a sideman for artists like Esperanza Spalding and Christian Scott, but his solo work is some of the most exciting and forward-thinking jazz I’ve heard in the last decade. I saw him live at Ronnie Scott’s with his trio, immediately bought the CD Preverbal at the merch desk, and listened to it constantly in the car (probably the only CD player I still use). This album made me realise the power of creative production and engineering in a jazz context. Kyle Hoffmann played a big part in engineering and mixing it, and we were lucky to have him onboard for Shoal, helping bring it into the same sound world.

Everything In Its Right Place (Radiohead Rework) – Waldo’s Gift (James)

I’ve been a fan of this band since their first EP, but this track especially captures what I love about them. Recorded live in Bristol, it features some wicked guitar playing from Alun Elliot-Williams, who does lots of live looping/sound manipulation using guitar pedals, which adds another dimension to his improvisation. Some of the heavier moments on our EP owe a lot to this band’s vibe and energy.

Digital Witness – St. Vincent (James)

Floyer and I have been spinning St. Vincent’s album All Born Screaming a lot lately, but this track led me to discover her music back in 2014 when she performed it on Jools Holland. Fundamentally, I love her songwriting, but there are so many extra levels of interest in the guitar playing and production. I sometimes wonder if the synth bass on this track inspired the Moog on our EP’s title track (many years later, of course). Lyrically, the song critiques social media, questioning the point of doing anything if it can’t be turned into “content” – something many artists trying to reach new fans have to grapple with.

Weights – Everything Everything (Floyer)

We’ve both been obsessed with this band for a while, and it’s been hard to pick a favourite track. Their approach to songwriting is amazing, and we’re especially drawn to the drum sound on this album. The combination of raw lyrics, analogue grit, and complex part-writing makes this a desert island disk.

Change – Djo (Floyer)

I can’t get enough of the riffs in this track. Every section feels like it could be a chorus. I’m obsessed with the production and the attention to detail in the part-writing.

Bellio – Dutch Uncles (Floyer)

I listened to this track once (maybe twice) and immediately bought the record without hearing the rest. The bass line hits hard, and the combination of strings, orchestral percussion, guitars, unusual vocals, and synths creates a really cool sound palette. I find myself re-listening to tracks with a different focus each time.

Iron – Tennyson (Floyer)

I’ve been a fan of Tennyson since sixth form, but I only did a deep dive into their work two years ago. I love Luke Pretty’s production in this track – there’s an almost microscopic level of detail in the groove and arrangement, and his lyrics really strike a chord with me. 

Flower Of Blood – Big Thief (James)

If I’m ever forced to name my favourite musician, one of the first that comes to mind is Adrianne Lenker (lead singer/guitarist for Big Thief). I saw Big Thief perform this track at Glastonbury (on TV, sadly, not in person) and it blew me away. I was in a bit of a rut with music-making at the time, and this set reminded me why I became a musician. Lenker’s balance of aggression and delicacy, especially on this track, is something St. Barbe constantly strives for.

Tributary – Julian Lage (James)

It’s no secret that our track Dorothy nods heavily to Julian. He’s the man. The guitar tone on this track still knocks me out every time.