Hopeless Case is the debut single by indie punks Stern John raising money for homeless charity Crisis.

Singer and bass player Paul Offord lives in the nation’s newest city by the sea, Southend, where he befriended a homeless man who spent his nights drinking super strength lager to oblivion in the same shopfront. He slept in a tent, in the bushes, by the station, until the council chopped them down and took away the tent. This song tells his story. It’s for him and for so many others on the streets with no easy answers.

On the one hand, it’s a fall to the floor howled punk disco driven along by mighty drummer Morgan Condon, who also lives in Southend but comes from Dublin. But there’s musical heart from the Old Country too – a woody-folksy riff played on electric ukulele through a dirty Fender amp by Offord’s big cousin Craig Brown, another exiled Irishman.

Guest vocalist Alix Roberston pulls it all together with the hooky chorus lament…. Hopeless Case? Waste of space? Not if we can help it!

Offord said: “I used to talk to him most nights walking home from the station after work. His brother was a crack addict. It turned out both had been sexually abused by their dad who they couldn’t cut ties with because he still bought their booze and drugs. It was a lesson that people have their reasons for sleeping rough and not sobering up. This song is protesting against indifference to the stories behind why people are stuck on the streets, why they deserve understanding and need help more than ever from homeless charities.”

Proceeds from the single release will go to Crisis and donations can be made through our JustGiving page

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.