War Stories do what they do for the unconditional love of music. They focus all time and energy on writing timeless music that connects them with the listener providing opportunities of perspective, reflection, and questioning. With sincere lyrics and swells of emotionally charged conviction, singer Evan Robinson's voice translates the band's meaning with uncompromising honesty. On tracks like "Lion" as well as "What Does God See" and "Beautiful" there is no mistaking the intent and promise of this band.
War Stories has experienced the suggested promises of ?stardom? having been courted by major labels, power agents, and gratuitous managers of a dieing breed. As described in the lyrics of ?Rage? reality was revealed and truth discovered after the band signed to Columbia Records. They believed in the opportunity as it was told, recorded their songs, toured with Augustana and Kasabian, then received the abrupt ending two months before the scheduled release of its debut album.
?We were half way through our tour with Kasabian,? Evan recalls, ?and we got a call from our management telling us we were dropped before our album even hit the shelf.?
Empowered by the experience and possessed with an even greater passion for music, the band finished the tour, went back to their hometown of San Diego and regrouped with a new found focus. They cleaned house, wrote new songs, and sold their trailer to raise the money to record their official self-titled debut.
When most bands would have given up to the frustration, disappointment, and discouragement of abandonment, War Stories found enlightenment and power. When you're truly meant to do something there are no other options, and that is exactly how these musicians feel. In fact, you can almost say becoming a musician was set in motion from Day 1 for Evan who grew up listening to his father's songs and stories of living within the late 1960s musician's community, playing guitar with The Things To Come, and even driving Mama Cass from Los Angeles to New York in her Aston Martin. The two have always shared the excitement of songs and performances and continue to play acoustic gigs together. And when War Stories entered the studio they even had dad sing backups on ?Without Love.? It's in the blood.
In a time when music sometimes seems more about fashion than songs, scenes than sincerity, and words than meaning, it's encouraging to know someone still does it for the right reasons; to create music for the love of sharing their artistic perspective. No matter the obstacle, War Stories will continue to write the songs that mean something for our lives and our shared experiences.