Still

Still's "Control" is a haunting romantic rumination

Still's debut single, "Divinity," seemingly came out of nowhere—the trio delved into the melodic side of post-punk with its ringing, layered guitars and robust rhythm section. Their latest single, "Control," also adopts a trebly, shimmering sound that comes across like the work of a full band rather than an intimate bedroom recording—an anomaly for a contemporary band that adopts an eighties guitar-pop style. There's an-all-embracing romanticism to lead singer Daniel McDonough's passionate admission: "Embers rising from a fire / You burned it all down so your past selves would die," he sings in a tender falsetto, showcasing his commanding range over a beautifully arranged balance of delicate synth lines and just the right amount of reverb—very much in the tradition of songwriters like Gerard "Caesar" McInulty and Mark Burgess. - Juan Rodríguez - The Deli Magazine

Los Angeles-based act Still impress with “Divinity,” a captivating track from their upcoming debut EP. Exuding post-punk and dream-pop vibes reminiscent of Wild Nothing, with yearning guitar tones also reminiscent of The Smiths, “Divinity” succeeds with a convincing aesthetic. The one-minute mark sees an uptick in vocal presence, as jangly guitar lines adorn the sweeping vocals with an engaging mystique. The “I know,” vocal repetition plays especially well during the chorus, which transitions seamlessly from the verses. “Divinity” is a stellar track from a project I’m definitely excited to hear more from. - Obscure Sound

“Control” is the latest from Still, the Los Angeles-based act that impressed with the superb track “Divinity” last month. “Control” is the second single off the band’s upcoming debut EP, again touting post-punk and dream-pop vibes reminiscent of Wild Nothing. The wistful synth tones and reverberating rhythm section flows alongside the lush vocals, emitting a sense of ’80s dream-pop/post-punk nostalgia that plays with authentically memorable passion. Dreamy layers of guitars and synths converge with warm nostalgia for a stellar track in “Control.” - Obscure Sound

Call it double trouble, with reinforcements. In the tradition of twins making music, Angelenos Adrian and Julian Johnson (on guitar and bass, respectively) have joined forces with singer-songwriter Daniel McDonough in the dream-pop project Still.

Their debut single, “Divinity,” co-produced, engineered and mixed by Kevin Abdella, is jangly and pretty yet understated. McDonough, who works in a record store and is accustomed to more melodically-inclined piano and harp in his solo work, takes the opportunity to have a more constrained approach. “I’m constantly listening to different music, and because I write in a very subconscious way, its hard to say what is influencing me in the moment,” said the singer. “I normally just say my favorite bands, which are the Cure, Joy Division, Cocteau Twins, Nick Cave, Dead Can Dance, Bjork, etc., which probably had the most obvious influence.”

In the stream-of-consciousness verse, the influences are apparent as McDonough dances over the bed of indie prepared by the Johnson twins with a twirl of resignation in watching love slip away, feeling powerless to bring it back to life. With the weight of regret, the words tumble forth, “I would stay if I had the words to say to go back to how things were / Streams of light cascading down from the sky droplets of divinity / Don’t purify in fact they just hurt my eyes show a glimpse of what I should be.” It’s an honest acceptance of failure, and it seems too late to try again as McDonough takes a bigger breath to sing, “But that’s just how it is / I know I never had a chance / I thought I might if I could find a way back to you / But I know… I never had a chance.” It’s a bit defeatist, but some of the best songs do sing the blues and Still achieves it in many hues. - buzzbands.la

Los Angeles act Still has released a new single Divinity, which will appear on their forthcoming debut EP. The band is comprised of Adrian Johnson, Julian Johnson, and Daniel McDonough, who grew up together.

McDonough’s solo work prior to the band’s formation — mostly written on harp and piano — was influential in honing the band’s current, melodic aesthetic. He had this to say about the bands take on music…..

“The most conscious decision I’ve ever made was deciding to give the music a post-punk structure,” McDonough says. “It really gave me the opportunity to focus more on vocals and melody.

“I work at a record store, so I’m constantly listening to different music, and because I write in a very subconscious way, its hard to say what is influencing me in the moment. I normally just say my favorite bands, which are The Cure, Joy Division, Cocteau Twins, Nick Cave, Dead Can Dance, Bjork etc. which probably had the most obvious influence.”

“As far as recording goes. We recorded the whole EP in one day because of an extremely limited budget. We were in the studio for about 20 hours if I remember correctly. I wasn’t able to start recording vocals until after midnight, and I had to open the record store in just a few hours which added a lot of pressure to the process. Everyone else was passed out from exhaustion by the end and I was on the ground between vocal takes.”

