Stillwater Black came together in 1991 when Chris Thayer met Ahmed and Sam Pierstorff while playing in the pit band for a high school musical production. Issac McCorkell was quickly recruited on drums and the band recorded its first EP, The Last Virtuous Lady of Athens.

In 1995 they signed with Cleaves Entertainment, a now-defunct independent label based out of Southern California's Inland Empire. Stillwater Black recorded their debut LP, Adam. They played frequently with local and national acts including Dishwalla, Save Ferris, Reel Big Fish, and IE punk/ska mainstays, The Skeletones.

In 1997 the members parted ways and the project lay dormant for two decades.

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Longshot: drums tracked


Here's Issac listening to playback after crushing it in the studio this past weekend.



Watching him work was incredible. After laying down a couple of instrumental and vocal scratch tracks, he warmed through the song, each take hotter, bigger, and more dynamic than the last. Once thoroughly warmed up, he delivered, big time.

I also got to watch Chris behind the board. The man has ears like nobody. And he's a perfect coach. There were so many times that Issac would kill me with his performance, and Chris knew he had more. Issac knew it, too, and he kept at it until that magical take where you just look at each other and know that something special just happened.

This is the collaborative dynamic that I have so missed over the years. To empower, challenge, and encourage one another in the frightening realm of art and creation requires an exquisite balance of self-confidence, sensitivity, and humility.

We're scheduled for another session in a couple of weeks. So excited!

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