Nico Stai

Nico Stai formed in San Francisco with Evan Staiman on vocals and guitar, Sarah Staiman on drums, and David Mieremet on bass. They put out their first album, One October, in 2010. The band's songs like 12 THOUSAND YEARS and Act of Birth have a haunted, drifting quality that caught some attention in indie circles.

They followed up with The Sea in 2012, then kept recording through the next decade with albums like Wake, From the Tomb, and Ashes to Ashes. Their music tends to sit in that space between rock and something more atmospheric, with titles like Falling off the moon and The king Aside suggesting a certain weight or distance.

Evan Staiman dealt with depression and substance issues at points, which sometimes surfaced in the work. The band never became huge, but they built a catalog that feels consistent in its mood, a little raw, a little removed, with melodies that linger more than they announce themselves.