New Music – Jonny Stemp | A Higher Revelation

Listening to more new tunes had me stumbling across Jonny Stemp, a singer-songwriter currently based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. A visit to Soundcloud uncovered a collection of covers, each interpreted with distinctly sparse arrangements irrespective of the song’s original state.

Stay isn’t a song I’d normally listen to, but when it’s been covered it’s managed to get my attention. Jonny Stemp’s version featuring Mikky Ekko is no exception. Stripping the song back to bare basics and slowing the tempo with a raw, honest delivery of lyrics makes it believable and worth listening to. A stark contrast to the original, it might even have you saying you like a Rhianna song if you’re not a fan.

Most recently, the collection expanded to include a bare bones treatment of Sticky Fingers’ How to Fly. Stemp manages to create something that changes the song from upbeat reggae influenced sounds into something moody and soulful, echoing elements of the original through the layered sounds building throughout.

The songs on offer represent a vast listening palate, and the covers open the doors to a plethora of hypotheticals for curious ears that like to hear someone else’s interpretations.