“Stretch”, has an intensity in his performance that burns up on any given night. From dark-hearted ballads to roof raising choruses with a bootstomping backbeat, it’s a New Zealand folk/rock landscape, somewhere between Highway 61 Revisited and State Highway 2.

After years on the road, this lone wolf now deliver his debut solo album.

From a rural upbringing in a town that barely makes it onto the map, Stretch was on a musical path from the beginning. Listening to 45’s on a jukebox at the country pub he was too young to be in, picking up guitar chords from his Irish grandmother, and mastering the Maori strum from his dad.

After years of paying heavy dues in various groups and getting chewed up by big city life,
Stretch set off on his own road, with songs from a life-long search to find out where he belongs.

The past year has seen no less than four national tours to rave reviews, earning a place on the country’s best stages. On the strength of this reputation, he opened for American songwriting legend Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, for his only New Zealand show!

All these roads have led to his debut solo album, ‘Bury All Horses’. Produced by Wayne Bell. An intense week of sessions at the Lab Recording Studios with a band able to catch lighting in a bottle yielded live takes, no click tracks, and an intimate yet exhilarating sound. Songs such as the garage-folk-stomp opener ‘Less Rock More Roll’ or ‘6 Tears’ with it’s boozy swagger, alternate with a more nuanced sound, the track ‘Nothing Can Hurt You’ carrying its own dark weight.

The journey of bringing this music to the studio and a wider audience was not without a very personal struggle, having spent a lifetime balancing severe depression against a need to connect with the world through his music. The period following recording, saw Stretch hit one of his lowest ebbs, which meant a total retreat from the world, and eventually finding much needed professional help.

‘There was just no way around it. Life, internal and external, fell apart and I couldn’t put it back together without letting myself get the help needed. It’s an ongoing thing, but I got to the point where I could think about being out there again, and playing. That alone was as much of an achievement as anything I’ve done musically’.

Throughout, Stretch has followed a truely independent path. He’s found inspiration in desperation, and a way forward when there wasn’t one. Captivating performances, a voice that can’t help being soulful, and a passion to connect with every listener, Stretch is making fans the old fashioned way, one true music lover at a time.

The album features Wayne Bell – Drums, Sean Harvey – Guitars, Mandolin,
Dan Devcich – Bass, Backing vocals, Paul Magarity – Banjo, Anthony Stretch – Acoustic guitars, Vocals, Blues Harp Produced by Wayne Bell and Engineered by Oliver Harmer at The Lab.