I'm a massive fan of Jai Paul. I recorded this last year for no real reason to be honest but I just saw it's 10 years since this came out so decided I'd stick it out for people to hear. Hope you like it.

BTSTU (Jai Paul cover)

A Rock

Four Walls

Act Normal

Act Normal (feat. and the agony)

Swimming Aid

Swimming Aid (feat. and the agony)

And The Agony - EP

Standing In The Wings (feat. and the agony)

I Don't Think You Do (feat. and the agony)

‘Somebody Else's Songs’ is the beautiful first release by singer/songwriter S. T. Manville. A collection of pop-punk covers from his childhood, it is in essence a playlist to his teenage years. Featuring songs by Green Day, Blink 182, The Offspring, Weezer, Bad Religion, plus other lesser known bands such as ALL, Owls and The Get Up Kids. Presented in his own emotional folk/country style, Manville has delicately shone a new light on the pop-punk genre. Recording and playing everything himself, his hushed vocals, intimate guitar playing and rustic accompaniments on banjo, violin and accordion bring a sentimental gravitas to songs you may not have thought it possible to. In addition to the album there is an eBook being released that includes photos and notes on each of the songs, elaborating on Manville’s personal relationship to each track. His own material is scheduled for release later in the year. 


‘Spellbinding’ - Brett Gurewitz (Bad Religion)

‘A stunning collection of songs’ - Frank Turner

‘Gorgeous’ - Simon Neil (Biffy Clyro)


FFO - Red House Painters, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Owen, Matthew and the Atlas, Elliot Smith, Dashboard Confessional


‘Somebody Else’s Songs’ is released on 24/05/2019 via difficult 


www.s-t-manville.com - 
www.facebook.com/s.t.manville - 
www.instagram.com/s.t.manville

Wendy Clear

I've loved this song for a long time and thought it needed to be made really depressing. If you don't know the original it's by 'ALL'. Go and check it out, it's awesome, and a lot less bleak...

Skin Deep

So if you're a similar age to me, chances are you're gonna know this one. Jimmy Eat World's 'Bleed American' was an amazing record with a pretty interesting story. The band had been signed to Capitol and were basically dropped after 'Clarity' (another great record) so they basically went out and made the record they wanted to make completely by themselves, for themselves, even Mark Trombino produced the record agreeing to not get paid until after it's release. It was only after the album was finished that it was signed and then went on to go platinum. I thought it was a pretty inspiring story of self belief.

The Middle

Dookie is one of the greatest albums of all time, I first got it when I was about 11 and for years this was one of my least favourite songs on the album but as the years passed I started to appreciate it more and more. Now it's one of my favourite on the record, funny how that happens.

"Pretty Fly For A White Guy" was the first punk single I ever bought. It was kinda by accident. I was 10 and I heard it on the radio and liked it so I bought it on CD single from Woolworths. I didn't know they were a punk band, or what punk even was. When I listened to the record at home I obviously liked it (cus that's why I bought it) but then the b-side came on. It was a live version of "All I Want" and it blew my mind. I had been playing guitar for about a year already, mainly classic rock and indie stuff, but as soon as I heard "All I Want" everything changed. Me and my best friend went out and bought the whole Offspring back catalogue and devoured it, then we got Greenday, NOFX, Blink, Metallica.... But it all started with The Offspring and that's why they will always be special to me, especially the album "Americana", cus although it's not their best album it was the first one I owned, I sat and listened to it on repeat, scrutinising the insleeve, reading the lyrics, looking at all the images. This isn't even the best song on "Americana" but lyrically I think it's one of the most moving and that's why I chose it. Hope you like it too.

The Kids Aren't Alright

Alien Ant Farm is possibly the worst band name of all time. I remember thinking that as a kid and time still hasn't changed my mind. What they did have on their side though was the ability to not take themselves seriously at a time when their peers were all introspective and/or aggy. Yeah pop punk was happening and they were all getting naked in videos etc but AAF fell much more comfortably in with the 'Nu Metal' camp. The difference being that when Bizkit were singing "break your fuckin face tonight" and Papa Roach were doing heavy videos about self harm and how tough it was being a teenager, AAF knew how to have a laugh at their own expense. There's a place for all of it but the truth is if you listen back to the music AAF have aged far better than the majority of their contemporaries. 'Movies' is a great song by a pretty unique band, don't forget that they were more than just a Michael Jackson cover band.

Movies

I'm going to go on record saying that I think the first OWLS album is one of (if not THE) most original record I've ever heard. I think it was 2005 when my friend first gave it to me to listen to. In the nearly 15 years since I first heard it the longest I've gone without listening to it is probably a fortnight. I'm a huge fan of all the Kinsella's et al's projects but this album to me is the perfect capturing of an emotion, like a photograph of a feeling. I actually remember thinking it was a bit bland at first but something about it's subtle aimlessness kept drawing me back. It's the same subtle, meandering aimlessness that means this one's probably not gonna connect with many people who don't know the original but if you don't know it I urge you to go and listen. Fans of the band will probably roll their eyes at this being the song I chose from the record (I probably would have too) but it felt like it HAD to be this one so no hard feelings yeah.

Everyone Is My Friend

"Give Up" was a real moment. It managed to hit a note across a really broad selection of people. I remember pretty much all my mates loving it, which was really uncommon. Their tastes ranged from punk to metal to indie to folk to hip hop to house to DnB with everything in-between and somehow this record connected with everyone. The songs are brilliant but I think it was the production that bridged the gaps, for the time it was really fresh and exciting to hear those kind of songs against a subtle electronic backdrop, and although I guess it was pretty poppy it never felt 'commercial'. There's a beautiful honest sadness about the record and I think this song demonstrates it best. Hope I've done it justice.

The District Sleeps Alone Tonight

My Grandma was from Mayo in the west of Ireland and growing up we always spent a lot of time either over there or with family visiting us here. Because of that folk has always been a big part of my musical palate, and when you pick apart the chords and melodies from a lot of Bad Religion songs they are deeply rooted in country and folk music. Going back to the Offspring cover I did, one of the first bands I got into after discovering the whole Cali Punk scene was Bad Religion, which makes sense really. I always saw them as the Offspring's more mature older brother, stronger songs, more intellectual lyrics and a greater depth. 'Recipe For Hate' was the first album of theirs that I owned, an older family friend of mine gave it me on cassette when they saw I had 'Smash' in my bedroom. I hadn't really thought about it before but I think Greg and Brett are also responsible for me first understanding how social commentary/politics crossed into music, which has stayed with me in a lot of what I do through out my musical life. I couldn't choose just one song so this is the first of 2, both from the same album. I chose 'Struck A Nerve' because not only is it in contention for my favourite song on the album, I also saw the scope to really pull the underlying folk influence out of it. Hope you guys like it as much as I do.

Struck A Nerve

Singer / Songwriter from the Midlands UK.

S. T. Manville

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