Originating from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the majority of this indie rock band (vocalist/guitarist Tim Fletcher, bass player Oliver Crowe, and drummer Dave Hamelin) have known each other for most of their lives, and even played in local groups together early on (such as the obscure punk band, the Dropouts). In 2000, Hamelin and Fletcher secured a four-track home recorder from a friend. The pair initially shared the recorder, with each writing their songs separately, but upon hearing their works it was agreed that they were stylistically similar, with both men taking their inspiration from UK post-punk acts such as Joy Division and Echo And The Bunnymen. The idea of the duo pooling their talents became reality, leading to the formation of the Stills in 2002 (with Crowe and second guitarist Greg Paquet joining the line-up). Eventually signing with management based in New York the quartet briefly relocated to the east coast. Their New York "getaway" paid off, resulting in a contract with Atlantic Records. The summer of 2003 saw the release of a four-track EP, Rememberese, and the quartet's emergence as a live act of some note. Their debut, Logic Will Break Your Heart, appeared later the same year and was followed by US dates supporting Ryan Adams.
Paquet left the band in late 2005 during sessions for a second album. He was replaced by two new members, Liam O'Neil (keyboards) and Colin Brook (drums), with Hamelin switching to guitar. The 2006 release Without Feathers marked a change in direction, with anthemic rock songs replacing the previous post-punk influences.
They signed with Arts & Crafts for the release of their third album, Oceans Will Rise, which was released August 19, 2008.[2]
On July 20, 2008 they played to a crowd of over 270,000 in Quebec City, opening for Paul McCartney, for the city's largest concert ever, to celebrate its 400th anniversary. On February 7, 2009, they played a free 1-hour and 15 minute show 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 28th, 2009, The Stills were awarded 2 Junos (Canada's music awards), in the categories for Best New Group of The Year (despite having already released 3 records), and Best Alternative Album of the Year for their album "Oceans Will Rise". The group also performed their hit song "Being Here" during the televised portion of the awards show the next day.
http://www.thestills.net
http://www.myspace.com/thestills