The Story So Far - I Want To Disappear (June 21, 2024) • Page 31

“I’ll ignore the data when it doesn’t fit my narrative”

I would say a main support slot for Blink 182 could be considered a stronger marketing push than a headline tour. (Also a Tom Delonge instagram post LOL) But I’ll attempt to ignore the data for you and admit that TSSF isn’t the biggest band on PN anymore… so maybe this low performance is strictly just because the label didn’t give it the push PD got… but if true that’s an even sadder scenario that implies the only reason PD did well was because of its marketing and nothing to do with its content and quality.

 

Oh damn this dude even did Under Soil & Dirt. If I had any part in writing Roam or Quicksand or Mt Diablo I would also be posting like this (I have not listened to any other TSSF album more than once but that one is forever imprinted in my brain)

 

Yes. I produced that EP before USAD as well.

 

I love your avatar. One of my favorite groups.

 

HELL yeah brother, likewise. I don't know much about production but I know enough about both it and the Dan that if a producer loves them it's a big ++ in my book. First heard about them in high school as an example of impeccable production, got really into them in the last few years like so many other 20-something dudes haha. Bummed I never got to see Becker, seeing Don is bucket list for me

 

They are the basis for me deciding to play on and hire session players for my productions. Which somehow is a controversial topic. But I always say “I want to go full Steely Dan” which means no expense spared, whoever performs the part the best ends up on the record. The song deserves the right performance from the right player. Even if it’s not me or the band.

 

It’s definitely interesting to see this not performing well. Six years is a long time between albums and this album is decent, but the singles on Proper Dose were so much better which led to a lot of excitement around the album. I feel like this just came/went without music anticipation from most people. This album roll out screams complacency by the label and the band. It’s almost like they thought the ADTR would build enough excitement on its own.

Also the Blink slot was in Europe so it doesn’t translate as much in the US. Sure Tom posting about it is cool, but there’s tons of projects Travis pushes that don’t do well at all so I don’t think that endorsement means as much as you’d think.

 

Even more reason to be dumbfounded that this is happening. They are doing everything the label and management has recommended. And wow what a performance this has been. It really does work out and perform the best when you finally just give up and just listen to your label and management right?

 

i wanna hear more about this hopeless records situation. why did they turn it down and how did neck deep swoop in?

(i'm sure you can't say but i'm curious)

 

Very funny and simple story.

Eric Tobin from Hopeless wanted to sign them. They were shopping before WYDS because Jake from PN was their manager and it was a conflict of interest to be the manager and label. First was Rise. But Parker told Craig he sounded like a “little girl” when he told Parker “I love your lyrics” so that offer was off the table.

Next was hopeless. Which is funny because they signed the original The Story So Far band. Anyways allegedly Parker sat down at their conference table and saw an avenged sevenfold poster and talked about how much he hated that band and would never be on the label with that band as their history.

Eric explained it to me by saying “Look… they just want to be cool. They don’t want to be a music entertainment business”

Anyways Neck Deep… the band who became a band because of TSSF signed with Hopeless and is 4x the value of TSSF now.

You be the judge who was in the right or the wrong.

 

It’s definitely a very by the books marketing strategy except the music isn’t strong enough to carry it and I think a lot of TSSF fans could care less about ADTR/vice versa so that tour isn’t doing as much for them as management probably hoped.
It feels like the band/management thought people would eat up whatever they released based on their name alone.

I also feel like Pop Punk/Emo has evolved while this album sounds more like something that would have been released 10 years ago. Bands like Hot Mulligan are making much more interesting music with a younger fan base that TSSF is probably not getting much of with an album like this.

 

Also the irony of an ADTR tour. During Proper Dose the melt down between Kelen and Parker was because Kelen said an ADTR tour offer was good for them and they would be stupid to turn it down and Parker said “you just want to tour with that band so you can look cool on Twitter. I hate that band. I’ll never tour with that band”

 

Neck Deep is 4x the value of TSSF? That’s wild but I’d believe it. Band has stayed far more active and markets their band much better.

 

god, both of those situations are so embarrassing...

thank you for sharing!

 

did they not open for ADTR in the UK years ago? what was different then

 

That immaturity and combativeness only got worse with each record.

 

LOL These stories about Parker are gold. Such juvenile short sighted decision making for a band that could have been much bigger if they didn’t feed their own ego.

 

That was just a few shows. And I’m pretty sure that’s what solidified the stance from Parker.

 

I have chapters of more.

 

Parker won’t be on a label because he hates some of the bands for dumb reasons, won’t tour with ADTR because he wants street cred yet starts a side project with a well known abuser. That’s quite sad but not surprising since he has always had the egotistical hardcore kid vibe and seemed too cool for school lol

 

He told me “this band reached its peak” after playing main stage at warped. I was like DUDE. YOU COULD TOUR WITH BLINK… FOO FIGHTERS… YOU COULD BE IN THE TOP 10 OF BILLBOARD. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT YOUR PEAK UNLESS YOU CONTINUE TO HOLD YOURSELF BACK.

 

I can also now see why Kellen talked bad about Parker after leaving. I assume Parker runs the band for the most part and Kellen was the only one to speak up.

 

Do you get a lot of pushback from bands when you want to bring in session players or track something yourself? I'm a novice producer, mostly working with my own bands, but it always feels like there's a lot of tension when I suggest something like that, even if it's just me tracking bass instead of our bassist or one guitarist doing all/most of the guitar parts.

 

I look back at a lot of these stories and it’s like “oh I was young I didn’t really mean that”. But the reality is they have become everything they talked shit on. And they’ve done it a decade too late.

 

That’s also funny because the band peaked a few years after they last played Warped and I’d argue PD could have been even more successful if pushed by a proper label. Songs like Upside Down and Take Me As You Please could have been huge with the right marketing push.