The Stills

All Music Guide:

The Stills only bore scant similarities to Interpol, but like those suit-wearing New Yorkers, the Stills launched their career with a stately post-punk sound inspired by the likes of Echo & the Bunnymen and Joy Division. Having known one another since the age of 12, the band's founding members -- vocalist Tim Fletcher, drummer Dave Hamelin, guitarist Greg Paquet, and bassist Oliver Crowe -- played in various bands before forming the Stills in 2000. Two years later, they temporarily left their native Montreal for a two-month stay in New York City, where they recorded songs with a four-track recorder and pursued a record deal. An offer from Vice Recordings followed before the year's end; however, joint shows with the Music, the Rapture, the Streets, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were what cemented the Stills a temporary spot among the city's ever-changing indie rock scene.

The Rememberese EP appeared in June 2003, and stateside dates with Interpol followed that fall. Logic Will Break Your Heart marked the Stills' full-length debut in October, and the band spent time touring the U.K. and North America before heading into the studio to record a second album in late 2004. Founding member Greg Paquet announced his departure from the lineup the following year, and drummer Dave Hamelin responded to the change by switching roles and filling Paquet's spot on guitar. Touring keyboardist Liam O'Neil and Sea Ray drummer Colin Brooks were also added to the lineup. The resulting Without Feathers, released in 2006, was something of a departure for the group, relying less on new wave and post-punk and more on rootsy, '70s heartland rock (Hamelin also became the band's co-frontman, sharing vocal duties with Fletcher). 2008's Oceans Will Rise saw the Stills stretching their boundaries even further, this time incorporating sonic experimentalism and uplifting, anthemic rock into their sound. The evolution stopped there, however, with the band announcing its decision to split up on April 15, 2011.

Wikipedia:

The Stills were a Canadian rock band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 2000, and disbanded in 2011.

History [edit]

The band members had known each other since the age of twelve and played in various bands prior to forming the Stills.

Their EP, Rememberese, was released on June 17, 2003. Their debut album, Logic Will Break Your Heart, was released later that year. Their second album, Without Feathers, was released May 9, 2006 on Vice Records. They supported Kings of Leon on their UK spring tour in 2007.

They signed with Arts & Crafts for the release of their third album, Oceans Will Rise, which was released August 19, 2008.

On July 20, 2008 they played in Quebec City, opening for Paul McCartney, for the city's 400th anniversary. On February 7, 2009, they played at Nathan Phillips Square as part of Toronto's WinterCity Festival. They supported the Kings of Leon on their tour of Australia and New Zealand in March 2009.

On March 28, 2009, they were awarded 2 Juno Awards (Canada's music awards), in the categories for Best New Group of The Year, and Best Alternative Album of the Year for their album Oceans Will Rise.

On April 15, 2011, The Stills announced on their site that they had officially disbanded.

Post break up [edit]

In 2011 Hamelin and O'Neil along with Justin Peroff of Broken Social Scene formed a new band, Eight and a Half, and in March 2012 they released a self-titled album.

Members [edit]

Greg Paquet, former vocalist and lead guitarist, left the band in 2005 to finish his university degree. Dave Hamelin replaced him on guitar and vocals. Liam O'Neil became a full-time member of the band on keyboards in 2005, and Julien Blais joined as drummer. On April 29, 2010 the band announced that Paquet would be re-joining the band and Hamelin would be moving back to drumming.