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.

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Flashback '96: Judas and the Angel

Alright. We'll admit that Jimi Hendrix practically wrote the opening bars. But if you're going to borrow, borrow from the best!



This was always an amazing song to play live, and maybe the only time on the record where Issac and I double up for backing harmonies (on the bridge). I'm also really proud of the lick I built into the chord progression through the chorus. A little bendy drama (I get "the bends" again in another song, Fragile).

The solo is classic Chris. No wasted notes. So happy to be working with him again!

We also had this interesting fascination with weeping willows. You'll hear them come up again in Common Thing.

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