Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Stuart Pierce is building a kingdom - not his own and not of bricks and mortar, but of music for the masses - written, played and sung from the heart. - Pine Bluff Commercial, August 2006
Stuart Pierce’s debut, “Too Far To Fly,” deserves to succeed for all the right reasons. The obvious one is that he’s got a great sound: intelligent, strong and inventive.
But past that, his heart is right on track, too. Even though Pierce is relatively new as a touring musician, he wants to be an active player in helping Africa have clean water and medicine to fight the ravages of AIDS. To this end, Pierce will be giving a percentage of all his tour earnings to the Blood:Water Mission. He hopes that by giving from his undeserved provision to those with undeserved need, he can influence change in the hearts of his audience and the heart of himself.
Of course, this has nothing to do with how good his music is or isn’t. Fortunately, it is more than worthy of our support. Rich with classic rock influences and tasty string magic, Pierce’s 13 original tracks are captivating fun. Yup, I said it; they are just plain fun, smart and contagious fun. The clever “Gracie” opens the album with Steve Miller whine over straight-up rock chords. “The Divine Whoa” bounces its way through a commentary on the process of faith. Pierce can mix it up, too, offering the industrial opening and looming bass of “Where Am I?” before veering into harmonic rock changes. But it’s the bright strings of up-tempo “Knowing Everybody Here” that really get your attention. Pierce gets the job done on this effervescent track, effectively mixing challenging lyrics with a slight tribal feel, shades of Paul Simon. “Jack & Jill” drips with passion, more bright mandolin picking against Pierce’s warm vocals questioning the universal cost of life. “Bluegrass” is a lovely little gem, two and a half instrumental minutes of lively picking, a generous gift.
But it’s the closing rocker “Fourward” that really stops my heart, with its bouncy rhythms, sweet harmonies, and spirited percussive touches. Its insightful lyrics address the realities of love and offer a hopeful perspective: take four steps fourward to counteract the three steps you’ve fallen back. Strikes me as deep wisdom, and I enjoyed the jam feel as he closes out the album, too. I’m expecting great things from Stuart Pierce, and I hope he gets to send a lot of help Africa’s way as well. Definitely check out “Too Far To Fly.” - Suite 101, August 2006
In an age of repetitive and banal sound, they stand out as being sincere, melodic, and creative. Lyrically imaginative, they express their emotions effectively through original and genuinely fun music. Their melodies are attractive simply because they play and sing from their hearts; unfortunately, nowadays, this simple concept is often forgotten.
- Yellow Pages Magazine, April 2006
Out of the hundreds of "local" band sites and music I've heard, their's rates in the top 5 for musicality, vocal styling, and lyrical depth. - Gateway Mastering, August 2005
You were fantastic! I got alot of great feedback from people about your performance. They thought you really played to the crowd, had a good variety of songs, and a great sound. - Durham County Relay For Life, May 2006
Discography
"Too Far To Fly" 2006 Release
1. Gracie
2. Divine Whoa
3. Admire
4. Where Am I?
5. Knowing Everybody Here
6. Jack and Jill
7. Bluegraze
8. Deadened Choir
9. Pennywoman
10. To Say The Rain
11. Stratus Lore
12. Rain Pt. 3
13. Fourward
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Stuart Pierce’s upcoming tour, “Too Far To Fly,” is the culmination of years of musical and business preparation. But he hopes it can be about something more than the music. Even though Stuart is only a small-time touring musician, he wants to be an active player against the injustice that is ravaging Africa, which spans simple needs, such as clean water, to AIDS, a globally complex issue. There are numerous groups whose mission is to work towards solutions in Africa. To this end, Stuart will be giving a percentage of all his tour earnings to the Blood:Water Mission. He hopes that by giving from his undeserved provision to those with undeserved need, he can influence change in the hearts of his audience and the heart of himself.
Influenced by Paul Simon and Chris Cornell, Stuart blends the catchy nature of classic rock with the styling of acoustic folk.
In his shows, Stuart manages to incorporate numerous instruments and dozens of effects, making sure to keep audience members interested in what will come next. He hopes to expand this reputation through tireless promotion and exciting performances throughout the Too Far To Fly Tour Fall 2006 and into 2007. Currently, Stuart is performing with Pierce Reagan out of Durham and absolutely loves it.
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A Thought:
All the work and shows I'll be doing in the fall...what kingdom will I be building? I could be building my own kingdom, one that will surely crumble under the pressure of my natural wastefulness. I pray this venture will not be some vain selfish drive towards the American dream of riches and boredom. I could be building the greater kingdom, developing community that reaches beyond just my pocketbook.
There is an INJUSTICE that my generation could face and diminish. In the poorest contries in Africa and around the world, over one BILLION people live without access to clean water. This extreme poverty along with AIDS is ravaging Africa. Don Miller says "The crisis in Africa is difficult to translate to those of us living in the States. Our hearts do not know where to begin."
How do we begin to understand what it means to live on less than a dollar a day? This extreme poverty seems like an imaginary situation that we only see on late night infomercials...and it's easy to change the channel to ESPNHD.
Even more difficult for Americans to grasp is a unified solution to the problem. Some would say we should simply give more money and aid. And there is proof that this works. Thanks to US support over 400,000 people with HIV are receiving retroviral treatments. If we approve $3.6B for HIV/AIDS in our budget, another 500,000 would receieve treatment.
Others would make the point that much of the financial support to Africa is lost in the corruption that permeates many of the poorest countries. This problem is best circumvented through donations to organizations that are directly involved in suffocating African poverty.
One such organization is the Blood:Water Mission, which uses community-building methods to address AIDS by addressing and providing basic health needs. Specifically, they hope to build wells to provide clean water to one thousand communities that have never had it. It is supported by musicians Derek Webb and Jars of Clay and by writer Don Miller.
This is kingdom work. Building communities and correcting injustice by flowing liquid justice. For this end, I will be giving 15% everything I earn this fall to Blood:Water Mission and ONE.org.
What I do is play and write music. I will prepare and plan my fall tour to maximize opportunities for this kingdom work. This is my calling. This is my work.
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