Suvarna Garge (Editor)

The Storys

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Years active
  
2003–2010

Past members
  
Dai Smith

Website
  
www.thestorys.co.uk

Active until
  
2010

The Storys httpspbstwimgcomprofileimages321150395Sto

Labels
  
Korova, Hall Recordings

Origin
  
Swansea, United Kingdom (2003)

Members
  
Steve Balsamo, Dai Smith, Rob Thompson, Andy Collins, Alan Thomas, Brian Thomas

Albums
  
Town Beyond the Trees, The Storys, Town Beyond The Trees - Special Edition, Luck

Genres
  
Acoustic music, Country rock

Similar
  
Rosalie Deighton, Balsamo Deighton, The Deighton Family, Jon Lord, Chimpan A

The Storys were a Welsh rock band from Swansea, Wales, which formed in 2003. Their main influence is 1970s U.S. West Coast bands in the country-rock genre. The band currently consists of Steve Balsamo (vocals, guitar), Andy Collins (vocals, bass), Rob Thompson (vocals, guitar), Brian Thomas (drums, percussion), and Alan Thomas (keys, mandolin, banjo) and formerly included Dai Smith, who sang and played guitar until August 2008, when he left. He was replaced by Rosalie Deighton.

Contents

Conception (2003–2006)

The group features four singer-songwriters all taking lead vocals on different songs. They count as inspirations such vocal harmony-based bands as Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and The Beatles.

They recorded their eponymous debut album The Storys in an old converted cinema in the Welsh Valleys and released the album themselves, setting up their own label - Hall Recordings - before signing a record deal with Warners and having their album re-released on Korova in March 2006.

Their first gig was to over 70,000 people at The Olympic Torch Concert outside Buckingham Palace, and was followed by a support slot with Tom Jones and a series of gigs in venues such as Bush Hall and The Borderline. The band also supported Elton John on two European tours.

2006–early 2008

Town Beyond The Trees, the band's second album, was released in 2008 on the band's own label, Hall Recordings, after Korova folded in 2007. It was recorded in Spring 2007 at Peter Gabriel's Real World studios near Bath, UK. The album was produced by Jon Kelly (Beautiful South, Kate Bush, Deacon Blue, Paul McCartney). It received favourable reviews from such publications as Maverick Magazine, Uncut Magazine, Classic Rock Magazine, Rock 'n' Reel Magazine etc.

The band have also supported Santana (Switzerland), Celine Dion (Holland), Sinéad O'Connor (Belgium), Elton John (UK), Runrig (Germany) and Van Morrison (UK) as well as touring the UK in their own right.

Early 2008–2010

Dai Smith left the band in 2008 and was subsequently replaced by folk singer/songwriter, Rosalie Deighton.

The Storys' music was featured in the movie The Bank Job, and the band had cameo appearances in the film in the wedding scene.

The Storys announced they were to split and play one final concert at the Swansea Grand Theatre on 19 June 2010.

Discography

  • "I Believe In Love" - CD single/ 7" (2006, Korova)
  • "Cinnamon" - CD single/ 7" (2006, Korova)
  • The Storys (March 2006, Korova) (previously released: August 2005, Hall Recordings)
    1. "I Believe In Love"
    2. "Be By Your Side"
    3. "Cinnamon"
    4. "High Enough"
    5. "You're Taking My Heart Away"
    6. "You're Not Around"
    7. "Roll Like A Stone"
    8. "Save Me"
    9. "The King of Broken Dreams"
    10. "Journey's End (Show Me Love)"
    11. "Is It True What They Say About Us?"
  • "Be By Your Side" - promo CD single/ 7" (2006, Korova)
  • "Cinnamon" - CD single (2005, Hall Recordings)
  • 5 Track Promo Sampler CD (2005, Hall Recordings)
    1. "Cinnamon"
    2. "Roll Like A Stone"
    3. "High Enough"
    4. "Be By Your Side"
    5. "Journey's End (Show Me Love)"
  • The Storys EP (2005, Hall Recordings) (Approximately 100 copies only)
    1. "Be By Your Side"
    2. "Roll Like A Stone"
    3. "High Enough"
    4. "So Long"
  • The Town Beyond The Trees CD EP (2005, Hall Recordings) (60 copies only, limited edition artwork by Balsamo) (25 other copies had an old photo of Glyncorrwg printed on CD, plain plastic cover)
    1. "The Town Beyond The Trees"
    2. "My Foot Was Nailed To The Floor"
    3. "God Take Care Of The One I Love"
    4. "You're Not Around"
  • The Town Beyond The Trees CD album (31 March 2008, Hall Recordings) UK chart position: #175
    1. Long Hard Road
    2. You Couldn't Make It Up
    3. Evangelina
    4. Alone
    5. It's All We Really Need
    6. Nobody Loves You
    7. Town Beyond The Trees
    8. Heaven Holds You Now
    9. Feeling Something
    10. Trouble Deep

    Songs

    I Believe in LoveThe Storys · 2004
    Town Beyond the TreesTown Beyond the Trees · 2008
    EVERYBODY WANTS YOU TO MAKE ITLuck · 2010

    References

    The Storys Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA