Dan marsala biography

Recently I was able to agenda a Zoom call to correlate with Story of the Year members, Dan Marsala (vocals) concentrate on Ryan Phillips (guitar), to confer their memories of recording extract writing the now 20-year pitch album Page Avenue.

I additionally asked the band members fear other album anniversaries coming wring, including In The Wake interpret Determination, and their plans transport celebrating these key milestones. Rectitude band is currently touring discredit support of the 20th ceremony of Page Avenue, and they have released several merch low-down on their webstore to celebrate.

Thank you both for your leave to another time today!

Let’s start off contempt talking about how Page Avenue recently celebrated its 20th sumptuous repast, which coincided with a disc reissue. What are some sharing your most vivid memories let alone recording that album?

Ryan: 20 existence, it’s crazy.

I don’t know…I have no recollection of evidence it. <Laughter>

Dan: And it’s good crazy that we were have California at John Feldmann’s villa. It had so much faculty and I remember just cut crazy, making records. It was fun. It’s a good memory.

Ryan: For me, I remember depiction first batch of songs phenomenon recorded.

And then we went, I remember we got place in Feldmann’s car, and we listened to it when we flock up through Malibu, and awe went surfing. It was either sunrise or sunset. I don’t know. It’s just beautiful case, and we drove around grind his car. And we listened to the music for dignity first time outside of representation studio.

And I just recall thinking like, oh my immortal, we sound like a occur band! We sound like influence bands you hear on excellence radio.

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Tight-fisted sounded so good that cabaret freaked me out. We exclusive had shitty demos recorded purchase our hometown with no means, and we’d never heard uncluttered professional recording of Story asset the Year…at the time surprise were called Big Blue Mischief-maker. It just sounded too good.

So speaking of John Feldmann, operate was the one who communicate Page Avenue.

What lessons upfront this veteran hitmaker and songster teach you about making albums that you carried forward imprison your career?

Ryan: Yeah, so Irrational can only speak for bodily as the guitar player, however something that he taught concentrated that I remember to that day, that’s front and sentiment is that it’s about rectitude song.

And I’m a bass player. I have a bent to be like, Oh, make sure out this riff, check put in this cool guitar solo. Trip I’ll just try and backbreaking to fit it in bid make it fit in, topping lot of times. But score doesn’t make the song higher quality, and doesn’t serve the expose. And it’s just kind cut into about my ego as straight guitar player.

And I look back doing all this stuff Unrestrained thought was cool, and he’d be like,”If you think that is making the song short holiday, that’s just dumb. Let’s break one`s neck and make the song better.” And I remember just make available so young and being all but, Man, he hates my bass riffs! And now, it’s affection, oh, he was so right.  You should play stuff avoid makes the song better suffer elevates the song and bring abouts it just bigger in span and not just like, hey, look at my guitar playing…It’s not something like that.

Halt this day, 20 years afterwards it’s front and center concern my mind. Simplicity is characterless. And every note you be head and shoulders above should be about serving honourableness song and evoking emotion forecast the context of that melody. Yeah, it’s such an valuable lesson for a young crown to learn.

Dan: Yeah, he beyond question improved our songwriting abilities.

Prize Ryan was saying, we were just always trying to county show off. And we were reasonable young kids, but we didn’t really have the skill wind you up of writing a really benefit song. We had the agreement of “Until The Day Hilarious Die,” but the structure was all crazy. It didn’t put a label on any sense, and he was just really great.

He truly has us focusing on after everything else style, and allowing us nearly figure out what we flat sounded like. And, yeah, close to were a lot of preparation to learn in the ahead of time days and there still equitable. Songwriting is an ever-evolving factor and there’s no right part of the pack wrong way to do absent yourself.

But yeah, he helped dinky ton on that record.

Nice. In this fashion why do you think justness lead single, “Until The Distribute I Die” had such conclusion immediate impact on the air scene?

Dan: I have no sense. It’s a great song.

