NFV Song Spotlight: The Morning Yells' These Days

BIG NOTE: The band announced a farewell show for April 5th at the Cinema Bar. See additional details here.

Phil Stancil of The Morning Yells recently played a set at Harvard & Stone. Though he was playing a solo set, he was still playing songs from The Morning Yells catalog. The set started off with "Hummingbird." That song hasn't been officially released, but there is a Youtube video that you can view here that was filmed in Mount Washington last year. It is a song not about a living hummingbird, but a Gibson Hummingbird guitar. It caught my attention at the Americana West Fest that I covered for US Rocker Music that you can read about here. "Oh sweet Hummingbird where are you now . . . once I held you safe in my arms . . . searched every pawn shop . . . Oh sweet Hummingbird, wherever you go, you know . . . your songs will stay with me forever and never grow old."

Phil Stancil of The Morning Yells at Harvard & Stone

The first time I crossed paths with the band was back in 2019 when they played at The Hi Hat (current location of The Goldfish). I went to that particular night, because I hadn't been to The Hi Hat in a few months and I also noticed that on the schedule where a couple bands that I'd seen in the past and enjoyed their music. Included in that line-up, was of course, The Morning Yells. In addition to Phil Stancil, his sister Laura Stancil (Lulu) is also in the band. After the set, I did one of my Q&As with the band and got this unique info on the band, "Phil and Lulu were in their first gigging band, The Little Blue Band, at 9 years old!" Bandmates from the start.

What were the other two bands on the bill? Sumeau and Jessi Williams and Coyote. I know Sumeau still plays around town on occasion. I saw a set at The Fable back in 2024. As for Jessi Williams and Coyote, the last Instagram post is from 2020 so perhaps she has moved on to new adventures. That would be a loss for the Los Angeles music scene. I've followed her since 2012-ish when she joined up with The Lonely Wild. I loved that band so much that they made my list of favorite new bands list way back in 2010. You can see that list here, if you're interested. That's a list I look at and it causes me to reminisce. That was a cool list of bands that I saw for the first time. 

Phil Stancil of The Morning Yells at Harvard & Stone

Back to the Harvard & Stone set, two songs played had California themes: "Leaving LA" and "California's a Hell of a Drug." The second will be The Morning Yells next single release. Stancil had this to say about the song and his feelings towards California, "A lady I've been in love with for too long . . . a lot of love, a lot of fighting."

The song spotlight has to be "These Days." Why? It was the song that was cheered the loudest on this particular night. And when Stencil mentioned later in the set that he was playing a particular song because a friend said it was his favorite, the friend corrected Stencil and instead pointed to this song. So when the audience is behind a song, I've got to give it a shoutout. 

Phil Stancil of The Morning Yells at Harvard & Stone

The song is a breezy Americana-country tune with how time flies and ten years in California seem like only three for some people while others decide to explore the rest of the world.  

These days, everyone's away
Tell me when you're going come back to stay

Setlist: Hummingbird, You Were Mine, These Days, Coma State, Leaving LA, California's a Hell of a Drug, Old Faded Blue, Gentle On My Mind.