The Stills 'Oceans Will Rise' album

The Stills' forthcoming, third studio album, Oceans Will Rise will be released on August 19th. "We've never felt such a raw energy of inspiration before," commented Tim Fletcher, "We've never felt more driven collectively as a band as we do right now and I think you can feel that throughout the album."

The Stills played four well-received shows at this year's SXSW Music Festival, and continue to preview their new material with more tour dates this June, including their NXNE showcase tonight at The Mod Club, Toronto:
tour dates
JUN 11. Toronto, ON. The Mod Club (NXNE Showcase).
JUN 28. Beauce, QC. Woodstock en Beauce.
JUL 23. Edmonton, AB. Ed Fest.

biography
Evolution as a theme, and as a musical fact. The Stills have an exciting new record, called Oceans Will Rise. It marks not so much a departure for the band as a bold new musical stride forward, taking the distinct sounds of their previous two records, meshing and elaborating and distilling, and the result is a fresh, invigorating trek through a landscape at once familiar and entirely new.

The music is varied, moving from edgy, hard rock anthems through ambient, tribal sounds and back again, all the while keeping a distinct and consistent feel. Oceans Will Rise considers the frailty of human existence, our place in the larger schemes of the natural world, and the possibility, or lack thereof, for positive change. “I was in Okinawa,” explains David Hamelin. “I was swimming and while under water, I felt how small humans really are and how powerful nature is. I felt a huge loss of control; there is something enigmatic about that loss of control. Being under water, you get the feeling like you’re an intruder in someone else’s world and its not your land.” He continues in reference to the album title, “That’s an uncommon feeling for humans to have because we feel we have such authority over the earth; when I was in that place its was scary and inspiring all at the same time.” Tim Fletcher elaborates: “The world is so small and transparent, everyone is so reachable and it feels as though we are on the cusp of a major shift in our own evolution. For me, we sum up alot of the albums themes in the track ‘Snow In California’ when we say, ‘The world is changing so rally up your friends.’”

This band of friends have created a distinct “Stills sounding” record, but there is great melodic innovation, clear, concise songs wrapped in a sonic package that never repeats itself but somehow sustains a consistent sound throughout. “If you’re a musician you have to be a searcher,” says Fletcher, “you have to look in order to find and during that search you will stumble upon unexpected things that you have to let sway you in new directions. Otherwise you are using your analytical mind too much and that’s not where art or creativity resides.” He continues, “You need to trust your instincts and trust that they are leading you in the right direction.” David Hamelin adds, “What interests us about a band like The Clash for example, is that they never settled on one particular esthetic, whether they were playing a ska track or a punk track, at the root of it, it was always The Clash and that’s something we have aspired to.” If you listen closely, you may hear traces of music from other eras, and even from some contemporaries, but each song contributes in its own unique way to the overall fabric of Oceans Will Rise. The result is a series of memorable songs, intense musical energy and drive, imaginative arrangements, and, finally a musical statement at once challenging and inviting, contemplative and joyous. Hearing it once will not be an option.

who is who
Tim Fletcher – Vocals, Guitar
David Hamelin - Guitar, Vocals
Liam O’Neil – Keyboards, Percussion, Background Vocals
Oliver Crowe– Bass, Background Vocals
Julien Blais – Drums

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The Stills - Oceans Will Rise