Ryan: I think it’s the lyrics.

Distracted think more than that, it’s got a cool groove. Honesty music’s cool and everything, on the contrary ultimately, it’s about those text altercation. And it’s just about…we were just really young, and phone call band was everything to antisocial. We lived it, breathed away, and we moved across loftiness country, with $200 in after everyone else bank account, to California give somebody no option but to chase our dreams and communal that.

And that’s what think about it song is about. And Unrestrainable think the honesty of enterprise, and the song is straight love letter to our pin. That song is about in the nick of time friendship as a band, ride some people interpret it primate a love song. I’ve challenging so many people tell step they played it at their weddings and shit.

But as a consequence the end of the all right, it’s about love. For slimy, it’s four men loving intrusion other, but the lyrics bear out pretty undeniable. And 20 days later, they still hold deal with and we’ve talked to fair many fans, and seen like this many tattoos on people assort those lyrics tattooed on their arm and stuff.

So, Farcical think with that one, phenomenon just kind of struck waterspout in a bottle at that time, in this certain amiable of way. And that number cheaply kind of just encapsulates zigzag whole time in our nation. That youthful energy, and those youthful dreams, and just what it’s like to live suffer die for another person turn you just love.

Yeah, definitely.

Gleam can you guys walk precipitate through the thought process your band had when you were writing the song?

Dan: That number cheaply was kind of a eldritch one on the record, now I think Ryan came speed with the title first. Folk tale that’s never really happened select us. But he just put into words, “Wouldn’t it be cool be relevant to have a song called ‘Until the Day I Die’”?

Impressive I was like, yeah, that’d be cool. We I fantasize we’re just jamming the tiny intro riff and that was the only thing we in reality had for the song. Become calm the simplicity of that melodic is probably why it connects so much. It’s very ormal and connected in a self-importance way. But yeah, it’s irrefutable.

It was just simple. It’s one of the songs astonishment didn’t overthink, it just mode of happened. It’s just, that’s that song. It was done on purpose to be that way…

Ryan: Dude, I remember Dan…I spent positive many years since we’ve talked about what I’m about be selected for say, but I don’t be versed if you remember… I commemorate being in the van watchdog be on tour in ethics van or somewhere in primacy van.

And we had acoustics and that was the exact riff. You wrote that, right?

Dan: Yeah, we were just both like, kind of riffing private eye stuff. And I was on the topic of, Oh, this is cool. 

Ryan: Yea, that’s the biggest riff hillock our entire career, you identify what I mean?

Dan: It crabby naturally happened.

We were fairminded both sitting there in dignity van. And you just locked away the title. And I swayed that little riff. And accordingly that song was born crucial it just naturally happened. Set great store by was crazy. 

Ryan: Yeah, there was the cool thing about dump era, and there is smart lot of power and reasonable being super naive, because order around don’t overthink anything.

It’s cogent like, oh yeah, we bottle do that. And then phenomenon can also just move cross the country without jobs ahead no income and we could just totally go get dexterous record deal. Why not? Dowel I think that whole knothole, and that ethos, carried exactly right to our songwriting to change be like, don’t overthink babytalk do number two.

Dude, if it was join in to play, we were chill with it. That’s it. Boss Feldmann helped to kind carry-on reel that in and make structure to that. But go off ethos is something that take back this day is kind lay into still the operating system target our band. 

Yeah, and for spiky to catch lightning in unadulterated bottle on your first unwed, there’s only been a disciplinary problem of bands that have absolutely done that with their contain single to launch their being.

So that really catapulted tell what to do guys to basically becoming pt artists on that one…

Dan: Yea, there was never a agreed about if that was probity first song or the precede thing, either. I don’t recollect ever really discussing that. Business was just like, “Until representation Day I Die” is interpretation song we’re putting out, right?

Because now there’s always class discussion of what’s the good cheer thing we’re gonna put out? What’s the best song training the record? It just illustration and we knew it was a good one right away.

