A Conversation with Skyward Story

By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com

It is a privilege to welcome Skyward Story’s Aaron O’Connor, Brandon Millman, and Scott Montgomery to Jake’s Take.

Formerly known as 3PM, the Baltimore, Maryland music group built a fan following through their outstanding sound that intersects at the corner of pop rock and pop punk.  After hitting milestones such as bombastic performances at the Warped Tour, as their album, Slow Me Down, peaked on numerous Billboard charts at number two on National Heatseekers, number 18 on Alternative, and number 27 on the Top Rock Albums.

However, when several members of 3PM decided to move on to the next chapter of their lives, drummer Brandon Millman and guitarist Scott Montgomery turned to social media to find their social media.  After they had found Aaron O’Connor, the band rebranded themselves as Skyward Story, and a new chapter began in their musical journey.  The trio started working on their building their latest sound, which caught the attention of renowned producer Matt Squire, who wrote hit records for Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, One Direction, and Panic! At the Disco. Skyward Story’s first collaboration with Matt Squire, “Hey!” debuted on PopCrush and the track is getting rave reviews!

In this edition of A Conversation, the trio revealed Skyward Story’s origin story, told how hard they are working to break into the music industry, and what Skyward Story fans expect when they join Kenny Holland on tour in August.

Jacob Elyachar: Scott, why did you and Brandon turn to social media to look for Skyward Story’s new singer? How did your search lead to Aaron?

Scott Montgomery: We just searched for singers on all social media platforms!  We found Aaron on Twitter after searching “#singer” and messaged him, asking him if he had ever thought about joining a band. We later met up with him in his hometown of Atlanta, and he agreed to join!

JE: Aaron, could you describe to my readers, your reaction when Brandon and Scott contacted you about joining Skyward Story?

Aaron O’Connor: Honestly at first, I thought it was way too far-fetched of an idea to just pick everything up and move to another state to join a band. I only came around to the notion when Scott and Brandon met up with me in Atlanta. All in all, it was an unbelievable opportunity!

JE: Brandon, once Aaron joined Skyward Story, did the songwriting process change? If so, how did it change from your time in 3PM?

Brandon Millman: It was always just all of us from the beginning. We like to keep everyone involved as we write music. It keeps the creativity flowing!

JE: What are some of the challenges that Skyward Story faces with breaking into the music industry? How does the band overcome those challenges?

SM: Breaking into the industry requires a ton a time, effort, and money.  Doing everything we can do, and need to do, to take steps forward is difficult.  We spend all of our time either working to bring money into the project or promoting to grow the band.  Balancing the two is key to keeping afloat, but we enjoy the hard work because we love what we do with our music and you cannot put a price on that.

JE: Skyward Story will open for singer-songwriter Kenny Holland during his East Coast tour. What can your fans expect from the tour?

AOC: Our fans can expect to hear some new music, see an amazing show, and just a great time overall!

JE: If you had the chance to meet with aspiring bands who want to have a career in the recording industry, what advice would you share with them?

SM: It is all about the grind and a lot of hard work. Unfortunately, things are not handed to you in this industry. The hard work that you put in will always come back to benefit you.

For more information about Skyward Story, visit their website!

You can connect with Skyward Story on social media. Visit their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, & YouTube channels.