The Still Out were poised to be a big shoegaze name in the 2000s alongside bands like A Place to Bury Strangers and My Bloody Valentine. Then, the band was stopped in its tracks when the founder died suddenly. Now the world finally has a chance to hear their original albumCrystalized.Check out “From Fiction” from that album below.
“‘From Fiction’ features lead guitarist Jody Porter of Fountains of Wayne (as a special guest),” says Arjun “Arj” Agerwala, another founder and original member from the 2000s. “It was written and recorded in one session at Stratosphere Sound, and a live version of it (from our first-ever show at NYC institution Arlene’s Grocery) is one of the bonus tracks on Crystallized.
“It’s another song on the record that wrote itself. I started it with the opening guitar lick, playing it live but in the style of a loop. We built it from there and wrote the lyrics together, again in a sort of stream of consciousness. The song was inspired by the people yelling about God on street corners and subways in New York, so the vocals are written and delivered in that style, except it’s us talking about the lies that are fed to us constantly by politicians, the media, and all the people trying to take advantage of us for their own gain.
“The verse is intentionally quieter, with Jody’s perfectly eerie guitar, as the ‘preacher’ describes the current state of the world to his flock, how they are being manipulated and have become addicted to an unending cycle of hatred. The chorus comes in like a bomb, with Jody’s leads punctuating the message. It is the preacher’s prophecy leading to its inevitable conclusion and destroying all that is good and decent in the world. There are no words because there is nothing left to say.”
In 2026, Agerwala reformed the band. AfterCrystallized, he will be issuing a wealth of unreleased songs in honor of his best friend and bandmate.
“We were proud of the record, but we didn’t have any big plans in mind for it,” says Agerwala. “We didn’t make the record for anyone but ourselves. It has taken me nearly five years to recover from Josh’s death. It feels fitting, now that I’m able, to share our vision and bring something beautiful out of that darkness. This album is now both a tribute to him and a literal record of our friendship and creative journey together. I want anyone who may be into this to be able to hear it. It also feels like a tribute to our mentor Adam Schlesinger. I know that his passing affected Josh deeply.”
Crystalizedis out tomorrow. Get it here.