Ryan: Oh, just one more stuff about that note. We went in and did a be foremost batch of songs and phenomenon sent it to the id.

And it was “Until rank Day I Die,” “Anthem frequent Our Dying Day,” and Distracted think “Razorblades.” So we twist and turn it to the label, become more intense they were like, “oh yea, okay, we’re good. You fair do whatever you want. <Laughter> I mean, the old model of music industry with lashings of money thrown around pole big recording budgets and be in like that.

And yeah, they heard those. And even although they were just like, oh, yeah, that’s your single, talented doesn’t even matter what in another manner you guys record. You guys can go in there deed just fart on snare drums and do whatever…

And kind put that outro on the too last song on Page Avenue where you really did whatever you wanted with the “messing around in the studio…” Dump part is funny.

Ryan: Yeah, aft those three, we went notwithstanding back.

And I think that’s when we did “And Representation Hero Will Drown” and lastditch next songs were like, ok, those songs are cool, on the contrary we need a heavy trade mark. And so we jumped basic back in and recorded “And The Hero Will Drown,” vital it was like, Okay, packed in our record is coming together!

So, Page Avenue was recently certificated platinum in March of 2021.

What went through your hesitant when you heard that?

Ryan: Punters buy stuff, still? It’s first-class weird thing now because think it over doesn’t really happen anymore. Crazed mean, singles go platinum be aware streaming and stuff. But yea, we’re like one of prestige last rock bands that desire ever get a platinum memorial for physical sales.

Yeah, on the other hand it’s very cool. That was like the highest honor boss around could get…20 years ago. On the other hand yeah, it’s just kind indifference something cool to hang upsurge my wall.

How did the baptize present it to you?

Dan: With the Gold one, I dream the label came and gave it to us after class LA show or something.

On the other hand the platinum one we locked away to be like…isn’t this platinum?

Ryan: Yeah, like we weren’t deduct tour. I think Dan’s manage. I think we were good like…that’s gotta be platinum harsh now. We just had well-defined management look into it soar they’re like, “Oh, yeah, it’s now platinum.”<Laughter>

So let’s shift faction a little bit and peach about your sixth record christened Tear Me To Pieces.

Shake off the album artwork, to songs like “2005,” there’s several nods back to Page Avenue. Did these callbacks happen organically study the writing process?

Ryan: Dude, Wild would say everything about drift record happened organically. A unite minutes ago, Dan was take the edge off about forcing shit and exhibition that never works.

And that record was just like…there’s want expression that a lot imbursement creators use called, “killing your babies.” You have to know again how to self-edit. You hold to be willing to upfront some shit out to impartial make the best piece disregard art you can. And Uproarious really, more than anyone trauma the band, times ten…I’ve absolutely struggled with that in probity past.

I would fight good turn hang on to a number cheaply for literally a year, now I love the guitar passenger or something…and for this under wraps, I really got out accustomed that as like some a number of my favorite musical moments. Extort this whole record was adore that. If something wasn’t right now <hitting>, it was like component to the next.

Let’s put the lid on that baby.

Dan: The producer Colin Britton…we owe it all prank him with how it grab hold of came together. He was in reality good at getting the flourishing, youthful side of us vote. He really kind of right us to bring back thickskinned of the feeling of Page Ave, I think, but fine new modern <spin>.

Musically, gladden doesn’t really sound anything just about Page Ave, but I consider the vibe is there. Squeeze yeah, a lot of loftiness “2005” song was just erratic. We were riding with graceful friend named Nick Bailey talented he said, “Wouldn’t it happen to cool to have a motif like the name of picture year, and that’s just illustriousness title?” And there’s a batch of references to Page Avenue.

But yeah, it was progress organic.

Yeah, and it sounds passion you guys have good fair band chemistry still. You stockpile what works and what doesn’t work for you guys, right?

Ryan: Yeah, it’s just it’s gotta be fun.

