Frontman Parker Cannon remembers scrolling through an iPod in 2007 together with friends Ryan Torf, Kevin Geyer, Kevin Ambrose, and Kelen Capener, looking for inspiration for a band name. They grew up in Walnut Creek, California, most of them attending the same high school together. “…Getting a band name is like the hardest part,” he says over a video call. “…A lot of our favorite bands were just titles of other bands’ songs or other bands’ records.”
Torf, who’s also on the call, tells me that though they had a variety of musical influences, it was pop punk bands Blink 182 and Green Day that most influenced the kind of music they played. “ I think we all kind of grew up in that era where a lot of the big pop punk bands were there, like the ‘90s, early 2000s stuff.”
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They landed on The Story So Far after the Newfound Glory song of the same name.
The band has recorded five studio albums. Its most recent, I Want to Disappear, was released in June of this year. The album is a departure for the group, as it was heavily influenced by a personal loss for Cannon. Themes of grief and personal loss can be heard throughout the record.
Part of a photo series the band took during its Summer 2024 tour.
(Credit: The Story So Far)
“I lost my dad to cancer going on three years now,” he says. “He was the biggest musical influence in my life. He’s the one that showed me music, showed me bands. He was himself a singer in this dad cover band thing when I was young, and he was the coolest dude I knew, so I learned everything from him.”
Cannon’s relationship with his father wasn’t always great. They had their fair share of arguments, he says, especially when it came to Cannon’s choice to pursue music as a career. “He was just like, ‘I don’t know, can you do it? Can you make it work?’ And I was always like, ‘Yes, yes, I can do it. I swear to God, just lemme go try.’ And so, we had our differences before the band really started making it and making some money. And then as we got more successful, he was so proud and we were just best friends about it every day. He was the biggest Story fan of all time, he knew every song, knew every word.”
Cannon tells me that each time the band recorded new material, his father was the first person he would let listen to it so he could get an honest critique. “He was the first ear I always went to, and so when I lost him, it was very hard for sure.”
Cannon, who watched his father struggle with the disease for three years, was lost after he died, and had a difficult time coming to terms with his death. In fact, the record almost didn’t get made.
Part of a photo series the band took during its Summer 2024 tour.
(Credit: The Story So Far)
Besides the death of Cannon’s father, the band members, who are now in their 30s, began starting families and working on their own personal projects. Capener, who had been with the band since high school, left in March of 2022. I Want to Disappear was the first album that didn’t include him on bass.
“It was very different for us for a lot of reasons,” says Torf. “ I think throughout our whole career, we’d had some pretty crazy consistency with how we operated; not just with making albums, but with touring and the cycles and writing new music and recording. And then I think we were faced with a lot of new challenges, and the foremost of that being, what Parker was going through, losing his father.”
Despite those challenges, Torf says that the finished product is some of the band’s best work yet.
“I’m beyond stoked how it came together,” Torf tells me. “The momentum we did manage to gain…Parker writing some of what I think are his best lyrics and most personal lyrics.”
The Story So Far’s U.S. tour kicks off November 21 in Nashville.
Here’s a day in the life of…Parker Cannon and Ryan Torf.
Part of a photo series the band took during its Summer 2024 tour.
(Credit: The Story So Far)
Where are you right now? I’m in Los Angeles, California. – Parker
I’m at home in San Francisco. – Ryan
Time I woke up I woke up today around 8:00. – Parker
Like 8:15. – Ryan
Every day starts with Coffee. – Parker
Quick cleaning and meditation, then coffee. – Ryan
Breakfast consists of A good bagel. – Parker
Oatmeal. – Ryan
To get going I always listen to Gotta be the big O for me…Oasis. – Parker
Gotta be the Beatles for me. – Ryan
I don’t feel dressed without A good pair of shoes. – Parker
Carhartt pants. – Ryan
Before I start working I must Focus. – Parker
Drink coffee. – Ryan
Part of a photo series the band took during its Summer 2024 tour.
(Credit: The Story So Far)
Currently working on New songs on the Europe tour. – Parker
Just getting ready to play some new songs for the tour. – Ryan
But I’d really love to be On a beach in Hawaii. – Parker
Seconded. – Ryan
Book I’m reading The Uriel Ventris Chronicles, Volume 2. – Parker
The Wind-up Bird Chronicle. – Ryan
I don’t know how anyone ever Yeah. I got nothing. – Parker
I got nothing. – Ryan
Part of a photo series the band took during its Summer 2024 tour.
(Credit: The Story So Far)
If I had to play one album on repeat, it would be This is a tough one. I might go with Be Here Now by Oasis or Revolver by the Beatles.- Parker
Yeah, both good choices. Definitely Maybe by Oasis has been on repeat for me. – Ryan
The perfect midday consists of Video games. – Parker
Working out and maybe more coffee. – Ryan
To help get through the day Try to appreciate. – Parker
Yeah, try to stay present. – Ryan
Part of a photo series the band took during its Summer 2024 tour.
(Credit: The Story So Far)
Not a day goes by without speaking to My girlfriend and my mother. – Parker
Yeah, friends and mother. – Ryan
My daydreams consist of Playing in the World Cup. – Parker
Writing more music. – Ryan
I’ll always fight for My friends. – Ryan
Yeah, my friends. – Parker
Currently in love with Life. – Parker
Soup. – Ryan
Part of a photo series the band took during its Summer 2024 tour.
(Credit: The Story So Far)
Hoping to make time to watch I’ll just say good movies. Though, there aren’t many of them nowadays. – Parker
Yeah. I don’t have anything for that. I’ve had time to watch them all. – Ryan
By my bedside I always have Water. – Ryan
Yeah, a glass of water. – Parker
To help get through the night Read before bed. – Parker
AirPods or earplugs. – Ryan
When I think about tomorrow Get excited. – Parker
Possibilities… – Ryan
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