A Story Told - Keep Watch (2016)

Charleston, West Virginia may not be renowned as a musical hotbed, but that doesn’t mean it should be overlooked. Tucked away and nestled along the Kanawha River, you’ll find a budding music scene – one that’s marshaled by alternative pop band A Story Told. Emotionally forward and irresistibly catchy, the five-piece outfit are trailblazing their way through the Appalachians with their full-length debut album Keep Watch. And the moral of their tale: the best bands come from unlikely places.

Formed in 2013, A Story Told is comprised of vocalist Alex Chaney, guitarists Josh Allen and Zach Sallade, bassist Zach Holley, and drummer Casey Hardman.
“Most of us grew up in the same town,” explains Chaney. “So we’ve known each other for quite a while. The inspiration behind starting the band was to play the type of music we enjoyed listening to and connected with on an emotional level. As individuals whose lives have been shaped by music, we wanted to pay it forward by creating music that impacts people in the way it has impacted ours.”

In 2013 the band released their first EP, an acoustic offering titled Fall Back; followed by their 2014 EP, What Got Me Here In The First Place. The pair of recordings picked up enough steam to earn them a spot on the Pittsburgh stop of Vans Warped Tour 2015, along with an appearance at Charleston’s outdoor concert series Live on the Levee. Those performances helped establish their reputation in the West Virginia area, and garnered interest in the region for their debut album.
Their first full-length record Keep Watch is a 10-track effort that struts along the intersection of pop and rock. Cut from the same cloth as bands like Pvris and The Dangerous Summer, songs like “All of You” and “Cold Blooded” showcase their enthralling rock melodies, while "Material Drive By" spotlights their pop disposition.
Says Chaney, “We want to accentuate the fact that everyday life is a mixed bag of emotions and be able to provide the soundtrack to multiple life situations. At the end of the day, we are normal people that go through the same things in life as you, so we try to write music that is as relatable as possible. We focus on trying to provide this escape to others because of how important it’s been to our lives.”