Divinity shows much of the band’s early influences, including smooth haunting vocals that glide over a fluid flow of instrumentation. Still’s fusion of post-punk and dream pop is a swoon-worthy combination. - The Girls at the Rock Show

Still – Divinity

From the woods of The Cure-like vengeance, the words flow out of the project named STILL. ‘Divinity’ is a nostalgic vibe dream, new-wave pop that just sustains with a resonance of a thousand Radiohead mood songs. A sultry and delectable shimmy in melancholic, love-soaked coming of age song just keeps filling your sole with the outlook for the future you deserve. Made up of Daniel McDonough, Adrian Johnson, Julian Johnson, and Wesley Wheeler, STILL is the band you’d dreamed of when all things seemed unattainable. Keep you nose up; be strong. ‘Divinity’ will drive up the sanity and we’ll be atoned for all of the negativity. And then, we’ll live once more. STILL makes that happen. Look out for this intriguing band in their upcoming debut EP. - comeherefloyd

Release your inner goth and enjoy the solemn tones of LA three piece Still on their track ‘Divinity’. Creating illustrious, gothic, dream-pop, similar to The Cure clashing with Wild Nothing, Still are tacking modern post-punk in a new direction, by taking it back towards the darker era of pop’s past. ‘Divinity’ immerses itself in a guise of shoegaze, clanging away with dusty old guitars that are probably only a few years old, yet capture the essence of The Cranberries at their best. If you shut your eyes and listen, you’d swear that Still were a cult band from the late 80’s or 90’s that you’re lucky enough to have discovered before anyone could tell you about them. - Velvet Independent

Los Angeles-based act Still impressed this past summer with the tracks “Divinity” and “Control,” both showing a melodic vein of post-punk and dream-pop with an aesthetic reminiscence to Wild Nothing, The Smiths, and the like.

Both of those tracks, and two new ones, appear on the band’s recently released, self-titled EP. Among the new tracks is “Forever Undone,” which builds from a stirring intro with pit-patter percussion and twangy guitar/bass alignment. “Asleep” is the other new track, featuring a melodic, yearning guitar tone with the nostalgic post-punk allure the band has firmly established thus far. - Obscure Sound

Still from Los Angeles release their debut eponymous ep at the beginning of December

Opener Control features synth washes over slow, slightly jangly guitar and a late-80’s drum sound, before songwriter Daniel McDonough‘s somewhat feminine, hypnotic vocals take charge.

There are definite hints of the late, lamented Her’s, as well as low-key mid-period New Order album tracks in this number, perhaps something off side two of Low-Life.

It’s the kind of song that could easily sit in a forgotten Hollywood drama flick, playing over a montage of scenes of the protagonists angrily packing up to leave for a new adventure.

Divinity is more upbeat with the words rushing to be contained within the blossoming tune, and is perhaps the best of the four tracks, though all are well worth a listen.

The whole thing has the influence of early 90’s shoegaze/dreampop all over it, but less full-on guitar haze than contemporaries such as Wild Nothing or DIIV, alongside the likes of the new wave synth-pop of early Simple Minds. – Will Neville - Getintothis

Still: EP

Still from Los Angeles release their debut eponymous ep at the beginning of December

Opener Control features synth washes over slow, slightly jangly guitar and a late-80’s drum sound, before songwriter Daniel McDonough‘s somewhat feminine, hypnotic vocals take charge.

There are definite hints of the late, lamented Her’s, as well as low-key mid-period New Order album tracks in this number, perhaps something off side two of Low-Life.

It’s the kind of song that could easily sit in a forgotten Hollywood drama flick, playing over a montage of scenes of the protagonists angrily packing up to leave for a new adventure.

Divinity is more upbeat with the words rushing to be contained within the blossoming tune, and is perhaps the best of the four tracks, though all are well worth a listen.

The whole thing has the influence of early 90’s shoegaze/dreampop all over it, but less full-on guitar haze than contemporaries such as Wild Nothing or DIIV, alongside the likes of the new wave synth-pop of early Simple Minds. – Will Neville - Getintothis

Los Angeles-based act Still impressed this past summer with the tracks “Divinity” and “Control,” both showing a melodic vein of post-punk and dream-pop with an aesthetic reminiscence to Wild Nothing, The Smiths, and the like.

Both of those tracks, and two new ones, appear on the band’s recently released, self-titled EP. Among the new tracks is “Forever Undone,” which builds from a stirring intro with pit-patter percussion and twangy guitar/bass alignment. “Asleep” is the other new track, featuring a melodic, yearning guitar tone with the nostalgic post-punk allure the band has firmly established thus far. - Obscure Sound