StaNley woodhouse
artist resume
Stan Woodhouse, best known for his work as Skyscraper Stan, is a songwriter and musician currently based in Ballarat, Victoria. Stan began performing in Australia in 2010 after moving to Melbourne from New Zealand. Since the release of his debut album Last Year’s Tune in 2015, Stan has toured through every state and territory of Australia, often playing upwards of one hundred shows a year. He has performed at major festivals throughout Australasia both as a solo artist and with his band the Commission Flats.
Largely through his own representation and logistical efforts, Stan has orchestrated large-scale band tours across Australia and New Zealand, sharing stages with acts such as the Troggs, the Animals, James Reyne, Marlon Williams, Ian Moss and more. Since moving to Ballarat in the early months of 2020, Stan has become an active member of the local arts community with work exhibited at the Ballarat Art Gallery, appearances at local events including Ballarat’s iteration of the Play On Victoria concerts, and collaborative efforts with council initiatives such as Be_Hear/Now.
Stan’s second studio effort, Golden Boy Vol. I and II was released in 2019 through local label Heart of the Rat Records and remains their highest selling album, largely due to Stan’s touring efforts. Following the global Covid-19 pandemic, Stan is looking forward to focusing his efforts on community projects that enliven regional areas with music in an ongoing way, and allow the transfer of key touring and performance skills to younger musicians.
Recording history
2013
Debut EP “Tall Stories” recorded at Sing Sing South. “Tall Stories” spent three weeks on the AMRAP metro chart, reaching number three.
2015
Debut album “Last Year’s Tune”, recorded at Woodstock Studios with producer Paul Ruske and engineer Richard Stolz (Husky/Julia Stone). ”Last Year’s Tune” received four star reviews in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age as well as New Zealand Musician Magazine and No Depression.
2016
Acoustic, live album recorded at Some Velvet Morning, Clifton Hill with engineer Richard Stolz.
Song “a Tune I Might Remember” written and recorded at “The Lab” in Auckland, New Zealand with producer David Long (Lord of the Rings/King Kong/the Hobbit) for academy award longlisted documentary “25 April”
2017/18
$11,000 crowd funded and honoured for sophomore album Golden Boy. Production begins at Woodstock Studios, Balaclava.
2018/19
Lead single Tarcutta Shade debuts at #10 on the Amrap Metro chart rising to #9 on the metro chart and #6 on the regional chart.
Second single “On Your Corner” debuts at #9 on the AMRAP metro chart.
Second album “Golden Boy Vol. 1 and 2” released in May 2019.
2020
“Contactless”, a collaborative moving image work between Stan and graphic novelist Dillon Naylor is commissioned and exhibited by the Ballarat Art Gallery as part of the Mutual Realities exhibition.
2021
Stan’s song “Those Were Days” is recorded live in a storm water drain as part of the Ballarat City Council’s Be_Hear/Now initiative.
performance history
Highlights:
Regular Australian tours solo and with touring band the Commission Flats
Appearances in NT, WA, TAS, VIC, QLD, NSW, SA and ACT
Eight date tour of Vietnam courtesy of the Australian Embassy in Hanoi. Community engagement responsibilities included guitar and song writing lessons for victims of trafficking at the Blue Dragon Foundation.
Two Australasian tours undertaken between July and November 2019 to promote release of album Golden Boy Vol. 1 and 2. Australia Council touring grant received and acquitted.
17 date tour of New Zealand with best-selling novelist and spoken word artist Dominic Hoey with multiple sold out shows (Lyttleton, Auckland and Dunedin)
One New Zealand tour as a guest singer in stage production “Waiting in the Sky” with Eddie Rayner (Split Enz), Jordan Luck (the Exponents) and Finn Andrews (The Veils) among others.
Played Darryl Ames in the musical Bright Star, written by Steve Martin and Eddie Brickell. 3AC theatre company, Castlemaine.
Tours
2015:
March
12 date band Australian tour (VIC, NSW, QLD)
May/June
11 date solo tour (NSW)
July/August
17 date solo tour (NSW/QLD/NT)
October
4 date band tour (NZ)
2016:
March/April
8 date band tour (VIC, NSW, QLD)
May/June
26 date solo tour (VIC, NSW, QLD)
June
4 date duo tour (TAS)
July
8 date solo tour (NSW, ACT)
October
9 date band tour (NZ)
November
8 date solo tour (Vietnam)
2017
February/March
15 date solo tour (NSW, ACT, QLD)
June/July
12 date duo tour (VIC, NSW, SA)
August
4 date solo tour (NT)
November
17 date solo tour (NZ)
2018
March
16 date band/solo tour (VIC, NSW, QLD)
April
3 date duo tour (NZ)
May
4 date band tour (VIC)
November/December
6 date band tour (VIC, NSW, SA)
2019
March
5 date band tour (VIC, NSW, ACT)
April
6 date solo tour (VIC)
July/August
16 date band tour (VIC, NSW, ACT, WA, NZ)
October
14 date solo tour (VIC, NSW, NZ, TAS)
Festival appearances
Queenscliff Music Festival
Port Fairy Folk Festival
Nannup Music Festival (WA)
Riverboats Music Festival
Dashville Skyline (NSW)
Newtown Festival (NSW)
Festival of Voices (TAS)
Happy Wanderer Festival
Commonground Festival
Eltham Jazz and Wine Festival
Warrandyte Festival
Meatstock
Fat Tuesday
Southern Fork Americana Festival (NZ)
Nelson Arts Festival (NZ)
Nostalgia Festival (NZ)
Night Jar Festival
Isolaid Festival
Supports
James Reyne
Diesel
Jon Stevens
Ian Moss
The Troggs
The Animals
Marlon Williams
C W Stoneking
Gareth Liddiard
Steve Smyth
Don McGlashan
Tami Nilson
Delaney Davidson