Chris Stamey is one of the leading figures of American indie rock as we know it. Born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Stamey grew up in Winston-Salem and earned a degree in philosophy from NYU. While living in New York, Stamey became the bass player for Alex Chilton’s band for around a year and released a 1978 by another Big Star alum Chris Bell on his own Car Records imprint with “I Am the Cosmos” and “You and Your Sister.” Around that time he formed The dB’s with Peter Holsapple. That band’s jangle guitar and post-punk sensibilities in terms of literary lyrics and willingness to write emotionally complex songs made it a favorite of college radio throughout the 1980s before splitting in 1988 (though back together since 2005). Stamey is renowned for his production and his credits would be too long to list. For example perhaps unexpectedly he produced the first two Le Tigre records and Pylon’s classic 1983 album Chomp. Simply put indie rock and pop bears the hallmarks of Stamey’s work directly on indirectly for decades. He has played in numerous bands during the course of his lifetime including a short stint in Let’s Active with his friend and also legendary producer Mitch Easter and he has had an acclaimed solo career as well.
Stamey’s latest long player Anything Is Possible released via Label 51 Recordings on July 11 on 12” LP vinyl (out August 8, 2025), CD, digital download and on streaming. The new record Stamey says “is a love letter to the kind of harmonically rich yet often lyrically innocent pop music I heard, on the family turntable and especially on AM radio, growing up in the late 50s and mid-60s in the American South.” With contributions from Tthe Lemon Twigs, Mitch Easter, Probyn Gregory (Brian Wilson Band), Marshall Crenshaw among other luminaries of modern music the album has the sophisticated and sonically detailed pop songcraft that Stamey has perfected across a lifetime. Shades of Harry Nilsson and Brian Wilson can be heard throughout the album supported by Stamey’s knack for fusing texture and tone into the kinds of pop hooks and moods that linger with you.
Listen to our interview with Chris Stamey on Bandcamp and follow the artist at the links below.
Chris Stamey on Audiomack
Chris Stamey on Amazon Music
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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