It's no secret that genres ain't what they used to be; bands taking influence from all over the musical map and crossing the streams is infinitely more commonplace than a decade ago. What this means for new music in 2016, is that we're all witness to artists bending and building once familiar tropes into all sorts of new and different shapes, thrillingly unaware of the supposed lines in the sand.

Sheffield's Story are very much a product of these shackles being off, the quintet openly wearing a cache of influences on their sleeve. "We definitely offer both the heavier and softer sides," agrees frontman Bill Hobson, whose impressive vocal range can switch between soulfully melodic to throaty rage in the blink of an eye; "It could be said that when playing with indie bands we come across as a metal band being the heaviest band on the line up. Likewise, when playing with metal bands we come across as more of a pop rock band, being the softest band on the bill. This diversity is what we feel separates us from the rest of the scene."

On their self produced sophomore E.P, Hopeless But Hoping, Story – completed by bassist Tom Walker, drummer (and EP producer) Chris Ogden, and guitarists Liam Gratton and Matt Baxter – channel the likes of Mallory Knox and Young Guns as readily as Architects, A Day To Remember and Alexisonfire, creating a seamless pop rock/metalcore/post-hardcore mash-up in the process. "Fortunately, our scene in Sheffield has quite a mash up of genres, the most prominent being indie and hardcore, which lets us sit comfortably at most hometown shows as our music has both aspects," remarks Hobson.

With tight, intricate riffs opening up into upbeat choruses, staccato grooves or soaring, progressive outros in equal measure, Story keep you guessing whilst retaining an overall cohesion via smart, fat-trimmed songwriting. "We have all been in previous bands that split after the first release," recalls Hobson; "The recording of our second EP brought us closer together as a band as we learned what each of us had to offer, and we all contributed to the final product. The development of our understanding has resulted in a more focused and mature sound."
Story Release 'Hopeless But Hoping' on 4[sup]th[/sup] March 2016. Pre-order now:
https://storyofficial.bigcartel.com/product/hopeless-but-hoping-ep-pre-