Long Island, NY has been a home to melodic hardcore for a long time, citing acts including The Movielife, Silent Majority, and Crime In Stereo as forebears. For the past few years, a myriad of bands have come along to carry on the sound and Stand Still prove to be one of the most exciting of the new wave. Known for playing packed out shows that are built off high-energy and massive sing-a-longs, the band spent much of 2023 in the studio perfecting new material. Today, Stand Still shares the first taste of those sessions with single “Steps Ascending” out via DAZE. The track packs punchy rhythms with an infectious chorus and emotional delivery. As we look towards warmer months, it’s primed to be that song at full blast on a crisp day, driving with the windows down.

Diving into the lyrics of the track, vocalist Gerry Windus states:

“These lyrics are inspired by Catholic guilt and the anxiety that can arise from questions left unanswered. Growing up in a religious household often leads to feeling as if everything is supposed to hold a deeper meaning, this track attempts to describe those feelings in the catchiest way possible.”

Formed in 2020, Stand Still launched with their EP, A Practice In Patience, in 2021. The band followed it up with their second EP, In A Moment’s Notice in 2022, garnering praise from BrooklynVegan, The Alternative, and Distorted Sound. Throughout the past four years, Stand Still have hit the ground running, playing shows alongside Pain Of Truth, Drain, Koyo, Gorilla Biscuits, Silent Majority, Incendiary, and Restraining Order to name a few.

Stand Still are excelling at pushing forth an often overlooked genre and the latest single is just the tip of what’s to come.

Stand Still is Gerry Windus (vocals), Steve Hallam (guitar), Bryan Natole (guitar), Mat Rienecker (bass) and Andre Valerio (drums).