Stare Down the Sun

Benjamin Jon and Matt Raymond began working together at the original Stillwork Studio in 2004, which was then located in the basement of the Cabot Street Pub in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Matt had just left the band Nitro Nine and was recruited to be the primary session drummer for Stillwork, around the same time Benjamin's band Chainfall had decided to take some time off. The Cabot Street Pub, where Benjamin worked as the resident sound engineer was just emerging as a new relevant rock club in the...

The Cabot Street Pub, where Benjamin worked as the resident sound engineer was just emerging as a new relevant rock club in the Western Massachusetts rock/metal and hardcore scene and was hosting Matthew Eryk's solo acoustic act after his departure from the band Rise. Matthew was asked to do vocals on a track Benjamin and Matt had produced which resulted in the song "Sores" , the first written for what would become Stare Down The Sun.
With similar musical tastes, and similar experiences in the New England music scene Benjamin Jon, Matt Raymond and Matthew Eryk began the Stare Down The Sun project by writing songs and producing demos at Stillwork for a planned summer 2005 CD release. Bass player Gary Hamelin, who Benjamin worked with in Myriad Eyes, joined the band in April, 2005 and recording for the debut Stare Down The Sun Release, "A Better Place" was started at Stillwork's new facility in Holyoke, Ma.

The band released "A Better Place" in November of 2005, to a sold out crowd at Cabot Street...the place where it all began.