Mount Diablo

Mount Diablo is a mountain of the Diablo Range, in Contra Costa County of the eastern San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California. It is south of Clayton and northeast of Danville.

It is an isolated upthrust peak of 3,849 feet (1,173 m), visible from most of the San Francisco Bay Area. Mount Diablo appears from many angles to be a double pyramid and has many subsidiary peaks, the largest and closest of which is the other half of the double pyramid, North Peak, nearly as high in elevation at 3,557 feet (1,084 m) and about a mile northeast of the main summit.

Geography

The summit is accessible by foot, bicycle, or motor vehicle. Road access is via North Gate Road or South Gate Road.

Mount Diablo State Park

The peak is in Mount Diablo State Park, a state park of about 20,000 acres (8,000 ha). The park was the first public open space of a complex‍—‌according to Save Mount Diablo‍—‌now including 38 preserves, including nearby city open spaces, regional parks, watersheds, that are buffered in some areas with private lands protected with conservation easements. Preserved lands on and around Mount Diablo total more than 90,000 acres (36,000 ha). The day use fee per vehicle for the park is by entrance way: $6 via Macedo or Mitchellor, and $10 via Mount Diablo.

Under Soil and Dirt

Under Soil and Dirt is the debut studio album by American rock band The Story So Far. Prior to the album's release several songs were made available for streaming.

Background

The Story So Far formed in Walnut Creek, California in 2007. The band consisted of Parker Cannon on vocals, Kevin Geyer and Kevin Ambrose on guitar, Ryan Torf on drums, and Kelen Capener on bass. Ambrose parted ways with the band when he went to college in 2008 and he was replaced by William Levy. In March 2010 it was announced the band had signed to Pure Noise. Two months later the band released an EP, While You Were Sleeping (2010). The band supported This Time Next Year in November. The band went on tour with The American Scene in January 2011.

Composition and recording

Throughout the writing and recording process the band listened to Transit's Keep This to Yourself (2010). All of the band members "loved [Keep This to Yourself] and thought it was next level", according to Capener. The band thought that the "14 awesome, solid" songs were "fucking badass" that they "want[ed] to do", according to Levy. Levy and Geyer would listen to Elliott Smith, The Weakerthans, Wilco, Mother of Mercy, and Black Breath while driving. Levy described Under Soil and Dirt as "Pop-Punk, with lyrics about Girls and growing up; grooviness, lot of energy." Capener said the album isn't "really in your face, but at the same time, it is. It's an honest record, it packs a punch". Levy found it difficult to write material since Capener lived an hour away and Cannon living six hours away. At the time, Capener had a job and was in college.