Sunshone Still

Sunshone Still is the pen name of Columbia, SC based singer-songwriter Chris Smith. Smith and company craft slow burn, emotive tunes with experimental, orchestral, cinematic tendencies for introverts. But extroverts welcome.


Sunshone Still has released music since 2005. The debut (Dead Letters) was featured on the NPR program, ALL SONGS CONSIDERED: Open Mic; on the PBS SERIES, Roadtrip Nation; and on The United State of Americana, Vol 3. PERFORMING SONGWRITER listed Dead Letters as an Editor’s DIY Pick. And NPR wrote, "His words of seeking solace and a sense of belonging translate well as the name for Smith's grainy, soft-spoken baritone and story-song musings of wit and misfortune."


The sophomore album, Ten Cent American Novels, was called "ingenious in its delivery and substance" by the FREE TIMES. NO DEPRESSION hailed it a "fascinating, cinematic musical exercise".

PASTE MAGAZINE said the third album, Thewaytheworlddies, "highlights Sunshone Still’s dusky folk rock, [yet] it expands the band’s sonic palette without reservation". The album's concept is a reflection on the passing and impact of Smith's brother by suicide. And per Paste, "...the spirit of Smith’s brother permeates the album — and makes it all the more powerful for it."


But the musical evolution continues with the 2023 release of the 4th album: Two Crossed Stars. Recorded at home over a 2 year period, Smith wrote, composed, performed, recorded, mixed, and produced all the songs.