The Starting Line 'Direction' album

We’ve all heard the story before. It starts with a young band who has just released their debut album on a relatively new indie label. After a few months, that album becomes an unexpected hit thanks in large part to countless miles logged in a crummy tourvan, and a whole lot of word-of-mouth publicity. This then causes the band to sign to a bigger label and, for the next year, they slave over their second record, only to watch the major that they signed to during their ascent, totally blow it when the album is released a few months later.

For most music fans, this is well-covered territory and, by now, they are no doubt aware of what happens next. Usually, after their new corporate handlers fumble the record, said band is further neglected, and either breaks up or disappears completely. Sure, they might get back together for an episode of Behind The Music, but for the most part, that’s where this particular story comes to its tragic, but typical end. Thankfully, modern rockers the Starting Line have learned that it doesn’t always have to turn out this way

Following the lead of one their musical heroes, Jimmy Eat World, the suburban Pennsylvania quartet have survived such a music industry foul up to record Direction, the most triumphant album of their career. “This new record is definitely something we are all very proud of,” says bassist and lead singer Kenny Vasoli, who originally formed the Starting Line, along with guitarists Matt Watts, Mike Golla, and drummer Tom Gryskewicz, some eight years ago. “Just the thought of what could happen with this is making us really excited. We really hope that it can reach all sorts of new people.”

With infectious songs like “What You Want” and instantly memorable tracks like “Island,” Direction unquestionably sounds like the type of record that could introduce the Starting Line to a whole new audience. But, as Vasoli and his bandmates will readily admit, getting to this place has hardly been easy. The road that has lead the Starting Line to Direction has rarely been a smooth one, as it stretches back to the spring of 2005, a rocky period in which the band were preparing to release their second album, Based On A True Story.

At that point, the band had already enjoyed a rather enviable amount of success. They had sold nearly 300,000 copies of their 2002 debut, Say It Like You Mean It, and had even scored a surprise hit with “The Best Of Me,” a pop-punk anthem that was embraced by MTV. After spending a year on the road in support of the album, the Starting Line had made a sizeable name for themselves and it wasn’t before long that they made the move from their first home, indie label Drive-Thru Records, to the bigger budgets of major label Geffen Records.

But that switch didn’t quite go as planned. At the time, the Starting Line’s career was beginning to arch: In the months following Based On A True Story’s release, they were asked to headline the 2005 Warped Tour and, when that rapped, they went on to play the biggest headlining shows of their career. You’d think the band’s increased popularity would result in a larger push from their label. It didn’t. Instead, Geffen somewhat cluelessly de-prioritized the album and, perhaps worst of all, never even serviced its anthemic first single, “Bedroom Talk,” to commercial radio.

“After the record came out, the label didn’t even murmur a word about it,” Vasoli says. “I think that sent us into a little bit of a depression. It just didn’t feel like we had a lot of people on our side.” Yet, where other bands might wallow in this or, worse yet, split up, the Starting Line began to think up a way out. First, instead of waiting for Geffen to come to their senses, they begged the label to let them out of their contract. Upon agreeing to do so, the Starting Line quickly signed to Virgin, after president Jason Flom took in one of their live shows, and stood stunned at the sight of 10,000 kids singing along with the band.

A few months later, the Starting Line began work on Direction, an album that they all agreed could be nothing short of their strongest work to date. For inspiration, Vasoli began looking to classic artists like Bob Dylan and James Brown. “I know that our album doesn’t sound like that,” the singer says, “but those guys would write songs that didn’t have a whole lot going on, but they still worked really well. I guess that I tried to adopt that mindset while writing these songs. I wanted to give people something that was three or four minutes long, and got to the point.”

That distinct approach can be heard throughout Direction, whether it’s in the wistful power-pop of “I Could Be Wrong” or the strutting hard rock on the album’s title track. Just as they did for a few tracks on Based On A True Story, the Starting Line decamped to Los Angeles to record the album with Howard Benson, a Grammy nominated producer who’s worked with everyone from My Chemical Romance to the All-American Rejects.

“I was really stoked when I heard the first batch of songs,” Benson says, now. “It was a huge leap in maturity and form for the band, and that’s what you look for in an artist, is that artistic growth. I knew we would make a great record.”

While out west, the band also brought in Saosin vocalist Cove Reber, who duets with Vasoli on “Something Left To Give,” as well as famed percussionist Luis Conti, who, on “Island,” bangs out one of the most inspired percussion lines you’re likely to hear in a rock song this year. The end result is an album that still maintains the energy of the band’s early material, but that also shows just how far they have grown as songwriters. Perhaps more importantly, though, Direction suggests that this particular story doesn’t always end up the way you might think.

Just like their logical forefathers in Jimmy Eat World, the members of the Starting Line seem ready to put the situation with their former label aside and release an album that will break them to a larger audience. And they seem prepared to do so, with a bright new outlook in tact. “Over the past two years, we’ve been through a lot,” Watts says, looking back. “But I think that this album is what made it worth it, and I think you can hear in these songs. We’re embracing the positive things we have been through, as well.”

So then, tell the people at Behind The Music to find another band. Because at the moment, the Starting Line have nothing but a bright future ahead of them.

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The Starting Line - Direction