Interview with A Story Told

Five piece pop-rock group A Story Told, from Charleston, West Virginia, have been taking their local area by storm; even playing the well-known Vans Warped Tour in Pittsburgh. Their 'Stay With Me' cover was featured in a post by Pop Buzz which is how I discovered this amazing band. They were kind enough to answer some of my questions about how they started, what's coming up next and who influences their sound.

 

 

How did the band form? Were you all friends before?

We were all friends before to some extent. Most of us were in bands that broke up and we all wanted to continue pursuing music. Josh Allen (drummer), Josiah Chapman (guitar), and Zach Holley (bass) started A Story Told in the summer of 2013 later adding Alex Chaney (vocals) who brought on board Zach Sallade (guitar).

 

How did you chose the name for the band?

Honestly, we all decided to make a list of potential band names and we decided on A Story Told. A Story Told has a deeper meaning to us now; everybody has a story and this is ours.

 

What inspired each of you to become musicians? Is it what you’ve always wanted to do?

Alex: My whole family is musically talented. I guess I’ve always seen it as it would be a shame for me not to pursue music when so many people don’t have the opportunity to do so.

Zach H: I just love being able to jam with my friends and hopefully make something amazing. I’ve always had an interest in music and had a blast playing it.

Josh: I’ve been in bands since I was 15. It’s always been my dream.

Josiah: Sum41. When I was growing up, my best friend and I bought guitars to just jam and have fun.

Zach S: Just being able to perform with friends.

 

How does the writing process work for you guys?

Our writing process feels unique. Josh writes the chord progression and basic instrumental then sends to Alex to write melody and lyrics. Zach H and Josiah later add their own spin on their parts like a guitar solo for example.

 

What’s the easiest and hardest part of a song to write?

Song writing can be a difficult process. It feels easy to come up with the initial idea which typically includes a verse and chorus. Finishing the song and creating it to sound unique and different than the others all at the same time, it’s a challenging process.

 

What would you like to achieve through your music?

Write relatable material to a listener. We try to write lyrically like it’s a conversation. Our goal is to impact listeners the way the music of our fav bands have impacted us.

 

What song would you recommend to someone who hasn’t heard your music before?

“Whatever It Takes” from our latest EP “What Got Me Here in the First Place”

I love your sound; it’s this brilliant rock-pop alternative mish-mash that makes me think of The Cab and Panic! And Fall Out Boy rolled into one awesome package. What bands would you say influenced your sound and how would you describe your sound?

Thank you so much! Those are all awesome bands. All of us come from different musical backgrounds so we like different kinds of music. We identify our roots with pop punk influences such as Blink-182, New Found Glory, Paramore. Our new album is more so influenced by bands like The Dangerous Summer, Pvris, OneRepublic, and even Taylor Swift.

 

Have you met someone you’ve really looked up to and had a bit of a freak-out yet? And if not, who do you think would get that reaction from you?

All those bands we look up to would be awesome to meet.

 

Is there anyone you’d like to collaborate with?

The dream collaboration would be T Swift.

 

I think that's the dream collaboration of a lot of artists. If you could create a band out of any musicians, living or dead, who would be in the band?

Otis Redding, Chris Martin, Travis Barker, Roger Waters, Billie Joe Armstrong

The first song I heard of you guys was the Sam Smith cover and it blew me away, I had to hear more, how do you choose what songs to cover? Because that cover definitely surprised me in all the best ways.

That’s awesome to hear! That’s what we’re always hopeful for when we release a cover. For “Stay With Me” I think it was just the idea of how much we could change this song from the original, make it our own that made us want to do it. The response from that cover alone has been incredible. The same idea came with our new cover of Justin Bieber’s “What Do You Mean?”. The potential of how much we could change it without changing it too much.

 

If you’re buying music how would you do so; vinyl, CD or digital?

We’re all big on Spotify. But most of us all have a vinyl collection and appreciation.

 

Every time I interview someone my Mum insists I ask this; what apps do you have on your phone and which one is your favourite?

All the Social Medias of course and tons of photo apps. We heavily use dropbox.

 

If you could see any band get back together, who would it be?

The Dangerous Summer. My Chemical Romance too

 

Are you fans of concerts? What sort of concert could we expect to see you at?

We all love concerts. Recently we’ve all gone to some; Third Eye Blind, Death Cab, Coheed and Cambria, Ed Sheeran.

 

Do you have a pre-show ritual?

Eating of course.

 

Has there been a moment so far that’s really stood out to you on your journey as musicians?

We played Warped Tour in Pittsburgh this summer. That was by far the highlight of our journey so far.

 

When can we expect new things from A Story Told?

We’re in the works of a new full length album planned to release early 2016 with a few singles along the way. So expect something soon.

 

I can't wait. Is there any chance of us UK fans seeing you any time soon?

Not in the near future but HOPEFULLY someday soon!

 

What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?

Don’t sacrifice your passions. They are what they are for a reason. Whether you’re fortunate enough to do them for a living or not, never give up on them.

 

Until their next release is available I highly recommend their 'What Got Me Here In The First Place' EP - this 6 song masterpiece is something you need to listen to. I fell in love with this band and I can't wait to see what they come up with next because it's sure to be brilliant. Follow them on social media to keep up to date on what's happening:

Facebook: A Story Told

Twitter: @AStoryToldBand


This interview took place on 23/09/2015.


Are there any questions you'd have liked to see? Let me know below. I'd love to hear what you think.