The Story So Far (The Story So Far album)

The Story So Far is the third studio album by American pop punk band The Story So Far. The album was released through Pure Noise in May 2015. The album charted at number 23 in the U.S. and at number 70 in the UK.

The Story So Far
Studio album by The Story So Far
Released	May 19, 2015
Recorded	The Panda Studios, Fremont, California
Genre	Pop punk[1][2]
Length	30:33
Label	Pure Noise
Producer	Sam Pura
The Story So Far chronology
What You Don't See (2013) The Story So Far (2015) Proper Dose (2018)
Singles from The Story So Far
"Heavy Gloom" Released: May 18, 2015

Background

While on the 2014 edition of Warped Tour,[3] The Story So Far was interviewed by AbsolutePunk.[4] Bassist Kelen Capener was queried when the band was going to begin working on a new album.[4] Capener explained that after touring obligations for the year, and partway into the next year, they are going to take some time off to write new material.[4] Capener revealed that the band have "started working on [a new record]" by demoing new songs.[4] He hoped that the band could start recording by the beginning of next year.[4] He also hoped that the album would come out within the same year.[4]

Composition and recording

Material for The Story So Far was written on and off while touring over the course of 2014.[5] This was first time the band wrote material together.[6] Vocalist Parker Cannon went to practice one day and asked the rest of the band if they wanted to do a self-titled release.[5] Guitarist William Levy said he did not know if the album being self-titled "mean[t] anything, really. It's just the record that we felt like doing".[5] Levy revealed the band liked the album "more than any other record" they've done previously.[5] The band demoed a portion of material in Chico, California with Chris Conley of Saves the Day at Conley's practice space.[6] The band met Conley when they were previously playing on Warped Tour.[6] Capener said Conley was "inspiring and a creative catalyst" that provided creative decisions.[6] Capener called Conley's oversight was "a huge confidence boost".[6] The band left Conley's practice space with several songs that were going to be recorded as they were.[6]

The album was recorded with producer Sam Pura at Panda Studios.[5] The band previously worked with Pura on their past releases.[7][8] Levy said recording "didn't actually feel any different" compared to the first time they recorded with Pura.[5] Unlike previous releases,[7][8] drummer Ryan Torf performed, in addition to his main instrument, percussion and organ.[9]

Release

On December 30, 2014 Pure Noise posted a summary of their 2014 releases and listed a number of bands that would release an album in 2015 – one band being The Story So Far.[10] On March 15, 2015[11] it was announced The Story So Far would release a self-titled album.[12] On the same day, "Nerve" was made available for streaming.[12] On April 6, "Solo" was made available for streaming.[13] On April 27, "Heavy Gloom" was made available for streaming.[14] On May 11, the album was made available for streaming.[15] "Heavy Gloom" was released to radio as the lead single on May 18.[16] A day later, The Story So Far was released through Pure Noise.[17][nb 1] James Fisher of Basement, who made the artwork and designed the layout,[9] said the artwork was "an observational drawing", created after "just one days work at the recording studio."[19] The artwork consists of "Guitar summoning, giant snake riding, erupting sky volcanos and waterfall drumming".[19]

From early May to mid June 2015 the band toured across the US with Four Year Strong, Terror and Souvenirs as support acts.[20] The band toured Japan in August and in Australia & New Zealand in September, with support from Man Overboard.[21] In October and November, the band went on a US tour with support from Basement and Turnover.[22] The band toured the UK in December[23] with support from Turnstile and Drug Church.[24] On March 1, 2016, a music video was released for "Heavy Gloom",[25] directed by Kyle Camarillo and Joey Izzo.[26] In April, the band went a tour of the US and Canada with support from Comeback Kid and Culture Abuse.[27]

The band went on the 2016 edition of Warped Tour.[28] In October and November, the group supported Good Charlotte on their headlining US tour.[29]

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	80/100[30]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AbsolutePunk	5/10[31]
Alternative Press	[32]
DIY	[1]
Exclaim!	8/10[33]
Idobi Radio	9/10[2]
Kerrang!	[30]
Punknews.org	[34]
TeamRock	Favorable[35]
Ultimate Guitar	6.7/10[36]
Upset	[37]

The album charted at number 23 on the U.S. Billboard 200[38] with first week sales of 23,000 copies.[39] The album reached number 40 on Billboard's Hard Rock Albums year-end chart.[40]

Track listing

All songs and lyrics written by The Story So Far.[9]

1. "Smile" – 3:07
2. "Heavy Gloom" – 2:50
3. "Distaste" – 3:15
4. "Solo" – 2:38
5. "Mock" – 3:30
6. "How You Are" – 3:46
7. "Nerve" – 3:08
8. "Phantom" – 2:32
9. "Scowl" – 2:32
10. "Stalemate" – 3:15

Personnel

Personnel per booklet.[9]

The Story So Far Parker Cannon – vocals Kevin Geyer – lead guitar Will Levy – rhythm guitar Kelen Capener – bass Ryan Torf – drums, percussion, organ

Production Sam Pura – producer, engineer, mixing Ryan "Rings" Ellery – engineer, assistant mix engineer James Trevascus – assistant engineer, assistant mix engineer Kris Crummett – mastering James Fisher – artwork, layout

Chart performance

Peak positions Chart (2015) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[41] 35 Scottish Albums Chart[42] 43 UK Albums Chart (OCC)[43] 70 UK Album Downloads Chart[44] 58 UK Album Sales Chart[45] 55 UK Independent Albums Chart Top 50[46] 7 UK Independent Album Breakers Chart Top 20[47] 1 UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart[48] 5 UK Vinyl Album Chart[49] 15 U.S. Billboard 200[38] 23 U.S. Billboard Alternative Albums[50] 5 U.S. Billboard Independent Albums[51] 2 U.S. Billboard Top Rock Albums[52] 5 U.S. Billboard Top Album Sales[53] 14 U.S. Billboard Vinyl Albums[54] 1

