#parkercanon

When I first heard about The Story So Far, I was not into them. They seemed like another angry band of white boys who had gone through some stuff, bad habits and heartbreak - which don’t get me wrong was very much my thing but also I just felt like Parker yelled a little too much for my liking. Cut to 2012 when I saw them live for the first time - I stood in the back because I didn’t want to get kicked in the face, I didn’t know any songs, I didn’t really take any videos or photos. I regret all of it. I wish I could’ve screamed along to every word because it’s seven years later and these dudes are pretty important to me. I got to see them in such an intimate space, during an important time for the pop punk scene in general and that weekend in Patchogue, (which i’ve written about before) was just such an important night for me. 

TSSF has been a part of the scene forever. They’ve come a long way from playing record stores in Walnut Creek, where they are originally from, to selling out shows on teh other side of the word. My favorite thing about their journey, and my journey with them, is how their music tells a story but most importantly, what one can learn from each story. It’s a story of growing up, being scared of what you know what is right or wrong but doing it anyways, of understanding the things that happen around you, and of course learning how to understand yourself. This is evident in their latest album, Proper Dose, which came out in the later part of 2018. It was highly anticipated and I think did a pretty great job of not letting anyone down. 

The album to me, was about moving on/moving forward even when things are shit - the importance of learning abut yourself enough to know when to draw a line, to call it quits and refocus. It feels especially evident in If I Fall, where Parker sings about dealing with self doubt, letting people down and problems with addiction. “Cut it short when I’m scared I can’t grow, All the loose ends that I can’t sew...”, something I think every one of us has felt a few times. But it’s also about forcing yourself to be strong enough to pick yourself up, try again and fight for whatever it is. At the end of the day, our choices are our own. 

The video for If I Fall, shot by Eric Soucy while the band was on tour in Japan, lends itself to the tone of the song. Shot on a wind up camera with Super 16/Super 8 film - Soucy could only shoot for about 23 seconds at a time, the video follows Parker thought Japan in an almost dream-like sequence, there but a little disconnected. As it is, Parker stands out of the crowds for obvious reasons, but it also parallels the idea of isolation in his lyrics of just being in a different or unfamiliar environment. That said, he also looks completely himself, almost as if to say, this is me, I’m here, I’m dealing with everything I’ve ever done (both good and bad) and I will continue to live my life being responsible for every part of it. Obviously no one is perfect but the overarching idea that we fuck up, grow up and we do our best given whatever the situation is, is an important one to remember. 

Parker’s father was born after they moved and changed their names, but as an adult he wished they hadn’t chosen to hide their heritage. He considered changing his last name back to Puri, but didn’t want to disrespect their decision. His wife understood that choice, but when they conceived their child, she insisted on naming the baby after their mothers or fathers-- their birth names and not the ones they had chosen. He agreed, but knew his father wouldn’t want Parker to be named directly after him, so Parker’s first name belongs to his maternal grandfather while his middle name is his paternal’s.