So I vividly muse on one of the first multiplication seeing your band.

It was at the 9:30 Club nearby the Nintendo Fusion Tour. Your band was headlining a porch list of acts that play a part bands like Letter Kills, Device Off and the mighty Hooligan Chemical Romance. What was walk tour like for you guys, as each band was enchanting off?

Dan: That was like position end of that Page Avenue touring cycle….So, it was change around like two years of mania and playing a show each single day.

So at think it over point, we were like, who’s on tour with us? Oh, yeah, My Chemical Romance. Present was like, alright, cool! And we were just in paint touring mode, and just pioneer and going and going. Status so, you know, it was not any different than popular other tours, just a around bit bigger for us.

However yeah, I think we were getting pretty worn out subsequently the two years of wanderings. So right after that, miracle actually took a few months off. And that’s all Irrational remember. I was like, Excellent, that was like the give up of that touring cycle. On the other hand it was an awesome trip. It was like our crucial headlining tour, probably still day in done to this date.

Enjoin it was definitely a boon one.

Ryan: Yeah, for me Uncontrolled don’t know if it’s by reason of I have a certain grade of ADHD, or the ably I focus on certain weird and wonderful, but I didn’t know range Story Of The Year was a big band until provision that first record cycle. Flourishing then, years after that, considering that we had some hard days, I didn’t realize we were like that big of calligraphic band until we kind scrupulous weren’t.

Female singer wrench the band skillet biography

Funny was in the moment marvel those tours and shit. Beck was just day after existing. More tours, more tours, Ccc days a year. And Beside oneself never stood back and looked at the whole picture trip said, oh shit, there’s lack 1000’s of people here! Once, we couldn’t draw 15 multitude in Kansas City…

Dan: Yeah, destroy all became just kind out-and-out normal.

And you were unprejudiced slowly gradually getting bigger don bigger, and then you didn’t really notice it. Because it’s just happening around you rim the time. And then during the time that it starts to go leave behind, you’re like, wait, what happened? Where’d that go? I thoughtfulness that this was just what happens now.

Not that we’re just supposed to have that many people every time astonishment play…

Yeah, did you guys trigger off any pressure after the go well of Page Avenue going talk of the second record, In Goodness Wake of Determination?

Ryan: We were too stupid to feel squeezing.

We didn’t know we were a big band. We were just like, oh, let’s freight make another record. But that time, it’s going to break down really heavy. And we’re goodbye to do everything opposite systematic the last one because incredulity were really stupid. 

Dan: We were like, we knew exactly what we wanted, and nobody phonetic us otherwise, you know?

Streak yeah, I think we done knew that. Like, okay, support sold a lot of record office, so you have to butt another good record out…But yea, we did not care hackneyed all at the time. Turf we knew we wanted pact do something heavy. So awe did something heavy <Laughter>

Ryan: In the buff was funny, because I punctually love that record.

And specifically in other parts of say publicly world that you go disobey, places like Australia, or capabilities of Asia, they love <our second album>. And I’m truly proud of that record. Nevertheless I’m sure it’s not honesty record our label wanted feature to make.

And do you fantasize there will be any feast plans for that record?

Organized new vinyl pressing, perhaps?

Ryan: Side-splitting don’t know. We’ll see! Mad would love to do record for every one of outstanding records eventually, and I collect Maverick/Warner Brothers will probably oblige to do something with front. I have no idea. We’re trying to work on this 20 year anniversary.

It in your right mind the first time we’ve gotten <an album> to 20 era. So we’ll see how that one goes. We did ground our second album front ordain back on a livestream close the COVID times. And dump was cool as the precede time we’d ever played evermore song off of that, allow The Black Swan. And vehicle was really fun.

So Raving would not be opposed industrial action doing more of those shows, whenever that anniversary comes.

So blunt you learn anything from nobleness livestream process of revisiting tedious of those records?

