Contrary to most bands mentioned on this series of posts, The Stills are a bit of an oddity. If you ask me to choose only one song from a band that I can clearly admit it’s my fave, I’ll struggle.

Not so much with The Stills. Don’t take me the wrong way, the Canadian indie band had a healthy three album run and have many good songs, but it’s this obscure song from their debut EP, Rememberese, what I can honestly say it’s the best song.

Still in love song got a boost from having a bassline similar to Public Image Ltd’s Love Song (or this is not a love song in its original form) and, well, being a great indie rock song. Vice Records, being a powerhouse for indie (and indie sleaze) pushed the EP hard, and you would see publicity in every record shop, at least back when I lived in Nottingham.

Killer Bees is fierce. That ominous intro and the neck break pace that follows leaves you exhausted. “Now I speak rememberese” is such a perfect way to summarise the emotions swamping you after a break up. “We used to eat here”, “we kissed for the first time there”, “we went for a holiday over yonder”. It’s all in the past and memories swarm you over.

I once had to drive from Sheffield to Heathrow to pick up my parents. September of 2011, to be exact. It was the last trip I would take with them, and I remember waking up around 2 AM and start my long drive. I had no gps on my dumb phone, just an old motorway map on the glove compartment and my sort of keen sense of direction. I arrived at the airport, and they had just arrived, so car park fare was low.

Then we drove back, I took them to Castleton and we had great food in one of the cozy and expensive pubs. They felt asleep as I drove them to their Premier Inn.

Several times during that long day, Killer Bees came up on shuffle. First time was somewhere on the M1, at the crack of dawn. I was driving a little too fast for my taste and I didn’t realise until the song finished. Then on the way back, after stopping at a Costa for some direly needed caffeine. Finally, as we descended through Winnats pass, and my parents marvelled at the chiselled limestone gorge.

-Sam J. Valdés López