STORY OF THE YEAR
Story Of The Year (SOTY) burst onto the rock scene in 2003 with their stellar debut 'Page Avenue'. Their second record was complicated by the ever-changing industry which saw their Maverick label close down shortly after production. Now, after signing to Epitaph and taking a year off to write, the band is back with what is undoubtedly their greatest accomplishment to date, 'The Black Swan'.
By Tim Chapman
"I think it's a good balance of what we've done in the past. It's got the heaviness of the second record with the production and mid-tempo element of the first, and I think at the same time it shows a lot of growth," says energetic lead vocalist Dan Marsala. Being a band that likes to put on an energetic show, incorporating back-flips and other acrobatics, Dan cannot wait to get touring with some of these new tracks. "The heavier songs are definitely the most fun to play live," says Dan, referring to the opening and closing tracks of the new record. "I really like our angry stuff."
'The Black Swan', while being fantastic musically, also has some very strong lyrical themes running through it. "We touch on a lot of socio-political ideas," says Dan. "We basically run with a theme of unity throughout. I think we need to learn to live together as human beings and stop with our petty differences." The album title comes from the book of the same name. "A black swan event is something that is highly unpredictable and totally improbable, but when it actually happens it has a huge impact on everything around it," explains Dan. "The phrase stems from the idea that all swans were white and a black swan didn't exist, until one was discovered and it throws out everything you thought you knew."
People are often blasé when they hear of record companies closing down due to the drop in CD sales, but SOTY had to experience it firsthand. "More and more staff kept getting laid off while we were recording our second album, and by the end of the record cycle the label had shutdown," tells Dan. "We had a few offers from different labels but Epitaph seemed to be on the same page and it's more of an intimate, personal relationship with them."
The brilliant production on the record can be attributed to two influential producers in Elvis Baskette and John Feldmann. "It's a great combination that gives the record a coherent sound," Dan says. "The hardest thing is to capture the energy of the live show on a recording, but I think we've done that better than in the past. Another big plus for the band is the amount of time we had to write the music and work out the kinks. We wrote for a year this time around so we were able to take the time to get everything just how we wanted it."
SOTY make their way back to our shores this month for a tour that would be tragic for any fan to miss. "The Australian crowds are amazing," says Dan, excited to get out here. "We get a great response and there is just something special there. We will always have a special place in our hearts for the Australian fans."
Friday May 30 at The Tivoli, Brisbane.
'The Black Swan' is out now through Epitaph/Shock. |
