STEVE BALSAMO (THE STORYS)

The Storys wear their 70's influences on their sleeve with pride. And given their 4 part harmonies and a hatful of impressive songs that embrace the southern Californian musical landscape of The Eagles, CSNY, Jackson Browne etc, it comes as no surprise that the band's forthcoming second album 'Town Beyond The Trees' has already received advance Radio Two airplay, while admirers like Bob Harris have been quick to get the band into the studio for a live acoustic session.

Beyond that The Storys have also made their film debut, playing a cameo part and playing a couple of songs in 'The Bank Job'. But retro sound sound or not, The Storys are a band looking to the future rather than the past and the new release should soon answer a lot of questions regarding their crossover potential and the acceptance or otherwise of their soft rock style.

But for the moment things are looking good for The Storys as the movers and shakers in the industry have already embraced their pristine harmonies, the evocative lyrical imagery and soft acoustic west coast feel to the music. Indeed the band has already spent the last two years touring with Elton John and more recently Joe Cocker.

That's fine for the Radio 2 profiled 70's college kids now in middle age, but this is a band hungry for success whose creative spirit is exemplified by front man Steve Balsamo, a man who in the previous decade had a solo career, a role in Jesus Christ Superstar and even found time to act.

Ladies and gentlemen we give you The Storys, a combo with quality at the heart of their music and a brand new album full of songs that demand to break out of their current impressive niche and be heard by a huge crossover audience. Steve Balsamo answers the questions.

Did the band set out to emulate their obvious West Coast musical influences at the outset?

Yes very much so. In fact what happened was that Rob, Andy and Di were writing songs for other artists. I had my solo career and actually Di also had a deal which didn't work out. So we all came together as song writers. And when we came together to play it became apparent that any one of us would take the lead vocal and the rest of us would instantly harmonise behind that.

It was a very natural thing. We'd sit round on acoustic guitars, and after a while we started to write in that kind of direction which was basically a Laurel Canyon, West Coast kind of vein. Soon there was a definite chemistry there, so yes we had a clear intention from the outset. Coming together was like a revelation, almost like a laser taking us in a particular direction.

Is it your intention to take this essentially West Coast American music back to its roots?

Again it's something that becomes ever clearer when you do certain things. Last year we appeared at the SXSW and there was definitely a 'coals to Newcastle' thing. We want to tour America with this music and the new album, but we recognise that America isn't a homogeneous territory.

The reaction to our music was phenomenal, and it couldn't be bettered, but we know that this kind of music is strong in pockets and different parts of the States, especially Nashville and probably California. We are also aware of bands like Rascal Flatts who have sold millions of records with a style of music not to dissimilar to what we do, so were hoping to make a connection with that kind of audience.

Your roots lie in Swansea, South Wales. Was it the case that you built up a particular scene down there before breaking out, or did you has to look further afield for acceptance?

There's a great music scene in Wales but I wouldn't say we are part of it. We hadn't particularly built anything up. I think it's more of a rock scene down there with bands like The Hot Puppies, The Automatic and the whole EMO rock thing, and bands like Funeral for Friend who I really like. I guess we don't honestly fit into all that scene, but we're glad its there.

On your previous effort you produced yourself, but with the forthcoming album you have used Jon Kelly (Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, Deacon Blue, Tori Amos, Prefab Sprout, Beautiful South). How did that come about?

Well Jon originally came to see us in the singer sing writer environment of the Regal Room in Hammersmith, though he may also have caught us at the Bedford in Balham - another great singer song writer friendly venue. So he asked us what we were going to do for the new album and to be honest we'd not really thought about the production side of things.

He came up with lots of things we had never thought of before like deconstructing songs and reassembling them, and basically chopping off the fat. We did things like working two days on arranging them, and changing the pace of the songs for example, or paying attention to the BPM (beats per minute) and took some up and brought others down accordingly. And really we had never worked like that before, it was an eye opener.

He brought something like 30 years of experience to the studio from working with Geoff Emerick (The Beatles) and Air studios to telling us great stories about Macca and even Kate Bush. Above all he made us feel relaxed and brought a contemporary sound to the new album. When I listen to the first album now, it sounds dusty and idiosyncratic, whereas the new one is a little harder and certainly much more radio friendly.

