Track By Track: Explore Same Side’s (The Story So Far, Elder Brother) New Soothing Self-Titled EP

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You know that friend who just seems to be good at everything? The one who, no matter the activity – whether it’s trivia or hockey – is just heads above everyone else?

We imagine that’s The Story So Far’s Kevin Geyer.

Already known for helping write some of the best pop-punk tracks out there as part of the Bay Area outfit – as well as meaningful, chilled-out anthems for his post-rock duo Elder Brother – Geyer is now turning his sights to his very own solo music.

Under the moniker Same Side, the accomplished guitarist/vocalist is branching out to show off even more of his softer side with his new five-track self-titled EP.

Detailing his solo debut, Geyer says, “I’ve always gravitated toward the mellower stuff. As I’ve gotten a little bit older and my musical tastes have expanded, this is what comes out naturally for me. I love what we do in The Story So Far and how it’s evolved. This is another outlet, a chance to explore a different side of me.” 

He adds, “These songs came together a few years ago as I was going through some changes in my personal situation. I’d have an instrumental idea that I’d sit on for a while until melodies sort of just bubbled up on their own. There were some feelings I had been holding onto subconsciously.”

For an exclusive in-depth look into the new Same Side EP which hits stores today, be sure to check out Geyer’s track-by-track overview below. Afterward, to pick up a physical copy, head here

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01) Smoke

This song is about my upstairs neighbors complaining to our landlord about us smoking weed inside. I had the pleasure of getting my good friend Bo McDowell to play the guitar solo at the end of the song.  

02) Stuck In A Hole

This song was written over a pretty long period of time. The guitar part was written on a cheap little classical guitar I got on tour in the UK, which I still play at home. The lyrics are literally about feeling stuck in a hole. Especially at a time like this, I’m sure most people know the feeling. The lyrics were written without any particular aim, but I think they turned out to be somewhat of a self reflection.

03) The Way It Seems

This was the first song I wrote for this project, not really knowing what it was at the time. I hadn’t written vocals for a song in years so when lyrics/melodies presented themselves, I just went with it and it ended up being a catalyst for this entire project. 

04) Fall Back In Again

This is probably my favorite song off the EP. Lyrically, it’s a pretty standard break-up song. Sam Pura (engineer, mixed, mastered) did some awesome mixing on the vocals which really tied the whole vibe together. I also had my friend Sean Spangenberg play stand-up bass on this song and it turned out better than I could’ve hoped. 

05) Same Side

This song was the easiest to write. I picked up my guitar one day without any intention and an hour later the whole song was written. It also turned out to be the first song I got to play my lap-steel guitar on, used in the end as a sort of dueling guitar solo. 

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