Pop/rock trio A Story Told have released their new single “Rodeo,” available to stream now on all DSPs worldwide. The track is a soaring self-reflective letter to your younger self and looking back on the things you used to value. It comes ahead of their 4th studio album, Mundane Magic, which will be out on October 20th.
“‘Like the question ‘What advice would you give your younger self?,’ Rodeo is a self-reflective narrative to the younger/more naive “you” and the things that used to occupy your time and energy,” says vocalist Alex Chaney. “Pain is Gain. Accepting your flaws and past mistakes is wildly better than running from them and closing the door on who you used to be.”
Originally hailing from Charleston, West Virginia, A Story Told was formed amidst the hills of Appalachia—a place not commonly associated with a vibrant music scene, especially alternative pop bands. However, their roots in this unique region have played a fundamental role in shaping the band’s work ethic and overall ethos, proving to be a significant factor in their success. Since the release of their first full-length record Keep Watch in 2016, the band has operated and remained completely independent. Every song in their discography has been self-produced and self-written, as AST has always served as the group’s authentic outlet for self-expression. Along the way, the music quickly started to resonate with listeners who shared similar life experiences and perspectives, finding its way from small-town West Virginia to every corner of the globe.
25 million streams later, the band’s sound has changed and matured, but the mission and ethos is still the very same. And they continue to attribute this success to that of where they come from and the “do or die” mentality it instills, facing and overcoming any obstacle that one might not find in a “traditional” path navigating the music industry. Instead of waiting for that” big break,” A Story Told have taken control in pushing their machine as far as it can go through consistency, perseverance, and authenticity. Although at times they may feel like a ‘best kept secret,’ the band continues to establish itself as a mainstay in an ever-changing music scene, finding their music being projected anywhere from Vans Warped Tour to NBC’s Sunday Night Football, and being praised by the likes of Rock Sound as being “infectiously brilliant.”
“Mundane Magic is the best way that I could possibly sum up this musical journey that the 3 of us have been on for years,” says Chaney on the upcoming album. “A friend once told me that the industry is a pendulum. You leave relevance as quickly as you found it.”
“Mundane Magic is about the journey to arriving at this resolution of outlook,” he goes on to say. “I’ve struggled with the band being a public measurement of my success. I’ve struggled with the thought that – maybe not everyone deserves your vulnerability. But to hell with that! As much as I’ve poured my life and difficult memories into A Story Told, it is 100% necessary for me, and to our fans that I share the fact that those memories are no longer a heavy burden for me.”
