Bio
Sleeping States is the result of one young man, Markland Starkie, working in a format he has sincere reservations about working in: “When I started Sleeping States I gave myself a set of rules becuase I had a real problem with singer/songwriters. I find the whole thing cheesy beyond belief.” Markland told Dazed and Confused. The rules he laid out for himself were simple: no strummed acoustic guitars and only basic instrumentation. The results, heard here on There The Open Spaces, are hypnotic and riveting. Markland’s voice floats atop modestly virtuosic noisy guitar work, seeking out the harmonies many vocalists avoid. Songs come to life before dissolving into quiet noise sections which still retain a melodic center.
Having grown up learning various instruments and classical music theory, Mr. Starkie became enamoured with the possibilities of noise in a musical context and began experimenting in various bands, including noise-pop outfit Kaito (Mute). After moving to London the subsequent sense of dislocation prompted Markland to began a series of home recordings of short songs from the heart that were more minimal in both volume and arrangement, with vocals and melodies that took more of a central role. Sleeping States was born. He started releasing these songs on a number of UK DIY labels whose names would be lost on even the most hardcore American indie mavens - Kontra Punkte (who released the band's first album, Distances Are Great, as a CDr), Homocrime, Undereducated and finally Tome (who has the distinction of releasing the new album in the UK).
But Markland is a sincerely sweet man who has some interesting friends who loved what he was doing. These friends pushed him and started talking to others about Sleeping States. Simon Taylor-Davis of the Klaxons is one such friend and named the band in their recent Pitchfork Guest List feature as his favorite new band - "he makes these beautiful songs over detuned guitars, they're recorded on a four track and possess this impromptu one take charm to them. You read a lot about people making records about what London sounds like, but his songs are the only thing that ever reminds me what its like to be there..."
Another friend is Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear who listed Sleeping States' "Rivers" (featured on There the Open Spaces) as one of his favorite songs of the past year on another Pitchfork Guest List feature: "It's weird when a song comes out of nowhere and ends up being one of your favorite musical discoveries of the year.With no label or much buzz, I first heard of this guy when asked to review some singles for Playlouder, but it wasn't until I stumbled across his site and saw the video for this that I fell in love. If you don't already know this song, please listen, and go see the video. It'll make you love Markland even more." Said video can be found at: http://www.sleepingstates.co.uk/
