Earlier this year, a band called The Stills were named one of Rolling Stone’s top-10 artists to watch this year. Most music fans hadn’t heard about them, though the artists named to the list usually are unknown. 50 Cent, Norah Jones, Nelly Furtado and The Strokes were all once unknown artists who graced the respected list of prospects. What makes The Stills an interesting decision is that the Montreal-based band didn’t have any material record at the time.

“We did a bunch of shows in New York and in England and most of the other bands included in the list were bands who had already released things, so it’s weird that a band like us with such little material and such little exposure compared to these other bands would get thrown into that whole list,” says the band’s frontman Tim Fletcher, speaking to andPOP from Brooklyn.

Being on the Rolling Stone list, as well as a similar list released by MTV, does not mean The Stills will cater to the mainstream media as they finish recording their debut full-length album.

“It’s really cool that they’re doing that, but we’re doing our own thing in the studio. We’re not trying to please Rolling Stone or MTV.”

They initially had 25 songs, which they narrowed down to 15 to perfect. The Stills will finish recording this month, and will then decide on the final play-list.

“We’re all surprised at how it’s coming out,” says the band’s frontman Tim Flethcer. “This is what we wanted. It’s nice when it all comes together. It never sound exactly how you thought it would. The new sounds that we came up with and the creative element has definitely yielded some things that have surprised us and inspired us.”

The album, which is called, “Logic Will Break Your Heart,” is scheduled for release in October. “There’s a common theme throughout the record which is well summed up by that,” he explains of the title.

Their four-song EP, Rememberese, which was released in June of this year, has received great reviews, and a lot of people have been comparing their style to 1980s-sounding British music. But Fletcher wants people to know that the new record won’t be sounding similar to that.

“Our decision in making this full length album is that’s not who we are,” he says. “We’re not an ’80s revisionist band. We were conscious about that whole ’80s thing and we didn’t want to make it a throwback record.”

The Stills moved to New York about a year ago and started playing shows about once a week. “The whole time, Vice Records would show up at our shows and we’d hang out as friends, because they’re also from Montreal,” Fletcher says. “Early on, they said ‘why don’t you just sign to Vice Records?’ We waited a bit, and ultimately we ended up signing with them. Everyone else is wankers. They’re people we trust.”

The Stills are expected to tour England and North American starting in September.

So should we believe the hype?

“If you like the songs, then believe what you want.”






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