Band Members: Dan Marsala, lead vocals; Ryan Phillips, lead guitar; Adam Russell, bass, backing vocals; Josh Wills, drums
Determined to build upon the foundation of their devoted St. Louis Page Avenue Crew (P.A.C.), Story of the Year—then a young band blending visceral, push-and-pull post-hardcore sounds—trekked west to Los Angeles, the competitive alt-rock epicenter. The forward-leaning move brought their style of music to a larger, more demanding stage—one that amplified what they were already building, the catalyst they needed.
The Missouri-based band quickly found themselves in the orbit of John Feldmann of Goldfinger, one of modern punk’s most influential producers. The collaboration helped them develop and fine-tune their sound, merging epic choruses with a harmonic edge, paving the way for Page Avenue—a debut release that captured the full force of their melodic volatility and expansive live energy.
On the strength of their breakthrough, irresistible sing-along singles such as “Until the Day I Die” and “Anthem of Our Dying Day,” Story of the Year expanded their reach, touring the world, releasing multiple albums, and taking headlining slots at major festivals. Now, years into their sonic journey, the band primed themselves to set down tracks for their 2026 release, A.R.S.O.N. (All Rage, Still Only Numb), with a newfound freedom— finally allowing themselves to savor the process, write “songs about the drama of being alive,” and focus on the art of creation rather than chasing perceived outcomes. That distance—between who they were and who they’d become—reframed how they approached the studio.
The Production:
Embracing longevity’s refracted lens, Story of the Year started the writing and recording process in the soundproof sanctuary of the studio, with the ability to see the entire spectrum of creating music again. The accumulation of experience bent the light, widening sound’s color, allowing joy to return to the recording process, softening the glare of expectation.
In that resolve, a subtle aberration appeared. Mastery in capturing a song’s magic doesn’t reside solely in the polish or the pursuit. Instead, the beauty of music revealed itself through presence—simply allowing the song to exist.
Where the studio once carried pressure for Story of the Year’s guitarist Ryan Phillips, it now offered more of a sense of creative ease. The riffs, fragments, and melodies that constantly circle within his mind no longer demand resolution. They’re allowed just to be. “I’m pretty much always writing,” he says, “I came into this album with about 70 songs. Those demos are usually the starting point.”
With ideas flowing freely, the heaviness of crafting the perfect song from a perfect idea began to fade. “I spent so much of my life trying to force a song into existence just because I loved what was happening on the guitar, even though I knew deep down it wasn’t going to work.” Letting go of an idea, Phillips learned, isn’t failure; it’s part of the craft. “I’m happy to abandon a song if it’s not happening organically—even if it is my favorite guitar part. When you let your ego get out of the way, truly magical things can happen.”
That sense of fluidity carried over into Story of the Year as a whole. Entering the studio with producer Colin Brittain (Linkin Park) for the second time since 2023’s Tear Me to Pieces allowed instinctive decision-making and a release of expectation to take over. Phillips says, “From the first day we walked in, it felt as though we never left. Colin knows all our individual strengths and weaknesses.” This familiarity allowed commanding performances to develop naturally. Phillips explains, “I think [lead singer] Dan (Marsala) is a standout on this album. He really pushed himself outside of his comfort zone. When I’m wiring riffs, I have a pretty good idea of which ones will really move the needle, but once Dan does his thing over them, that’s when it really hits.”
With flawlessness no longer always the goal, songwriting and recording took on a sense of reverence. Creating music, Phillips says, is a deeply personal, even spiritual practice. “Sitting on a tour bus somewhere in the world, writing a guitar riff, making a song out of it, and finally hearing it take form in the studio is one of the most rewarding things I can imagine,” he says. “Getting to do this as a job is an outrageous privilege. It’s about creating, whether it’s children, art, whatever. It’s what makes us human.”
Seen through that layered perspective —from countless hours of writing, touring, experimenting, and ultimately surrendering— creation itself became the central point. Story of the Year found their way back to what first inspired them —not outcomes or expectations, but the simple act of making music: songs about the drama of being alive. “Over the years we’ve pushed boundaries and explored different sounds,” Phillips reflects, “But coming back to the essence of why we started—writing songs about real emotions, without forcing anything—has been the most fulfilling part. Music isn’t a product; it’s a refuge.”
Photo by Ryan Smith