Year-end charts Chart (2015) Position U.S. Billboard Hard Rock Albums[40] 40

References

Footnotes

1. U.S. Pure Noise PNE 1682[18]

Citations

1. Ham, Robert. "The Story So Far - The Story So Far album review". DIY. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
2. Hines, Hannah (May 19, 2015). "Album Review: The Story So Far – S-T". idobi.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
3. Crane, Matt (February 12, 2014). "The Story So Far, Yellowcard, We Are The In Crowd, more announced for Warped Tour 2014". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
4. Denning, Jake (July 31, 2014). "The Story So Far - 07/31/14". AbsolutePunk.net. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
5. Pearlman 2015, p. 67
6. Shrum (May 14, 2015). "Interview: The Story So Far – From High School To Headliners". New Noise Magazine. Archived from the original on July 31, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
7. Under Soil and Dirt (Back panel). The Story So Far. Pure Noise. 2011. PNE112/PNE 112.CS1 maint: others (link)
8. What You Don't See (Booklet). The Story So Far. Pure Noise. 2013. PNE 127.CS1 maint: others (link)
9. The Story So Far (Booklet). The Story So Far. Pure Noise. 2015. PNE 168.CS1 maint: others (link)
10. "New records from the Story So Far, Hit The Lights, Senses Fail, more coming in 2015". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
11. "The Story So Far Just Announced A New Album And Dropped A KILLER New Track". Rock Sound Magazine. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
12. Lach, Stef (March 16, 2015). "The Story So Far to issue self-titled record in May". TeamRock. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
13. "The Story So Far Premiere New Track, Solo". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on July 15, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
14. "The Story So Far Debut New Song, Heavy Gloom". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
15. "The Story So Far's New Album Is Now Streaming In Full". Rock Sound Magazine. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
16. "FMQB Airplay Archive: SubModern Rock". Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Incorporated. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
17. Sharp, Tyler. "The Story So Far stream lead single from new self-titled album". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
18. "The Story So Far - The Story So Far - Release Information, Reviews and Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
19. "James Fisher — Thanks to The Story Far So for letting me go wild..." tumblr.com. Archived from the original on 2015-06-26.
20. Sharp, Tyler (February 23, 2015). "The Story So Far announce headlining tour with Four Year Strong, Terror, Souvenirs". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
21. Leanne (May 11, 2015). "Tours: The Story So Far". punknews.org. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
22. Leak, Brian (August 17, 2015). "The Story So Far announce headlining tour with Basement, Turnover". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
23. Kielty, Martin (June 4, 2015). "The Story So Far tour in December". TeamRock. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
24. Taylor, Sam. "Turnstile and Drug Church join The Story So Far tour". Upset Magazine. Archived from the original on January 4, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
25. Solomon, Blake (March 1, 2016). "The Story So Far Premiere "Heavy Gloom" Video". AbsolutePunk.net. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
26. Pure Noise Records (March 1, 2016). The Story So Far "Heavy Gloom" Official Music Video. YouTube. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
27. Ryken, Atreyue (January 21, 2016). "The Story So Far announce North American tour with Comeback Kid, Culture Abuse". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
28. Sharp, Tyler (March 22, 2016). "First 10 bands announced for Warped Tour 2016". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
29. Al-Sharif, Rabab (August 8, 2016). "Good Charlotte announce tour with the Story So Far, Four Year Strong, others". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on January 30, 2017. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
30. "Reviews for The Story So Far by The Story So Far". Metacritic.com. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
31. Solomon, Blake. "The Story So Far - The Story So Far - Album Review". absolutepunk.net. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
32. Ham, Robert (May 19, 2015). "The Story So Far's self-titled LP takes heartbreak to fierce heights (Review)". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
33. Ranjanathan, Branan (May 19, 2015). "The Story So Far The Story So Far". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on July 30, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
34. Jon (May 11, 2015). "The Story So Far - The Story So Far". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on January 8, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
35. Gallier, Thea De (May 14, 2015). "The Story So Far: The Story So Far". teamrock.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
36. UG Team (June 5, 2015). "The Story So Far Review | The Story So Far | Compact Discs | Reviews". Ultimate Guitar. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
37. Bridgeman, Jessica. "The Story So Far - The Story So Far". Upset. Archived from the original on July 17, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
38. "The Story So Far - Chart history (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
39. "The Story So Far, THANK YOU!". tumblr.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
40. "Hard Rock Albums : Dec 31, 2015 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 2, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
41. "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. June 1, 2015. Archived from the original on May 30, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
42. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". officialcharts.com. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
43. "STORY SO FAR". officialcharts.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
44. "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". officialcharts.com. Archived from the original on June 5, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
45. "Official Album Sales Chart Top 100". officialcharts.com. Archived from the original on June 5, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
46. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". officialcharts.com. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
47. "Official Independent Album Breakers Chart Top 20". officialcharts.com. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
48. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". officialcharts.com. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
49. "Official Vinyl Albums Chart Top 40". officialcharts.com. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
50. "The Story So Far - Chart history (Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
51. "The Story So Far - Chart history (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
52. "The Story So Far - Chart history (Rock Albums)". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
53. "The Story So Far - Chart history (Rock Albums)". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
54. "Vinyl Albums : June 6, 2015". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015.

Sources

• Pearlman, Mischa (July 2015). Bird, Ryan (ed.). "No Fronts...". Rock Sound. London: Freeway Press Inc. (201). ISSN 1465-0185.

External links

• The Story So Far at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)