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Wesley started performing as John Wesley Harding in the late ’80s (often eliciting comparisons in his early work to Elvis Costello), moved from England to the U.S. in 1991, and has 20+ releases, switching to his own name in 2013 as a result of his success as a novelist.
We discuss “The Impossible She” (and end by listening to “Come Back Yesterday”) from Late Style (2021), whose music was written by David Nagler; “When I Knew” from Wesley Stace (2013), and “Your Ghost (Don’t Scare Me No More)” from Awake (1998). Intro: The title track from Here Comes the Groom (1990). For more see wesleystace.com.
Watch a video for “I Can’t Read the Signs,” the song Wes mentions that was a rejected prototype for Late Style before he went to David Nagler to write the music for that album. Hear “Your Bright Future,” the centerpiece of the album, his “lockdown jam” “Do Nothing if You Can,” and the prescient (given that he started writing it many years ago “Everything All the Time.” Here he was live on TV in 1992. Here he is recently live with Bruce Springsteen. Listen to “Here Comes the Groom” in full.
Interview editing by Tyler Hislop of Pixelbox Media.
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I need to look up his music! If only because of the album by Bob Dylan which included the tune, John Wesley Harding.
John Wesley Harding was a friend to the poor, he travelled with a gun in every hand. And all along the countryside, he opened many a door, but he was never known to hurt an honest man
The vagabond as hero. Bob Dylan.
You say I am an outlaw, you say I am a thief, well here’s Christmas dinner, for the families on relief.
Pretty Boy Floyd, The birds.