Story of the Year recently discussed their surprising switch from major label Warner to indie powerhouse Epitaph Records:

It's a crazy time. People don't buy records anymore (well, most people anyway), and the major labels are totally freaking out. They are dropping bands and resigning them for half the money. They are firing everybody. They are taking bands merch and touring income. It's nuts. If a band doesn't have a mega bubble–gum shiny pop hit, chances are the label will not even put the record out, much less push it. To me, it just doesn't seem like a very cool environment to be in. The music would eventually suffer, and that's fucked.

How can you be creative if you've got people calling you right and left telling you how your record should sound? So our situation is definitely what you would call a blessing in disguise, because at first I was freaking out a little bit. But when all is said and done, the music is the only thing that matters, and I know we made a great choice with Epitaph. We make music that we love and that we want to hear. We don't give a fuck if its rock, polka, metal, or country. If we love it, than we are happy, and we are with a label that understands that.

The band's final major label release was 2005's In the Wake of Determination.