Review Fix chats with Story of the Year lead guitarist Ryan Phillips, who discusses the band’s now 10-year-old breakthrough album “Page Avenue†and the modern day acoustic re-do, set for an Oct. 6 release.
The band is also set to headline the 2013 Scream It Like You Mean It Tour.
Review Fix: Why did you guys decide to redo “Page Avenue” acoustically?
Ryan Phillips: 2013 marks the ten year anniversary for Page Avenue. When planning the tour and the idea of an album, we ultimately decided it would be so much cooler to re-record the songs instead of doing that same old thing bands do- a remix or remaster with maybe a new track or something. We wanted to do something more significant for fans.
Review Fix: What song were you most surprised about when you heard it acoustically?
Phillips: Probably “And the Hero will Drown.” We kicked around the idea of taking one of our fastest, most intense songs and morphing it into a personal and vulnerable piano song. It was a bold move in theory, but what surprised me the most is how natural and un-forced it sounds.
Review Fix:“Page Avenue” was a huge commercial success and helped establish the band. How did it affect your life and how do you feel about the (original) album now?
Phillips: Every aspect of my life was affected by that album- my professional life, my family life, my idea of culture, dreams, goals, world-views, political views, everything. I’ve traveled to like 30 countries, met and shared the stage with some truly incredible humans, and experienced things I couldn’t imagine even if I would have tried. Without that album our band probably wouldn’t have reached any further than our hometown, that’s the truth. And I love the original now more than I did 10 years ago.
Review Fix: What’s your favorite song on the album? Why?
Phillips: Probably Razorblades. I appreciate the sincerity in Dan’s voice and the U2-ish vibe of the outro. That song feels so natural and un-forced.
Review Fix: For a song like “Anthem of our dying day,” that has a heavy acoustic base, how is it different from the original?
Phillips: Almost everything about the instrumentation is different- most obvious being that the piano almost replaces the acoustic guitar.
Review Fix: How do you think the album stacks up with the original?
Phillips: I think instead of competing with the original, it compliments the original in every way. The goal was to take these songs that we hold so dear, and completely re-imagine them in such a way that is completely alternate, but still honors the spirit of the originals. I think we fucking nailed it.
Review Fix: The band has accomplished a lot, but what else do you guys want to do? What’s on your list?
Phillips: My goal now is the same as it’s always been: I want to reach as many people with my art as possible. What that will entail in the future is anyone’s guess, but as long as we are connecting with other humans and continuing to put SOTY music into the ether I will be happy. It’s all about reaching people and hopefully moving them in some way. That’s why we do this.
Review Fix: Why do hardcore fans buy this album?
Phillips: If you grew up listening SOTY, specifically The Page Avenue record, this is an AWESOME way to experience these songs in a brand new way that still honors the integrity of the original. We went to great lengths to make this album different enough that long time fans of the band would be intrigued. Also, for what it’s worth, we did this album completely independent of any label or corporation. We are doing this 100% ourselves, which means exponentially more work and effort is required from us. The only reason this album exists is because we grabbed the bull by the horns and made it exist. There is poetry in that.
Review Fix: For someone who’s never listened to the band, is this album a good first introduction? Why?
Phillips: I think people should start with the original Page Ave Record, and then listen to this. I should probably say the opposite, but start with the original.
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