It has been three years since the release of their sophomore album In the Wake of Determination, and St. Louis’ own Story of the Year is back on the scene with the band’s new album The Black Swan (Epitaph Records, April 22).

Story of the Year, which gained recognition in 2004 with the single “Until the Day I Die,” has come a long way since the band’s beginning. The members grew up together, attending the same middle and high schools.

“When we all started learning different instruments, it just made sense that we’d start a band,” said guitarist Ryan Phillips.

The band, originally called Big Blue Monkey, started playing local gigs and gained a steady local following. From these local shows, band members began to realize that they could potentially play their music for more than just a few people and as more than just a hobby.

“We noticed that hundreds of people were coming and paying to watch us play locally, so we figured, why not go for it?” Phillips said.

Big Blue Monkey got its chance to expand when, after playing a radio show with the band Goldfinger, its promotional video was shown to execs at Maverick Records.

The record company liked what they saw and heard, and the band signed with Maverick under the new name Story of the Year, which came from the title of both an EP and song by Big Blue Monkey.

The band moved out to Los Angeles to continue pursuing its dream, even though “none of us had ever lived anywhere but our parents’ houses,” Phillips said.

“We had no idea where to live or what to do,” he said. “Our future was like a blank canvas.”

The move paid off in 2003 when Story of the Year released its first album, Page Avenue (Maverick, Sept. 16, 2003).

Story of the Year has spent the last year working on The Black Swan, which Phillips describes as having a lot of deeper messages. The album is a mix of the style of the band’s first two albums (the second being 2005’s In the Wake of Determination).

“We’re more proud of this record than anything else,” Phillips said. “[It’s] a great time for us.”

Phillips has high hopes for the new album and said that everyone should listen to the record at some point, saying that it would appeal to everyone.

“I really think they’ll like it,” he said. “Even if no one likes it and it flops, we’re so proud of this album [that] we’ll still be happy.”

As for the future of the band, Story of the Year isn’t going away any time soon.

“We’re never going to let up; we’re just going to keep pushing ourselves and our music,” Phillips said.

The next year and a half is booked with the tour, which includes a stop in St. Louis on April 22 at the Pageant, the same day the band’s new album comes out. The concert will double as an album release party, celebrating the band’s latest collection of alternative-rock songs.

Though the next year is chock-full of activities, shows, interviews and other promotional and performing activities, the band members are happy to keep doing what they do best.

“We’re going to keep doing this as long as people will listen to us,” Phillips said.

“I’d tour in an ’81 [Chevrolet] Malibu to play for an audience of five people if that’s what it took to keep playing my guitar.”