When I interviewed the band, Still Time, it started out as an intimidating experience. They were on a short hiatus from their four-month national tour and I finally got the opportunity to meet them. After stepping through the door of their rehearsal space, I found myself face-to-face with seven musicians. Seven! I was a bit overwhelmed.
However, I was determined to interview the band from San Luis Obispo, CA. Performing together since 2004, the band has become a household name on California’s Central Coast. They have shared the stage with acts such as Steel Pulse, Ozomatli, and Ben Harper. With two full-length albums under their belt – Stream of Consciousness (2007) and See America (2009), Still Time falls under the category “groove rock,” and they seek to promote a positive message.
After my fear subsided, we sat and chatted about music, touring, and humanitarianism. Still Time’s members are Dan Curcio (vocals/guitar), John Vucinich (drums), Nick Bilich (guitar), Haircut (guitar), Paul Smith Stewart (bass), and T-Bone (harmonica). Seventh and newest member, Ryan Mosse, joined the sextet on saxophone.
They traveled throughout 38 states and played about 70 shows. The “See America” tour, aptly named after their latest CD, was done via RV and trailer. Playing in cities such as New Orleans, Austin, Boston and Charleston was planned after a month and a half of organization. Attending house parties, socializing with new fans, and performing after swashbuckling pirates (in Portland, Oregon), were all experiences that the band will definitely not forget.
-“This is our first national tour… we had a good reception, a good response. We played in New Orleans and Austin and experienced such an incredible music culture,” Curcio said.
See America is bluesy. What an incredible album to use as the vehicle to move this tour along. It captures Americana with its carefree, feel-good vibe. Why think about a day job when you can play this album and kick back with a six-pack of beer?
“The album is doing well. But we pretty much had a month and a half to get everything together. Throughout the tour, it was a continual promotion,” said Bilich.
From couch surfing to parking the RV in Wal-Mart parking lots, Still Time played in venues of all sizes. Sometimes the sound systems worked well, and sometimes they didn’t. With the size of their band, it definitely took some creative planning to work with such various accommodations.
But the challenges did not discourage them in any way. It is quite the contrary, really. The guys love to travel and have even incorporated this interest with their recording methods. See America was recorded at several different places. Some of the material was recorded at San Luis Obispo’s Downtown Brewing Co. to capture a “live feel.” Other songs were recorded at Ocean Way Studios in Hollywood, a boxcar on the Oregon coast, and an empty mansion in San Francisco.
“We actually put it on reel to reel, analog. That’s why it has that ‘live sound,’” said T-Bone.
For their upcoming third album, they will continue to evolve. Adding Mosse on saxophone will definitely add a little more to what they had before. Curcio writes the lyrics. The rest of the band collaborates with their respective instruments and each member contributes until they reach something solid.
“Groove rock” is a mix of the band’s musical influences. Fans may hear similarities from artists such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ben Harper, and Dave Matthews. Their groove is solid, yet they make a crowd move like a pop song would do. Fans have told Still Time that their sound is “hard to describe, but it makes people feel good.” Going to a Still Time show has been called “a release from the work week.”
A Still Time show is an album coming alive and reenacted. Because Curcio prefers to focus on spreading a positive message in their songs, he believes that the band’s core theme is to maintain a “sense of community.” Curcio confirms this by stating that, “It’s important to share positivity. I had a great upbringing. At our shows, we follow the vibe of the crowd, and feel the groove.”
The most important thing to note about this band is that they operate as a business as well as a solid supporter of those in need. By utilizing their hometown popularity, Still Time has played many benefit shows. They support many nonprofit organizations, such as Guitars not Guns and Meals for Moms.
They will continue to play until someone tells them to stop. Fortunately for them, and especially for their fans, there are no signs that indicate a stopping point. Shows are continuously being booked, and there is no doubt that a new show in a new town is being booked right now.
