The Stuntman Stuntman vinyl you are looking at represents the first time this 1996 record has ever been pressed to LP, a release that spent nearly three decades existing only as a CD and cassette. Gravy Lane has given it a proper physical home at last, limited to a one-time run of 273 copies on blue vinyl, catalog number GLR 3.
Where Stuntman Came From
Scott Schmaljohn built his reputation as a key member of Treepeople, the Boise post-punk outfit whose influence stretched further than its cult following might suggest. Doug Martsch, who went on to lead Built to Spill and collaborate in the Halo Benders, has spoken openly about Schmaljohn’s songwriting as a formative influence on his own approach. When Treepeople wound down after their C/Z Records contract concluded and Martsch moved on, Schmaljohn did not stop writing. He formed Stuntman and brought in John Polle, known to fans of Pullman, as a creative partner. The pairing matters because their instincts pull in different directions in productive ways. Schmaljohn’s jangly guitar work and melodic sensibility sit alongside Polle’s contributions, which lean poppier but carry a darker, more playful undercurrent. The result is a guitar interplay that functions almost like interlocking puzzle pieces, distinct voices that fit together without becoming indistinguishable.
What Makes the Stuntman Stuntman Vinyl Worth Your Attention
This is not a standard reissue. There was no original vinyl pressing to reissue from. The 1996 release existed on CD and cassette only, formats that captured the music but never gave it the weight and presence of a record. Gravy Lane pressed this once and only once, 273 copies total. When these are gone, there is no second run planned. Blue vinyl adds a visual element that suits a record this overdue for a proper format, though the more significant point is simply that the music now exists in a form it never had before.
Who Should Own This
Collectors with a serious interest in the Pacific Northwest indie underground of the 1990s will recognize immediately why this matters. Anything connected to the Treepeople and Built to Spill orbit carries genuine historical weight in that scene, and Schmaljohn’s role in it is well documented. Beyond provenance, the record holds up on its own terms. The guitar writing between Schmaljohn and Polle remains fresh in a way that records from that era sometimes do not. If you collect Boise or Northwest indie, if you follow the threads that connect Treepeople to what came after, or if you simply want a limited blue vinyl pressing of something that has never existed on wax before, this is a specific and legitimate gap to fill in a collection.
