A Stick And A Stone - Conspire
Arizona and Philadelphia-based A Stick and A Stone will release their fifth album, Conspire, on June 27th on cassette via Fiadh Productions and CD via Mutual Aid Records. While staying true to the dark, experimental roots of their previous albums, Conspire stands out for its descents into feral noise-scapes from ambient minimalism, and for its bold political messages woven into the lyrics.
A Stick And A Stone is the project of vocalist/composer Elliott Miskovicz along with a network of collaborating musicians and artist-activists. Performing as an openly trans and disabled artist, Miskovicz's work has been rooted in and nourished by cultures of resistance since 2007. Touring the underground DIY circuit extensively, A Stick And A Stone has been found performing everywhere from cathedrals and queer festivals to public rituals and punk houses for over 15 years. For this album, the project includes the chaotic percussion of Olivia Cadence Luxe (Divide and Dissolve), mesmerizing harp of Myles Donovan (Disemballerina), cacophonous sax harmonics of Wren Radix, dissonant synth of Benjamin Schurr (Ruah), subtle viola of Billy Ray Boyer (Aradia), and brooding cello of Rhys Jewell—all layered beneath the haunting choral harmonies of vocalist Elliott Miskovicz.
A Stick And A Stone’s Conspire is at once a wake up call and a refuge; a battle cry and an elixir. Miskovicz’s wails about war, climate, plague, and gendered violence contrast with hushed liturgies of support networks, wilderness, and hope. Soaring vocal hooks offer a guiding light through dark tunnels of fervent grief and rage. Reversed loops and off-kilter beats allude to nonlinear time cycles and the search for stillness in the storm.
Despite the mutiny it conjures, Conspire remains deeply intimate, with sounds of deep breaths and heartbeats anchoring Miskovicz’s candid lyrics. Samples of wild animals and protest speeches intersperse with conversations he recorded with children about their solutions to global problems.
The lyrics range from urgent calls to action (“...rip out the roads from the map, like veins from the cadaver of a killer.”) to poetic reminders of beauty amidst destruction (“...stay here, among the swirling branches laced with lichen.”) The roots of the word “conspire” mean “to breathe together,” stemming from “con-” meaning together and “-spire” meaning to breathe. A Stick And A Stone’s Conspire is a gasp for air amidst the fever-pitch upheavals of our time.
