Bouncing Souls - Ten Stories (Yellow, Blue, & Black Vinyl) LP

For over three decades The Bouncing Souls have been one of the most reliably joyful bands in punk rock, fostering an incredibly close kinship with their loyal listeners. Now on Ten Stories High, the band have taken this connection even further, creating an album of songs directly inspired by the stories of their fans. Ten Stories High finds The Bouncing Souls – vocalist Greg Attonito, guitarist Pete Steinkopf, bassist Bryan Kienlen, and drummer George Rebelo – making the best of the chaotic past couple of years. With touring on pause during the pandemic, the group turned to Patreon connect with their listener community, including a tier where fans could have a custom song written for them. The process would begin with the band having Zoom conversations with fans.

"It was so refreshing to be like ‘Oh cool we're going to get to know someone'," Attonito explains. "We've written so many songs from our own experiences but this time we really stepped outside of that." The Souls would learn about their fans' lives, and then dive into tightly regimented writing sessions to turn the things they'd heard into the makings of songs. Eventually the group decamped with Will Yip in Philadelphia to hone their demos, write more, and record Ten Stories High. The result is an album that draws directly from stories of life's ups and downs, the moments of joy, sadness, and excitement that end up bonding us together. "We've been writing songs together for 30 years and that's been amazing," Attonito says, "but this felt like something new: a way to tell someone else's story and have a whole new journey."

The Bouncing Souls introduce the release with two new songs, "Ten Stories High" and "Higher Ground." Both tracks highlight the band in their anthemic element, with sharp production courtesy of Will Yip (The Menzingers, Title Fight, Tigers Jaw). The new songs bookend the record with massive choruses that are sure to inspire singalongs at upcoming shows.