Single “Still” is taken from the album Before the Calm Acoustic which is Gerard Starkie’s reworking of the debut album by his former band Witness out 4^th September 2026 via Rock Svirke Records.

Upcoming dates below

“Still” is the new single from Gerard Starkie. It is taken from his album Before The Calm Acoustic, which is a reworking of the debut album by his former band Witness. The original was recorded with producer Phil Vinall and released on Island Records in 1999 to much critical acclaim.

Prompted by a conversation with his old manager he decided to revisit the song he’d written half a lifetime ago, reinterpreting it in a more stripped down, acoustic fashion, in keeping with his present-day solo approach to recording.

Starkie on writing “Still”: “I’d just got home from a holiday in India the day before. I was a habitual weed smoker in those days and I hadn’t had a joint for 48 hours. I was jet lagged and very hungover and consequently in a deeply fragile frame of mind.”

“At the time everything was going well for me and so, out of a sense of guilt for my wallowing self-pity, I decided I had to buckle down and write a song, to flip the whole sorry scenario into something positive.”

“I’m not sure who, or even what, I was talking to in that song, but when I was writing those lyrics, they were certainly ready to be written. The song was done and dusted in less than 20 minutes.”

Former lead singer with Witness, the band signed to Island Records two albums: Before The Calm (1999) and Under A Sun (2001). They both received the most extraordinary critical applause, some of which was especially reserved for Starkie’s own performances. Gerard now performs and records as both a solo artist and with Hazel Winter as The Jesus Bolt.

“Before The Calm Acoustic” track listing:

1. Second Life
2. Scars
3. Freezing Over Morning
4. Hijacker
5. My Own Old Song
6. So Far Gone
7. Cause And Effect
8. Heirloom
9. Audition
10. My Friend Will See Me Through
11. Still
12. Quarantine (bonus track)
13. Before The Calm (bonus track)

“Still”: https://ffm.to/gerardstarkiestill

“Before The Calm Acoustic”: https://ffm.to/gerardstarkie-beforethecalmacoustic

Tour Dates (2026):

8^th Nov – Lousiana, Bristol (UK)

14^th Nov –The Snug, Atherton (UK)