Steven Dayvid McKellar Shares New 'Stop Running' EP

"It's a call for me to let live what I've already put out into the world, to let that grow and collaborate, and to stop chasing. And to be in the present," says South African-born but Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Steven Dayvid McKellar about his new EP Stop Running (released today via Sonic Ritual). "The EP as a whole reflects this idea."

A continuation of his former introspective EP One and Zero, and an advance of Steven's upcoming full-length album NAMA, planned for release this Fall. Stop Running furthers his own internal exploration of the last two pandemic Years.

Observing the current state of the world as affected by isolation with the larger cultural context that the polarized socio/political environment has bred in this country, it also serves as a reflection of personal self-realization from the social and mental environment that was brought from the social distancing.

Pensive and soulful throughout, Stop Running explores the isolation that the pandemic brought on as well as the curiosity in navigating oneself through these dark times. McKellar dives deep into the subconscious and unearths melodies that strike the gut, eliciting deep-seated emotions of lingering questions in his textured electronic style.

"The self-realizing title track is a tune that was originally titled 'Stop Trying' and it's a conversation with myself as well as with the culture around me," says McKellar who incidentally was the former lead singer and primary songwriter for popular rock band Civil Twilight.

"Inspired by the idea behind Charles Bukowski's quote that now dwells on his tombstone, which, to me, walks hand in hand with another great quote by Alan Watts from an interview he did in the early 70's where he says, in response to a question about what we're to do about the scattered trajectory of modern American society, says, 'Stop this perpetual agitation to go somewhere, get the future. The future is nothing but an abstraction. There IS no future."

The trippy layered track "Middle" and a live version of "Don't Ask Me Why" from his previous album ETHIO completes the EP. "ETHIO as a whole, never really got heard or liked," he says, alluding to his album that was released at the onset of COVID and suffered from the upheaval in the music industry that it caused.

"I'm really proud of that record and wanted to show another angle of it. My dear friend Daniel Shepherd recorded me while I played songs from that album outside in a parking lot on the bed of my truck. You can hear birds chirping in the background and I like that."

With his previous band Civil Twilight, McKellar had seen life on the big stage, having led the South African rock band through a very successful run, sharing stages with Jimmy Eat World, Silversun Pickups, Smashing Pumpkins and Florence + the Machine amongst others. Civil Twilight's songs were placed on TV shows such as One Tree Hill, House, and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Now solo and focusing on releasing music on his own terms, he's thankful to continue being creative. "I'm just happy having some new music of mine out in the world," he smiles. "I feel very blessed to be able to do that. I don't really hope for things anymore. It's not good for me."

Listen to the new EP here:

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