ill is a three-piece American rock band based in Atlanta, Georgia, US. They started playing together in 2005 as part of a well-established Atlanta band that signed to Universal Records in 2007.
Finding the major label experience creatively restrictive, the three musicians opted out in 2009 and started writing the songs that would soon establish, ill. They released their first independent album, Down in Deep later that summer.

They started writing in the spring of 2010, during which time guitarist-vocalist, Ryan Waters got called to rejoin the legendary UK soul band, Sade to tour in support of their new album. Ryan started working with Sade in 2000 and was happy to be back, but also wanted to continue creating with ill. The trio carried on writing and recording during breaks in Sade's schedule and, in the summer of 2011, completed an album entitled, Gotten Gains.