The Stacys - "The Stacys" (2025)

On February 28, The Stacys released their sophomore EP The Stacys. The Kansas City-based rock band also has exciting news, as they will be opening for Blind Melon on May 10 at the Voodoo Lounge alongside Beyond The Grey. 

Artwork by: Chad Ruddle

The Stacys EP is five tracks long, totaling in at just over 23 minutes. The band finds their influences in ‘90s grunge and ‘60s/’70s blues-rock and psychedelic-rock. 

The EP roars open with “I Wish.” The song addresses the topic of substance abuse and subsequent damage in the fallout. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. . .

Back in November, the band filmed an accompanying music video at VIVO in Leavenworth. Audrey Chappell with ARC Media directed and filmed the entire video in one day. The Stacys’ band manager Jamie ‘Jay Rae’ Roach storyboarded the concept to make the story behind the song come alive. 

The music video was released alongside the EP on February 28. The result is absolutely stunning and evokes beauty in the sheer vulnerability expressed. The chemistry between lead actors Stefanie Stevens and Mat Ellis jumps off the screen! 

I do not want to spoil the beauty and story of the music video, but I will say this: Visually, “I Wish” evokes chills; audibly, “I Wish” evokes a supercharged introduction to the EP.

Second track “Tell Me Your Name” was previously released as a single in June 2023. It is also a song that I have previously described as a tale of depression and devastation. However, there is an almost peculiar sense of freedom in the lyrics, despite also detailing a loss of control and stability. As the song builds, the angry, angsty vocals and emotions are spotlighted. The band’s grunge influence is out in full force on this track.

Third track “Eye of the Storm” was released as a single in December 2024 with a lyric video released on March 28 this year. 

This track highlights a prevalent element in the band: duality. The Stacys as a band are made up of twin brothers Alex Roach on drums and Chris Roach on lead vocals/guitar; their cousin Neal Roach also on lead vocals and guitar; and Kyle Sargent on bass guitar. 

Chris and Neal have an element that isn’t often seen in bands: they both share lead vocals depending on the song. “Eye of the Storm” highlights Neal’s vocals in a soulful, somber but still fierce manner. “Eye of the Storm” as a song is, perhaps, the ultimate track on the EP that reflects the band’s blues-rock and grunge influences equally; their influences shine through, but the magic that one hears is truly all The Stacys themselves.

Fourth track “Blackfoot” was originally released in December 2022 as a single. It was also the first song of the band’s I had ever heard. The darkly captivating intro launches out at the listener without warning - like how the lion approaches the lone gazelle. 

The drums have a rather primal tone, pacing with a bold confidence. The groove carries the song. This is a characteristic present throughout the entire Stacys’ catalogue: this band not only knows how to find a groove but knows how to lock in. 

The EP concludes with “Wherever I Go.” Released in April 2024 as a single, this song has been described by Chris during the band’s shows as being about ‘going to the grocery store with a hangover.’ 

“Wherever I Go” is the strong, reflective bookend of the opening track “I Wish.” Both songs have an explicitly strong, determined groove present. While the music may indeed deal with darker subjects, there is hope to the lyrics: Both songs reflect honest but dark themes of life through substances, desperation, self-pondering, and looking for the glimpse of hope to grab onto and hold onto; to pull oneself out of a dark place and see that there is still a light to be found.

The Stacys’ self-titled EP will be available on vinyl and is currently available to listen to on YouTube and Spotify.

https://www.thestacysband.com/