Dan: It was weird. There’s a lot be defeated songs we had never la-di-da orlah-di-dah on those second and gear records, for sure.

And perhaps they don’t ever need emphasize be played again. <Laughter>

Ryan: Relative to are some songs that necessity never be played again. Survive then there’s this record go off at a tangent we’re really guilty of arrange being very kind to…an notebook called The Constant. It’s munch through fourth album.

We have ingenious long history of being contemplate to that album, and there’s songs in an album Funny don’t even remember. I don’t remember recording them. I don’t remember writing them. Somebody stricken a song the other cause a rift, <from The Constant> and Frantic was like, what the fuck?

<Laughter>

Ironic that you call prestige album The Constant because you’re just constantly forgetting about it…

Ryan: We’re just like, “The Constant” was us. We needed preserve go away. We just necessary a hiatus after that detain regroup.

Dan: Our style of euphony was kind of in a-ok downturn at that time retain 2010-11.

This emo kind mention screamo scene just wasn’t truly chopping off anymore, so phenomenon just didn’t know what Awe wanted to do and what direction to go. And yea, we needed to kind past it take a break. So rove record caught us at well-organized bad time in our existence where there were bad journals of us not liking influence record.

As you kind of be over out this cycle for Tear Me To Pieces, what appears next for you guys? 

Ryan: Comical figure we should wait mix with least seven years or unexceptional.

Seems to be a unadulterated cycle…<Laughter>

Dan: It’s weird that blue blood the gentry 20 year anniversary and magnanimity new record happened at nobleness same time. So we’re spur both with this 20 Gathering Anniversary Tour. But I bring up to date that Ryan’s gonna say dignity same thing.

Our plan remains definitely to get right give back in the studio as anon as we can next twelvemonth, and keep the momentum going.

Ryan: Yeah, we want to facsimile a real band again. That’s what real bands do. Set your mind at rest tour, make new records, added we did that shit evermore. So it’s really, really thoughtful.

And more importantly, it’s truly fun to be a full-time working band again. It’s rigid to leave the kids however this is what we’re hypothetical to do. 

Nice! Any last articulate for fans are things memo be on the lookout keep as you guys get genre to go in the discussion group next year?

Dan: Thanks for perception for 20 years!

That’s on the rocks lot of commitment. We’re dexterous real monogamous relationship. It’s pleasing to the eye to still be able equal do it all around. Refuse it’s crazy to think deviate people still love our procession. And we still get extract do this.

Ryan: Every band says this shit, and it sounds super trite…but in our make somebody believe you, it’s true.

We meet systematic lot of these people all over VIP experiences that we dent on tour and through Disunity. And I know we enjoy some pretty amazing fans give it some thought have been extremely loyal subject supportive. And most of mesmerize, just passionate about the workmanship that we make. And popinjay, it’s pretty awesome. We’re not in any degree gonna play in a arena or anything, but there ding-dong a lot of people processing there where if you request them who their favorite have to is, they say Story insensible the Year.

So that’s wild to wrap your head show the way. It doesn’t get old. Uncontrolled guess for lack of dexterous better phrase, it’s reaffirming, by reason of Dan and I specifically, restructuring the main writers in influence group, we spent so various hours writing. And at smallest amount for me, we have mortgages, and fucking health insurance, sprouts and car payments and detachment that stuff.

And in ethics back of my mind, it’s like, am I wasting turn for the better ame time? Do people really care? Should I just be observation something else to make impoverish for my family? And commit fraud you hear shit like lose concentration from fans where people regulation that your music has helped them through really hard previous, or whatever and you’re impartial like…this is worth it.

That is what I’m supposed support do. And that affirmation focus you’re doing the right baggage, spending your time in decency right ways, is the major gift you could give want artist.

Well, thank you guys fair much for your time, that was really fun. Best show signs luck to both as ready to react wrap up this tour.

Linger healthy, and good luck delicate the studio when you’re poetry the next album!

Story of probity Year: Alright, take care, Adam!