On the new album in particular your songs seem to be predicated on the twin staples of Country ballads and West Coast rock, does either hold sway?

I'd say they are both interlinked really, there are nice songs and melodies but the lyrics also deal with dark issues and pain, love, death, the lot really! The title track from 'Town Beyond The Trees' for example, is a death row song looking at the mistakes someone's father has made, and I guess the essential difference between us and say Rascal Flatts is these are our own songs, and represent what we feel. Flatts have different song writers working for them. It's still great music of course and has sold by millions but they are essentially different from what we do.

Are you surprised at the levels of interest in the band?

Yes in some ways we are, especially as we have had to overcome things like an essentially ageist attitude in the UK music business, but I'd like to think our songs are so good that we can overcome that. We've got to a point that is probably beyond what we originally expected in terms of media attention, but having established that niche we want to go beyond that now and would really love to crack TV and programmes like Jools Holland.

We've had great support from Bob Harris on Radio 2 and we recognise it's important to have support like that, which can help lead other independent stations to play us as they take their lead from national radio. Really, it's the same for everyone, if you get radio and TV then bigger gigs and better tour support will follow making touring that bit easier and more viable.

 

...you quickly realise as in life that it pays to be nice to people. If you do that sometime later they might help you.

Before forming the band you had a solo career. What did those early years teach you?

I learnt so much from my solo career. It didn't happen for me at the time but it taught me so much. At the time no one knew what to do with me as a solo artist, so I had no absolute direction and when that happens you often end up chipping away at the thing for too long and you come round again and you find your time has already gone.

With The Storys we are absolutely clear about what and who we are and what our aims are. Yes, there are the elements of The Eagles with the harmonies, the four singer songwriters and it is clear what we are. You get it very quickly, or not as the case may be.

At the time of my solo career I could see the whole pop idol thing coming round. I actually felt it was going to happen, so I ended up becoming very poppy and really that's not what I am really. But as a learning experience the whole time was invaluable, I met Mark Hudson (producer/song writer) and Dianne Warren (one of America's most successful songwriters), and it paid me to go to writing school. And above all you quickly realise as in life that it pays to be nice to people. If you do that sometime later they might help you.

Given there are four song writers in the band, who finally decides what goes in and what doesn't?

Well I have to say that the new album was very difficult in that respect. There was a pull this time as to whether certain people would react to certain songs and suggestions.

Overall it was a compromise, we had some poppier and rockier songs that were not included as we wanted to stick to the basic, 'quick and to the point' idea. But I think it's true to say that we are all respectful of one another's efforts. It also meant we have lots of additional material for extras and B sides etc.

You've been touring with Elton John off and on for nearly two years. How did that relationship come about?

Well it was down to Barry and Jenny Marshall (from Marshall Arts) really. We were recommended to him as a band from Wales, and his reaction was, 'don't tell me they come from fucking Swansea'!!(a reference to his time as manager of Man in the 70's). The story goes guitarist Deke Leonard came to stay at their house for two weeks and stayed two years! (laughs).

Anyway, as a result of this connection our manger John called me up and said don't go anywhere in the next ten minutes as Elton John is going to call you. I thought this was a wind up, but he did call and said he loved out album. In fact he started singing 'Be By Your Side' over the phone, by which time I was having a nervous breakdown, for which I later apologised. It was incredible.

How did you find the change from playing clubs to suddenly playing stadiums and the like?

We planned our set to sound the best it possibly could in stadiums and arenas. But again it was a learning process from being cool with people to realising the huge amount of effort that goes into shows that size.

It's a massive operation and a ridiculous amount of work, and the roadies, production crew etc, were brilliant. We still keep in touch with people like Elton's guitarist Davy Johnson's guitar tech. We are also looking forward to playing Swansea with Elton this summer and it doesn't get much better than that.

The album 'Town Beyond the Trees' and the single 'Long Hard Road' is set for a 31st March release.

 

Interview © 2008 Pete Feenstra. All rights reserved.

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