Wesley Stace

• Singer/Songwriter

One Last Heist: he thought he was out, but they managed to reel him back in for one final job, the big payday. If all goes well, he gets to retire, hang his holster up by the fire, maybe tend the garden, play some Yahtzee, get to know his granddaughter. But what if it doesn’t?

And just like that, a new album from Wesley Stace, formerly (and occasionally still) known as John Wesley Harding. One Last Heist: Metaphor? Reality? Doesn’t matter. It’s being released by the venerable Pravda Records, September 2 on 12” LP vinyl, CD, digital download and streaming services.

Wesley Stace was born in Hastings, East Sussex in 1965. He released many albums under the name John Wesley Harding, before switching back to his birth name for more recent recordings, including 2021’s Late Style. He has recorded duets with, among others, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, and Rosanne Cash. Stace has published four novels, including the international bestseller Misfortune, and recently co-wrote Mark Morris’ memoir Out Loud. He also created Cabinet of Wonders, a monthly show that plays at New York City’s City Winery, and which The New Yorker called “one of the finest nights of entertainment this city has to offer.”

He has taught at Princeton, Swarthmore and Fairleigh-Dickinson, and writes regularly for the Times Literary Supplement and the Wall Street Journal. He lives in Philadelphia.