THE STORY SO FAR
Interview with Will Levy
Photo and Interview by Alex Del Campo
The band has been around since 2007, how did the band originally form?
I’m not an original member, but we’ve all been friends for a long time. It started off with Kevin Geyer and Kevin Ambrose playing guitar together in middle school and just jamming songs. K-brose knew Ryan Torf and asked to jam. Parker was in another band at the time and he left to try something new with newer friends. Parker knew Kelen through school and asked to join practice one day at Ryan’s and they wrote three songs together. We all started going to local shows with SET YOUR GOALS, THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, FIRST TO LEAVE, GUNSMOKE, MURDER PRACTICE, FIREWORKS, and THE SWELLERS, and we’d all hang out at the shows. The dudes wrote an EP and started playing local shows. More music was being written and more shows were being played. I’d fill in for Kevin Ambrose when he couldn’t make it to a show. We did a few Southern California and Northwestern trips to play shows. The band wrote three songs for a split with MAKER. Kevin Ambrose was going to college and I came in to play guitar. Once this was worked out with everyone, we began to write our full-length. Now I’m in the back of the van in San Diego, CA on our first full U.S. tour. The rest of the dudes are writing a rap.
Your new record, “Under Soil and Dirt” is out now, is there a story behind the title?
Parker writes all of the lyrics for the songs, so I may not be correct with what his intent was for it, or if there is one, but I think the “story” is about graduating high school, leaving your hometown for school, leaving your friends, relationships with girls, and old friends.
Since your start, your records have always felt really personal. Was there a concept coming into this one?
It’s about growing up, getting out of your hometown, leaving your friends for things that you want to do. We always make the records pretty personal because we care about this a lot. It’s the one thing that I look forward to in my days. We love writing and playing music.
Was there anything different you guys did on this record that you haven’t done in the last two?
Yes, Parker and Kelen were not around for the writing of the music. Kevin, Ryan and I would write and demo songs and send them out to Kelen and Parker. Parker had some riffs that he recorded with garage band and sent to us. We also knew we had somewhat of a time frame for the songs; we gave ourselves a goal of eleven songs that we were going to record. We wanted to have the best possible record and not just a handful of songs.
The lyrics on the new record are very heartfelt, what are some sources that these lyrics and emotions come from?
Parker wrote all the lyrics, but I know it’s about growing up and a few girls that are in his life.
What was the writing process like? Did everyone contribute?
The writing process was difficult. Ryan was finishing his senior year in high school (and) Kevin and myself worked and went to school, so it was difficult to even get together to play music with Ryan. Parker lives in Santa Barbara and Kelen lived in Sonoma so we were all over the place.
We had parts that we would write by ourselves and put them together into songs, and send them off to the other dudes. Entering the studio was different for us because we had no idea what Parker or Kelen had prepared for the record. Everything was a surprise for us, which was great, but difficult.
The band is currently on tour with WE ARE THE UNION and I CALL FIVES. Will there be any other shows or tours that we can expect in the near future?
We’re touring with HEARTSOUNDS, WE ARE THE UNION, and HANDGUNS back on the West Coast. We get home for 15 days and then fly out to Japan for six shows in six days.
What’s next for THE STORY SO FAR?
More music, more fun, more traveling and more China Village.
Anything else you would like to inform the public about?
Listen to SEAHAVEN. Thanks for being our friend Alex.
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These guys KILLED it at Thee Parkside this weekend!!!